10 Ways To Make Your Child A Confident Speaker

Speaking is an art with a science and that too speaking confidently is about a strategy that cannot be brushed aside as an ordinary exercise in child’s play. If started early it come effortlessly while for a late entrant to the skill is perpetually struggling. To groom confident speakers, a few pointers can be path breaking trial of competence in anyone kids or adults alike.

1. Speaking is all in the head and is a developmental process. So it is important for our kids to have better beliefs about self, about acquiring knowledge and speaking per se.
2. Encourage them to read books and to expose them to varied subjects, writing styles, powerful vocabulary and to gradually but surely fall in love with newer perspectives on incidences and more.
3. It always helps to engage them in basic courtesies ( face to face, on phone, mails etc ) and a brief talk (especially for hesitant speakers) to share and challenge any of their limiting beliefs and fears about speaking.
4. The magic mantra for confident speakers lies in a presupposition “I HAVE SOMETHING OF VALUE TO SHARE” OR “ I CAN DO IT”. It helps them approach speaking with a relaxed mindset and an unshakeable conviction. It thus reflects in their body language too.
5. Awareness of the ingredients or the secret sauce of confident speakers includes appreciation of voice modulation, eye-contact, body language and sense of humor and can be untying the threads of doubt and incompetence if any.
6. Let the kids have the privilege to be part of one or the other speaking clubs in your area. It makes them consciously aware of their shortcomings and provides a platform to express and a group of participants…all that combined puts the odds in their favour.
7. Kids who are allowed to voice their opinions, and express their feelings are naturally competent speakers. so the next time you snub them and cut them short while they speak, please make sure you have a reason for that.
8. Modelling by being a good speaker is a sure shot process of persuasion to inspire your young bundles to stand up well to the task. Work on being a non-judgemental parent with a love for language/words/learning/reading.

Behind every confident speaker is a that is well rehearsed and that too ideally minimum 3-14 hrs prior to its delivery. The more they practise their script, the better it is internalised and the outcome is the ability to sound natural and of course a relaxed body language and loads of eye-contact.

1. Finally it all boils down to ‘STATES’…WHICH IS AN AMALGAMATION OF PICTURES/VISUALS (GOOD OR BAD BOTH) AND THE BODY LANGUAGE!!

If they visualise themselves as faltering, miffed & fearful, paralysingly conscious of the audience, the whole confidence goes for a toss.

Having made aware of the two together and the power of state management (by combining mental images and body language ) , let them visualise (initially a conscious effort though)of the goodness of teh experience, belief in self, and of sharing valuable information with others.

It will definitely put the demons of fear, and incompetence to rest and ensure an empowering state coupled with a body language that spells ‘CONFIDENCE’.