Primary Public
Speaking
2015
WHEN TO START - COMMENTS
The best way to learn just about any skill in life is to start at
the earliest age possible. It doesn't seem to matter if the
subject is cooking, playing a musical instrument, sports, or
public speaking, starting young seems to reap huge
benefits.
Comments
• If there is one thing I regret in my life it is the inability to
speak comfortably in front of any more than 2 people at
the same time.
• Even to this day, just the thought of speaking in front of a
group strikes terror into my heart.
• When I think back to the school years, I realise that
public speaking must have been a skill that was not
considered important for students to learn. At least not
properly.
FURTHER COMMENTS
• if you are taught something in the formative years, it
tends to become second nature.
Like writing for instance.
• Could you imagine teaching a student to write
beginning in year 9? How much sense would that
make?
• Why don't we have that same thought process with
public speaking? It would easily be one of the most
valuable skills ever learned in the school years.
Public speaking can be the source of significant anxiety for
children and for adults. Many adults can relate to the sweaty
palms, rapid heartbeat, dry-cotton mouth, shaky knees, and
nervous stomach associated with public speaking. Surveys of
adult fears have ranked public speaking among the most feared
experiences, in some instances above death, heights, and flying
(Wallechinsky, Wallace, & Wallace, 1998). Public speaking can also
be problematic for children. "Having to talk in front of my class" is
in the school/social stress fears components of the Fear Survey
Schedule for Children.
How do we, as teachers help students overcome this fear?
Early Stage 1 – Stage Statement
Speaking & Listening
By the end of Early Stage 1 students respond to a range of spoken,
written and multimodal texts from familiar contexts. They demonstrate
active listening behaviours to follow simple instructions and ask
relevant questions. Students mix and communicate informally with
peers, teachers and known adults in informal and structured
classroom settings. They communicate clearly and purposefully when
engaging in pair, group and class discussions. Students demonstrate
an emerging awareness of how people use spoken language for
different purposes. They deliver short presentations using familiar and
learned vocabulary. Students explore the way familiar spoken texts
are constructed and the features of these texts.
Stage 1 – Stage Statement
Speaking & Listening
By the end of stage 1 students communicate with a wide range
of audiences on familiar and structured topics to achieve a
variety of purposes. They interact effectively, adopting new
communication skills and select vocabulary to enhance meaning
in order to give confident presentations. They recognise that
spoken language has a range of purposes and audiences and
they use this knowledge when attempting to communicate
effectively with others. Students create imaginative, informative
and persuasive spoken texts drawing on their own experiences
their imagination and ideas they have learned.
Stage 2 – Stage Statement Speaking & Listening
By the end of Stage 2 students communicate expressively and clearly
with growing proficiency about ideas and information in classroom,
school and social situations for a range of purposes. They explore a
variety of roles when interacting in pairs and groups, attending to
different views and responding appropriately. Students use various
listening behaviours to gather general ideas and key points from
conversations, reports or spoken presentations. They identify the effect
of purpose, audience and culture on spoken texts and shape and
present ideas accordingly. Students identify common organisational
patterns and language features of predictable spoken texts.
Stage 3 – Stage Statement
Speaking & Listening
By the end of Stage 3 students communicate effectively, using considered
language to entertain, inform and persuade audiences for an increasing range
of purposes. They work productively and independently in pairs or groups to
deliver effective presentations using various skills and strategies. Students
collaborate with others to share and evaluate ideas and opinions and to
develop different points of view. They express well-developed and well
organised ideas about literary texts and respond constructively to different
opinions. They demonstrate active listening behaviours in order to gather
specific information and ideas, recognising and exploring how spoken and
written language differ and how spoken language varies according to context.
Students evaluate characteristic language features and organisational patterns
of challenging spoken texts.
Importance of Talk
• Thus we need to be developing these skills of
speaking within a safe environment.
• Students should be provided with constant
opportunities to have substantive conversations with
peers, within groups, at home and to the class.
• These opportunities should encompass all
experiences our children have.
Manner, Matter and Method
Prepared Speeches
The three aspects of manner, matter and method need to be considered in
constructing and presenting prepared speeches.
Manner refers to the presentation of the speech.
• The key to good manner is to be natural.
• Acting, singing, dancing and props are not allowed. Public speaking
is not drama.
Manner includes:
• Eye contact Speakers should look at the whole audience by focussing on
parts of the audience for a short period of time. Eye contact with the audience
should be maintained as much as possible. However, the best speeches are
generally not learnt off by heart and robotically recited, but rather require the
speaker to glance at his or her palm cards occasionally.
• Stance Speakers should be comfortable but should not do anything that
distracts from what they are saying.
Manner Prepared Speeches
• Voice Speakers should modulate tone, expression, volume and speed
without appearing fake or unnatural. They should not force out their words
or yell at the audience. A clear, confident voice that is easy for the audience
to hear is appropriate.
• Gesture If a speaker has to think about gesturing, then they should not be
doing it. Gestures should be natural, not planned.
• Palm cards Speakers should use palm cards not pieces of paper. They
always should be used but as little as possible should be written on them.
The student should refer to them for cues but NOT READ from them. The
palm cards may have only a few words or pictures on them that give the
speaker the cue for the speech. Make the cards to suit the needs of the
student. Maximum size of the card should be the size of the palm. If palm
cards are too large they will inhibit the use of the hand.
• A smile (facial expression), and a real interest in the topic being delivered
is a great hint.
• Good speakers will occasionally stumble or say ‘um’. This is preferable
to speeches which are at the one extreme entirely read or at the other overrehearsed. The competition is very much a learning exercise for primaryaged speakers, and learners stumble from time to time.
Matter Prepared Speeches
Matter refers to the material in the speech.
• Speeches should be as original as possible. Whilst the involvement of
parents and teachers is strongly encouraged, speakers should always write,
or contribute to the writing of their own speech. Each speech should have a
message or a point of view. This is what distinguishes speeches from
information reports.
• Speakers should choose a topic that they feel very strongly about so that
they can speak with sincerity and confidence.
• They should also choose a topic that would be of interest to the rest of the
audience.
• An interesting beginning to the speech should grab the attention of the
audience and set the tone for the rest of the speech.
• You should have a strong and obvious close to the speech that ties all ideas
together and leaves a lasting impression.
• There should be interesting ideas and appropriate language for the age and
maturity of the child in the main body of the speech. Some facts, examples,
quotes and opinions should be included here.
Opening with an unusual detail: Manitoba, because of its cold
climate, is not thought of as a great place to be a reptile.
However, strangely enough it has the largest seasonal
congregation of garter snakes in the world!
Opening with a strong statement: According to research
cigarettes are the number one cause of lung cancer.
Opening with a Quotation: Elbert Hubbard once said , "Truth is
stronger than fiction."
Opening with an Anecdote: An anecdote can provide an
amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to the
point.
Opening with a Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact
will add emphasis or interest to your topic. It may be wise to
include the item's authoritative source.
Opening with a Question. Have you ever considered how many
books we'd read if it were not for television?
Opening with an Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement. The
whole world as the comet flew overhead.
Early Stage One students should choose simple topics but
should still have an opinion.
Stage One and Stage Two students should also choose simple
topics but they should be encouraged to talk about other people
in relation to their topic. Their entire speech should not just be
about themselves. Speakers should also be encouraged to justify
their opinion.
Stage Three students should be encouraged to speak about an
issue or problem in society such as the environment, war,
poverty, etc. They should be talking about other people and the
world in general for their entire speech. Their message should
be profound and also justified.
.
The best speeches are balanced. This means a balance
between personal perspective and a broader world-view,
between rhetorical device and cold hard facts, and
between humour and sincerity. A speech which is entirely
personal is not a successful one, and nor is a speech
which is essentially an information report. A simple tip
would be to begin with a personal story and then broaden
out to look at an issue in the community or the country, but
remember that this won’t work for every speech.
Finally, good speeches are unique and striking. They
should be original and catch the audience’s attention by
presenting them with something they haven’t seen before.
Arguments - Speakers should support their opinion with several
reasons and ideas. Their arguments should be logical and wellexplained.
Examples – Speakers should support and prove their arguments
and ideas with examples. An example in public speaking refers
to people, places and events that have happened in the real
world and that have been reported. Speakers should be taught
the Five Rs that make a good
example: Real, Reported, Recent, Reasonable and Relevant.
Method Prepared Speeches
Method refers to the structure of a speech.
Beginning: There are three ways to begin a speech
• Story – Must be relevant to the speech as a whole
• Statement – Should be interesting and thought-provoking
• Question – Must be answered at some point in the speech
A good speech will avoid:
• A long drawn out introduction
• Theatrical gestures
• Singing
• Using phrases such as “Today I’m going to talk about...’ ‘ The
subject of my speech is...’ ‘The definition of...’ ‘My name is...’ ‘Good
morning...’ etc. The opening statement should be the actual
beginning of the speech.
Method Prepared Speeches
Middle Development:
• The way the speech is developed will depend on the speaker’s
purpose and personality.
• This part of the speech should be linked to the introduction in a
logical and interesting way. It should also contain ideas and
examples that support the topic and purpose of the speech and are
linked to each other. This is the part of the speech where the
speaker ‘gets the message across’. Planning this section carefully
is very important so that the speech sounds convincing and
spontaneous.
• A good speech will avoid:
• Using lists
• Repeating ideas
Conclusion
The conclusion should confirm and justify your point of view or be a
statement about your topic. Please do not conclude with; ‘Thank you’
or ‘I hope you have enjoyed my speech….’
Task
1. Brainstorm all the opportunities that you
currently provide for your children to speak
about experiences, texts or websites.
2. Tell how you scaffold for the development
of speaking skills.
Talking opportunities around our
writing tasks
• When we write we write for a specific audience and
a specific purpose. When we speak, students need
to know that again it will be for a specific audience
and a specific purpose either as a debate or as a
speech.
• The appropriate language skills/features and the
building up of relevant background knowledge is
explicitly taught in the classroom to enable the
students to confidently engage in conversation
around given topics.
Classroom preparation
• Teach skills. Explain the purpose.
• It is important for students to have the opportunity to
present in small groups first. It is good for students
to critique each other in a positive way using specific
criteria. That way students are focusing on skills
needed and using the appropriate meta-language. It
is also good for those who lack confidence.
Provide opportunities for students
to debate issues
• Was Goldilocks a vandal, or just a hungry little girl?
First argument against
She certainly didn’t care about
tasting other people’s food,
which was incredibly unhygienic,
she also showed herself to be
greedy and uncaring when she
devoured Baby Bear’s porridge.
• Was Little Red Riding Hood’s mother irresponsible, sending
her into the woods alone?
Impromptu Speeches
• For impromptu speeches we need to have children who can think on
multiple levels CONSISTENTLY. It is far more effective for a student
to speak for 35 seconds validating opinions, using effective
language and appropriate connectives than to ramble on with no
substance for over a minute.
• Quality v quantity?? – just like writing. Again using planning time
effectively is essential.
• Speeches need to be fluent, connected and express opinions but
not be a prepared format to fit any topic.
• Skills will have been taught but students NEED to have the ability to
think on their feet. Debating skills are very valuable. New
comprehension strategies of partner sharing and routines such
as Reciprocal Reading will also help with thoughts and opinions.
Impromptus
• Suggested strategies to plan an impromptu can be:
Mind map
PMI – De Bono
CoRT strategies – De Bono
6 thinking hats – De Bono
• It is also wise to have an opinion at the conclusion of, or embedded
into, your speech.
• Choose ideas from your brainstorming session and develop this
further
• Encompass wider concepts (Local-National-Global)
• Your speech should have a clear message
• Decide your starting and finishing points (open and close
strongly!)
• State the reason why you are speaking on the subject
• Speaking about personal experiences will give you courage and
confidence
• Don't try to cover too much
Impromptus other strategies
The PRES PlanMake a Point with a confident opening line such as ‘I believe that...’ or
‘I think we should...’
State the Reason starting with words such as ‘This is because...’ or ‘The
reason I say this is...’ ‘Currently….’
Give an Example in the form of a story. A good lead in phrase might be
‘Just the other day...’ or ‘A good example of this was reported in the
paper only recently.’ or ‘Why do I think this? Because I read…..’
Include a Summary of your point. This reinforces your opening and
gives a very clear and confident conclusion. You could start with ‘So
you’ll see, that’s why I said...’
The Past Present Future Plan-this three-step plan has the speaker
talking about what the subject was like years ago, the situation now
and some speculation on what it might be like in the future
Conjunctions and connectives are cohesive devices that operate within
and between sentences. Different types of conjunctions are used
to express different types of relationships between ideas.
Debating
Structure for arguments
Make your point: Elaborate or explain it ie explain why your
point of view is correct. Explain how things are NOW in relation
to your point, how they will be in the FUTURE once your teams
views are accepted and then explain WHY THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
Do this for each point.
So if you are the affirmative: Now is YAH!!!!!! Future is Boo!!!!!
If you are negative: Now is Boo!!!!! Future is Yah!!!!!!!
Try and give real world or factual examples (not personal or
hypothetical). Link it to the topic.
Debating
Structure for Rebuttal
• The other team said…… This is wrong for 2/3 reasons.
• Explain why the other team is wrong – do not be nice!!!!!
• Give an example as to why they are incorrect. It cannot be
personal or hypothetical. If you cannot think of a reason you
can steal the other team’s argument eg The other team said
that Mathletics is a good program and whilst that might be true
there are many other great programs available for students
such as….,. And it is better to have range of programs to suit
all students rather than just one which does not suit all
students.
• Link it back to the topic.