What is the best way for my child to gain public speaking skills in home school?
I want to start my child at a young age (he is currently seven) speaking in public with confidence. What is the best way to accomplish this? Where can he gain practice?
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Why dont you just sign him up for a side class in speech?
Toastmasters had a program called KidSpeak. Call you local chapter and ask them about KidSpeak, they’ll know.
If you live closer to a city, there are pleanty of speech and oratory possibilities. I know that if you live anywhere near a 4-H club (I know, but this is where I learned how to public speak…) they have at least 3 speaking contests per year. There are also sevral “history day” speech contests in our area.
See about local homeschooling support groups. I know a few here who have yearly (or more often) events where the kids have a chance to present something–stuff they’ve learned through their homeschooling or things they learned through extra-curricular lessons or just things they enjoy that they want to share.
You can also do some practice at home. It’s not quite the same, but it still helps! You make sure to present things to him, too, so it’s not something he sees as disconnected from what adults do.
I had a student at my University who was home-schooled, and was phenomenally well-spoken. She said this was a result of her parents speaking to her like an adult from a very young age, and making sure their friends did the same. Also, she had to do things like ordering her own ice cream etc herself (or she wouldn’t get ice cream), which forced her to speak to strangers frequently and clearly. It definitely worked for her! Acting groups I hear are also helpful (from a home-schooling mother)
If he joins a 4-H group or some children’s club, he will gain public speaking experience.
If your child is a good oral reader, you could let him read aloud to other kids (neighbors, public library, church). Also, I would let him record (remember cassette tapes?)himself and practice reading and reciting on tape. That should hold him for a year or so, I’ve never heard of Toastmasters for kids, but he might enjoy going to high school speech and debate tournaments.
My son is 8 and he is active in our church childrens chior. He has had a speaking role in their plays and has amazed me with his confidence. You might look into local theater groups. Or look into homeschool groups in your area, many have a time when kids can come and do give a report or read a poem etc.
Also teach him proper polite conversation by talking to him and allowing him to speak for himself. We let our son order the pizza, order at restaurants, talk to the Dr about how he feels at office visits, order and pay for movie tickets and snacks at the movies, and ask any question he thinks of at places like the museum where there is a learning oppourtunity. But we have ALWAYS taught things like please, thank you, yes ma’am, no sir, may I, excuse me, etc. And we talk to him once we are alone about how things could have gone better.
Hope some of this is what you are looking for. Good luck.
you can gather up all his stuffed animals and have him give a speech, or you can save the poor kid years of social inebria and put him in school like normal people.
Fill the dishwasher with glasses, and put little tiny funny looking hats on them, and have him stand in front of it and speak to them. Or, you could send him to public school, which is what you should do all along; in public school he will learn all of this, and be much better off for the experience. You people make me sick.