How to Help Your Child Become a Better Public Speaker

Fear of public speaking is ranked higher than the fear of death for most adults, so how can you make your child a better public speaker?  There are certainly going to be instances where your child has to engage in public speaking – class reports, school presentations, and future interviews for jobs.  However, there are many ways that you can help your child improve without having to buy expensive public speaking classes.

One of the best ways is to start in your home.  Have your child practice public speaking by speaking in front of your assembled family.  This can give your child a sense of familiarity with speaking in front of others, as well as giving them more familiarity with their material, if you’re doing this as preparation for a specific project.

Another helpful tip is to make sure that your child writes down what they are going to be saying.  Public speaking is much easier when you have control over your own words, and this will give your child confidence in their ability to perform under the spotlight.

In addition, when your child does start a public speaking project, teach them the right way to do it.  Teach them to look out at the crowd, to make eye contact with their audience, and to speak confidently.  Practicing this at home is a great way to ensure your child has the public speaking skills to be successful, no matter what venue they may be speaking at.

Finally, let your child practice in front of a mirror.  This will help them learn the right facial expressions and body posture for public speaking.