Public speaking in schools is a crucial way to build confidence in children and help them overcome their fears of stage fright. Public speaking is the ability of the child to face an audience and speak on various topics for a long time. This is considered to be a must-have life skill. This blog will elaborate on public speaking tips for students and how to speak confidently in school.
Importance of Public Speaking in Schools
With public speaking, a child can build on his character, instil confidence, organise his thoughts, and most of all, get the opportunity to communicate complex ideas to the audience. There are many public speaking tips for students that will help them to grow and become more confident.
Help Build Confidence
A child can surely build confidence via public speaking. Speaking in front of a group might help one gain confidence and develop character. Also, engaging with a group of individuals reminds us that a child has valuable knowledge and viewpoints to share with the world!
Build on Leadership Skills
With the aid of public speaking, one develops leadership skills. Starting public speaking earlier helps students connect with the audience while motivating them. One’s ability to make people understand what you are saying and make them know your vision is the trait of a good leader.
Helps to attain fluency in the language
Having good public speaking skills means the viewer can understand the complex thoughts the child is trying to communicate. For public speaking, one has to do a lot of research; in this way, they will learn new words, which will help them expand their vocabulary and fix their tone.
Better Communication
With public speaking, one becomes very good at communicating orally. With the help of public speaking, the child improves communication over time. They attain a level of confidence that makes them comfortable around and talking to people.
Getting Great at General Knowledge
Yes, public speaking may seem straightforward – but it’s not. Public speaking requires a good amount of preparation. They can’t just go like that before one goes on the podium to speak. They have to research the topic and gain a thorough understanding of it. So, when a student prepares himself/herself for public speaking, he/she has to collect knowledge related to the topic by reading books or even searching the internet.
Helps to Stay Calm in High – Pressure Situations
Being calm in a stressful situation is the core importance of public speaking. As children get better at public speaking, they learn to stay calm and successfully deliver what they are trying to say.
Some Common Fears of Public Speaking for Children
Children face some common fears while public speaking. These include:
Fear of judgement: This is a widespread fear of public speaking. Children, while speaking, often worry about being criticised by teachers and other children if they say something wrong.
Fear of forgetting: While public speaking, the child can suddenly forget what he is going to say, which can be daunting.
Physical symptoms: Some children may experience physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweaty palms, or even a shaky voice when speaking publicly.
Lack of confidence: There are many children with low self-esteem, and this way, they become hesitant to speak in front of others.
Key Ways to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
If you fear public speaking and cannot communicate properly, we will provide you with some key ways to overcome it.
Know Your Topic: As a child, one has to understand and comprehend the topic they will discuss. The more one knows and understands the topic, the less likely they will make a mistake.
Practice, practice, practice – To overcome the fear of public speaking, one should practice several times. A child can also practice with people they don’t know that well. We suggest that one make a video of their presentation so that they can watch it regularly and find ways in which they can improve.
Don’t fear a moment of silence: It happens when a child loses track of what they are saying, and the mind goes blank. This silence may seem like an eternity, but it’s only for a few seconds. In such situations, just take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down.
Get support: If a child has problems in public speaking, they can join a group that offers support to people with a tough time in public speaking. Many non-profit organisations can help a child overcome his/her fear of public speaking and become confident in delivering their speech.
Let Your Child Become Great Public Speakers
So, the above are some ways to help your child become a great public speaker and build on his confidence. As we all know, public speaking is critical to help maintain a child’s communication with a large audience and remove the nervousness of public speaking.
At Sri Sri Academy, a leading boarding school in siliguri for boys and girls, we promote building confidence in public speaking in children and understand its core importance in helping them grow and become great at what they do. We want to create an environment where children easily communicate their thoughts and viewpoints to the public. Be a part of our school, and see how your child flies high with our facilities.