How to Help Your Child Prepare to Give a Speech

Co-authored by Gale McCreary

Last Updated: March 29, 2022 References

Public speaking does not come naturally for everyone. Most people get nervous before giving a speech, and children are no exception. With proper planning and preparation, though, you can help your child succeed at giving a speech.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Helping Your Child Prepare the Speech

1
Think about the subject. The best speeches are those that engage the audience with an interesting, relevant topic. Preparation will depend, to some extent, on whether your child has been assigned a specific topic or gets to choose one.^{[1]
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- If your child has been assigned a specific topic already, ask what he or she knows about that subject. If this knowledge is lacking, point your child toward books, articles, websites, or other sources of information. Otherwise, simply talk about how your child might elaborate on the topic at hand.
- If your child gets to select the subject, brainstorm together about possible topics. Decide on something appropriate to the assignment and interesting to your child.
2
Encourage your child to consider the audience. Your child should pitch his or her speech to the particular audience: are they students, adults, or both? The content and tone of the speech should reflect the audience and the occasion.^{[2]
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3
Discuss the structure of a speech. Your child’s assignment may vary, but in general, a speech should have an introduction, a developed and persuasive middle, and a conclusion. Your child should include both facts and opinions.^{[3]
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4
Have your child draft the speech. After you’ve chosen a theme, your child should write a rough draft of the speech. You can then check the draft, point out any major problems, and make suggestions for improvement.
5
Teach the importance of revision. Your child should revise his or her speech, using your suggestions for guidance. Teach your child how important this step is: the best writers and the best public speakers all draft, revise, and revise again.
6
Suggest visual aids. Your child’s speech will be clearer and more effective with a few pictures, diagrams, or slides. Remind your child to select these visual aids carefully, choosing relevant images that will interest the audience.^{[4]
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- You can also point out, if your child is nervous, that good visual aids will take the audience members’ eyes off the child. They will be looking at the images instead.
7
Prepare note cards. Whether or not your child uses visual aids, a few note cards can provide some security against forgetting parts of the speech. Have your child jot down the basic structure of the speech, plus any parts he or she is likely to forget.
- Depending on the situation, some children (especially younger children) may be encouraged to put their entire speech on note cards and to read directly from the cards. Find out what your child is expected to do.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Helping Your Child Practice the Speech

1
Offer a demonstration. If your child is unsure of what giving a speech should look like, give the speech yourself and let the child watch and ask questions.
2
Listen to your child practice the speech. Let your child practice many times. If the speech is meant to be memorized, follow along on the written version and point out any parts that your child forgets.
3
Suggest that your child practice in front of a mirror. You can encourage your child to develop his or her performance by practicing in front of a mirror. This exercise allows the child to see and adjust his or her body language and facial expressions.^{[5]
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4
Gather an audience. Once your child has mastered the speech, gather friends and family members and let your child practice in front of the group. If there will be a question and answer period after the speech, have these practice audience members ask questions.^{[6]
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- Don’t forget to applaud and praise your child after the practice speech. He or she will do better if you help build confidence beforehand.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Helping Your Child Develop Better Speaking Skills

1
Teach your child that public speaking is a kind of performance. He or she needs to speak in a way that holds the audience’s attention.
2
Work on volume. Many children speak much too quietly at first; you may have to encourage your child to speak in a loud, clear voice. Remind your child that he or she wants the audience to hear every word.
3
Consider speed. Your child should speak slowly, but not so slowly that the audience gets bored. If he or she speaks too quickly, the audience will have trouble following the speech.
4
Remind your child to breathe deeply. Long speeches can be tiring, and if your child is nervous, he or she may be breathing too quickly and heavily. Encourage deep, slow breaths, which will calm your child down and make the speech clearer.^{[7]
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5
Suggest that your child keep a glass of water nearby. If your child will be speaking for a long time, he or she will probably experience a dry mouth. Taking a drink of water periodically will help.
- You can also tell your child to take sips of water strategically. If he or she momentarily forgets part of the speech, a drink of water can buy some time.
6
Emphasize the importance of eye contact. Instruct your child to look at the audience members and connect with them. It’s much less effective to stare at some imaginary point in the distance.
7
Pay attention to body language. Help your child remember to stand up straight and speak calmly and loudly while looking at the audience. Hand gestures can help, but you also don’t want your child to gesture nervously and wildly.
8
Brainstorm with your child about how to deal with difficult situations. Your child may worry about someone in the audience behaving rudely or about not being able to keep the audience’s attention. He or she may also be concerned about making a mistake. Encourage your child to ignore any rudeness in the audience and to simply smile and fix any errors he or she makes.
9
Build your child’s confidence. The best public speakers are confident speakers who know that they have mastered their material. Remind your child that he or she has a good speech and has practiced sufficiently to master it – he or she is prepared to succeed!

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Part 4: Strategizing for Success on the Day of the Speech

1
Select appropriate clothing. Depending on the situation, your child may need to be dressed more or less formally. Either way, it builds confidence to put on clean, attractive clothes. Have your child choose a favorite outfit, one that he or she feels happy and secure in.^{[8]
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2
Do one final rehearsal. Let your child practice the speech one last time, wearing the right clothes and using all the visual aids. Emphasize how far your child has come and how strong this performance is.
3
Check and double check your child’s materials. Make sure that your child has everything he or she needs – the speech itself, visual aids, and note cards – before leaving the house.
4
Offer some final words of encouragement. Tell your child that nervousness and stage fright are natural and normal, that these feelings are actually a good sign because it means that he or she is taking the speech seriously. Remind your child how hard he or she worked and how strong the speech has become.^{[9]
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5
Praise your child. Tell your child before the performance that you are very proud; repeat this praise after the performance as well. Celebrate your child’s success.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

Question

How can I avoid getting nervous while giving a speech?

Community Answer

Try establishing a point of concentration, like looking at something at the back of the room or focusing on the content of your speech.
Question

If I am a child, how can I overcome my fear of speaking in public?

Community Answer

Practice your lines a lot. Maybe say them in front of your friends or family. This will help you remember your lines more and be less scared. When you are about to go and say the speech, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, then smile and look confident. If it is a major problem, then maybe print out what you are going to say and take it with you.
Question

How should the face expression be during the speech?

Community Answer

The facial expression should be somewhat with a slight smile as you don't want to look sad or angry, which would not sit well with the audience. Don't look bored or upset either, and try to avoid over smiling too. It is important to look passionate about your topic, as passion is infectious.