How to help your child feel more confident about public speaking

Finding our voice as a child is part of discovering our place in the world. Speaking with confidence and clarity can bring so much empowerment and self-esteem into the realm of developing conservational skills, building relationships and how children cope with learning interactions, educational tasks and presentations. It helps children to ask questions when they are unsure of where they are headed, whether that be in a classroom setting, with peers and siblings, developing emotional intelligence and feeling happy in their own space.

People fear public speaking more than almost anything else

Many studies show that when people speak in front of a group as small as 5 people, their heart rate increases, their palms start sweating, they stammer and reach a general state of anxiety.

It can be a scary prospect to get up in front of a crowd and try to entertain them with your words. Being able to speak confidently and engagingly in front of a group of people is a valuable asset. 

Public speaking lessons for children

Children tend to be open to new experiences and a little less fearful than adults, so they often do well in public speaking programs and speech and drama classes.

Through learning effective communication processes children can attain:

Increased self-esteem

Getting up in front of people to talk can be daunting, but once a child does it, they often feel a great sense of pride and self-satisfaction which boosts their confidence and self-esteem.

Improved communication skills

Being a good communicator takes practice so ideas can be shared with clarity. Through speech and drama lessons, most children leave class with a new sense of how to convey their own unique message out to the world.

Experience planning ahead

Another awesome tool, developed with public speaking and performance, is the skill of planning. It requires preparation, and it helps children to think ahead - something that will benefit a child for the rest of their lives.

The power of persuasion

When public speaking, there is usually a purpose or a particular message, and therefore children learn persuasive skills (all great leaders know how to persuade others). From here, the sky is the limit in terms of the positive influence they can have on others. Along with these beneficial learnings and skill development, the most important thing a child can get from enhancing their public speaking acumen is feeling comfortable speaking in front of people and having belief in their own communication abilities - written and verbal.

An understanding of empathy

At the end of the day, giving our kids the ability to confidently communicate with one another is invaluable. As well as the wonderful skills above, speech and drama teaches empathy. It gives children the opportunity to experience the world from an outside perspective.

Effective communication, speech processes, drama, characterisation, improvisation and mime, are all techniques that the imaginative mind of a child relishes. Learning public speaking is part of speech and drama lessons.

They don't have to be outgoing

Shy, reserved kids can get just as much benefit from improving their communication and performance skills as the more exhuberant ones. Drama is a great medium where children can use their energies to discover creative ways of expressing themselves.

Children develop:

Public speaking programs let children express themselves

Sometimes children find it difficult to express themselves freely in a typical classroom setting or even in a homeschool environment. Encouraging imagination and experimenting through speech and drama creates enthusiastic communicators. They gain the courage to step out of the box. It also promotes an appreciation of the arts and literature, and becomes a solid foundation for your child’s future.