TIPS ON PUBLIC SPEAKING & DRAMA
As a student or an employee venturing into the workforce, it is important that your child acquires skills to become a confident and compelling speaker. This can be useful during a class or boardroom presentation, on a stage and even during a one to one conversation in your everyday lives. To effectively do this, it is essential to know how to structure and put forth a performance or presentation in a clear, concise, and coherent manner. Most importantly, your children need to be sure of themselves.
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FRIGHTNENING
No matter what stage of life you are in, performing or speaking in front of a large crowd can get scary and overwhelming. Thus, it is important to guide your child through this development to help them achieve the much-needed life skills such as logical analysis of a subject, persuasion techniques, self-assurance etc. As your child becomes more comfortable with performing publicly, it is more likely that it will instil self-confidence in them. This in turn will increase their abilities to face obstacles in the future. One way to help your child is to enrol them in public speaking and drama courses where they can learn these skills in practice and in theory.
TIPS ON HELPING YOUR CHILD PERFORM
It is important to understand that majority of us are afraid of public speaking and performances simply because we are unprepared. Here are some tips for you as a parent, to act as a catalyst to improve your child’s public speaking capabilities.
Firstly, it is important to introduce this concept as early as possible. Instead of having them to see a public performance or presentation as an activity, help them see it as a game they can play. Start off by introducing a small crowd through a game of charades or taboo. This creates a fantasy where your children will be given a specific role while trying to deliver a message to their audience. This will get them used to having attention on them while they are speaking. In time, this will teach them to be natural when addressing others.
Be very observant when your child is performing to give them helpful feedback. Although positive reinforcements and affirmations are important, it is also important to offer constructive criticism to assist your child in making improvements where required. However, do remember to be patient when doing so. Wait until your child has completed a piece before offering your feedback. If you constantly interrupt them to make corrections, it may serve as a distraction which may make them much more nervous.
Next, recording your child’s practice sessions can prove to be extremely helpful. It is much easier for your child to identify areas of improvements when they can observe it the way that an audience would. As you play it back to them, provide positive reinforcements on their strengths and construct solutions to improve certain areas.
Finally, habitually encourage confidence throughout the entirety of your child’s life. Confidence and optimism to overcome any challenge cannot be achieved overnight. This needs to be instilled from a young age and nurtured as they grow. You can start your child off with small practices such as ordering their own meals, sharing about their day and so much more. Most importantly, model this confidence in front of your children as they learn the most by observing and mimicking. With your support, your child can excel to his maximum potential. Remember, developing confidence is a lifelong journey!
This article was brought to you by The Global Citizen Education Group.
