print add to favorites

by Jane Oh
Topics: Fourth Grade, Reading, Writing

Giving a presentation puts butterflies in most students' stomachs, but you can set your child up for success by allowing her to practice at home. Here are some tips and tricks for bringing out the public speaker in your child!

What You Need:
index cards
poster board
markers
various props

What You Do:

Step 1

Explain to your child that there are two different kinds of presentations: narrative and informational. Narrative Presentations tell a story. Think of oral storytelling.  Some examples are: story, poem, play, fable, fairy tale, myth, etc. Informational Presentations convey information. Some examples are: reports, biographies, book reports, etc.

Step 2

Work with your child to build up her presentation skills:

  • For informal practice, have your child give you a retelling of her favorite book, fairy tale, or poem.  It’s a good idea to let her choose a story she's familiar with, so she can focus more on honing her presentation skills rather than worrying about the content.

  • For more formal practice, ask your child to imagine she has been abducted by martians who want to know how things work on planet Earth. Ask your child to pick something she would like to explain to her captors, and allow her to choose something silly or funny. For example, how a toilet works or how to build a sandwich. Have her jot down key steps on index cards, so she can refer to them during the presentation. Also, have her include visual aids, such as props or diagrams for a comprehensive experience. Before your child gives her presentation, she should have ample practice time in front of pretend audiences, such as yourself, her stuffed animals, or even herself in front of a mirror.


Step 3

Whether informal or formal, emphasize these key components of good presentation skills: (When starting for the first time, you may want to focus your child on only one skill at a time, and then gradually add the others as she builds confidence and competence.)

  • Eye contact-- maintain eye contact with audience, seldom returning to notes
     
  • Visual aids- they explain and enhances presentation
     
  • Organization-- presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow
     
  • Elocution-- use clear voices and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation

With a little practice, your child will be ready to enter the spotlight in no time.