Public Speaking Tips for Kids

Palms completely wet, sweating all over, heart racing, earth shaking, stomach growling, and many more frightening things like these...this happens with some people, not only when they are locked up with a wild lion, but also when they have to speak front of a crowd. Yes, there are many people who really get scared and nervous when they are made to speak in public. If you are also a kid, or have a kid who is scared of addressing a group of people then read this article further. It provides you with some public speaking tips for kids so that they can speak in front of people at any given time, be it debates, elocution competitions, dramatics, or speeches on special days. It is important that one learns the ways of overcoming fears of public speaking. But how?

Public Speaking Tips and Techniques

Background Research
Being ready with all the information you need is one of the most important public speaking tips for kids. You are still young and may find it difficult to talk spontaneously on given public speaking topics. Looking at your age and experience, you may not have the knowledge of certain things and so it is advisable that you have a complete knowledge about the topic you are talking about. It gives you a confidence that even if you forget a line or two, you know what you have to say.

Structure the Speech
One of the important public speaking tips and tricks is to arrange thoughts in a logical order. It is also advisable to write your own piece in your own words and language. This will give you a chance to express your own thoughts in your own way. Structuring also helps you in understanding the flow of the speech and main points of the topic that you must highlight. So make sure that you write the speech you are going to deliver.

Practice
By practice I certainly do not mean 'mugging up' everything. While practicing you have to read the speech again and again and try to remember the sequence of thoughts. After a few careful reads, things will come to mind easily. But you have to practice how to deliver the lines, which words need to be stressed, how much pause should be taken, etc. You can take help and guidance from your parents or teachers in this case.

Trial Speech
This is one of the best public speaking techniques. Once you think you are prepared completely, take a trial speech. You can go the actual venue if possible and deliver a speech standing on the stage imagining the audience. If not, you can stand front of the mirror or ask your parents to be the audience and deliver the speech. Take their suggestions regarding intonation, body language etc., and improve upon your public speaking skills. This will boost your confidence that 'you can do it'!

Mental Preparations
You must also train your mind to be cool and calm. For this you must perform some relaxing exercises, such as meditation and deep breathing. It will help you stay relaxed and comfortable throughout the speech. If you suffer from anxiety then there are many public speaking anxiety tips you can go through and overcome the fear.

On 'The' Day
Finally on the day of the actual event you must consider the following tips:

• Get up a little early and wear the most comfortable clothes and groom yourself well.
• Now rehearse it one last time before you leave the house.
• Be positive and don't panic. If you feel so, take a deep breath.
• While walking to the stage make sure that you are comfortable and looking at the crowd.
• You can smile at people you know and feel 'normal'.
• Get comfortable with the surrounding and the audience.
• Do not rush while talking. Take pauses and talk in the normal tone and accent.
• If you make a mistake do not stammer and get conscious. You may accept it and continue.
• Instead of making eye contact all the time with the same person you can shift glances at different people. If not, you can concentrate on the four corners of the hall.
• Make sure that your body language and facial expressions are compatible with what you are saying.
• Lastly, be confident.

These were some of the tips on public speaking for kids. But if these public speaking tips for kids do not help you then the only option you are left with is taking up public speaking courses where the experts will analyze your shortcomings and try to eliminate them. Now I would leave you with one of the best public speaking quotes to ponder upon.

"Say not always what you know, but always know what you say." ~ Claudius