Guide to Teaching Public Speaking to Your Pre-Teen

For many people, including adults, public speaking is a source of anxiety and fear. By taking some incremental steps, you can help middle school students begin building capacity and comfort for sharing ideas in public spaces.

Study and Discuss Examples

‍With the examples that are available in spaces like TedEd, students can tap into a wellspring of sources for effective speaking steps. Jumping into a speech without considering the process and moves that public speakers make will likely be more anxiety-inducing. By examining examples, students have the chance to notice what works well and this can lead to a stronger end product.

Notice some of the decisions speakers make with intention:

1. How do they use visuals? Are the visuals complex or simple? How often does the speaker use a new visual or revisit one?
2. How do speakers introduce their topics? The techniques that open a speech are much like an essay – inviting the audience is in important to notice.
3. Where do speakers include examples? Why might they choose these points or subpoints to support with the examples they choose?
4. How do the examples continuously point back to the major point? Does the speaker ever deviate from their major idea – if so, how do they return to their point?

Additionally, notice how speakers make eye contact, pause, and include humor and other rhetorical devices. Rhetorical devices can include asking questions, appealing to logic, using emotional language, and establishing credibility through experts and outside resources. Other aspects like poise, intonation, and gestures can be observed and practiced.

Begin with the Written Word

Cultivating word choice and style can be more difficult on the spot. Encourage your child to script out their thinking and brainstorm examples. So much of thinking and sharing ideas begins with the written word. Speeches are rarely composed on the spot.

In addition to seeking spoken examples, consider the archives of speeches that are available online, from authors and change makers like Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King Jr., and more recent social and political figures. You can also consider how speakers address specific topics over time.

With any creative art, feedback and revision are important steps. Help your child recognize that quality words and strong ideas often take time to cultivate – and can benefit from workshopping.

Scaffold Opportunities

Beginning public speaking with a “deep end of the pool” approach is another method that can produce anxiety. Encourage your child to begin with a small audience of family members or friends, then increase their scope to larger groups. Seek opportunities with friendly and supportive groups in your community, including civic agencies and library resources. If speaking to small groups is intimidating, students can begin by recording their voices and/or videoing themselves. They can practice, fine-tune, and discover their areas of strength and talent.

Years ago, this might have been a more difficult and time-consuming task, but the popularity of cell phone technology and other forms of portable tech can open opportunities to build fluency and comfort.

Finding a smaller audience of supportive voices is helpful for authorship, in general, and the revision process is completely normal.

Begin with Expertise, then Expand

Building additional comfort for students can include first steps in public speaking with a comfortable topic. Your child is an expert in many ways – what do they love and enjoy doing?

This could include their knowledge of sports, games, technologies, toys, popular culture, music, or any area where they spend their time.Your child can begin with what they know and practice sharing this information, then gather additional information to share more developed speeches. In addition to the local community examples noted earlier, fandom communities and affinity groups can serve as spaces for additional speaking opportunities as your child’s comfort and skills grow.

Once they have established a sense of voice and practiced with more accessible topics, you can challenge your child to learn about some less familiar ideas and develop their speaking abilities around those topics. While public speaking can be a source or fear, children can be encouraged to focus on the process and recognize the importance of sharing their voices.

FAQ
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Q: What can I do to help my child build confidence along with skills for public speaking?

A: Keep in mind that your child can begin within their comfort zones – topics they know and audiences that are small and familiar. From there, you can challenge them gradually to expand their opportunities.

Q: What kinds of topics should my child focus on for public speaking?

A: Topics that are informational and lead to explanations are wonderful starting points. Children can expand this foundation into crafting arguments and utilizing persuasive techniques, as well.

Q: Should my child be able to choose their presentation topic?

A: Having a choice can build confidence early on as your child is practicing their skills. You can then encourage them to research and explore more as they develop their strengths.

Q: What can I do to help my child manage their nervousness when practicing public speaking?

A: Emphasize the low-stakes of practice and help them identify areas of strength that they can build on, along with areas that they can strengthen further.