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The Times of India

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5 at-home activities that can help children become confident public speakers

The ability to think is inbuilt but communicating thoughts isnt. The world now rewards those who communicate their ideas confidently and clearly. This is where public speaking becomes an essential skill, especially for growing kids. While public speaking is often seen as a skill used for debates and competitions, it is much more than standing on stages. Public speaking helps an individual organize thoughts, communicate effectively, and thus develop self confidence. In a recent post, parenting influencer Surbhi Dhall shared five simple activities parents can use to help children develop public speaking skills at home:Mirror practiceThis simple exercise builds confidence without pressure. Ask your child to stand in front of the mirror and talk for one minute. During mirror practice, the child doesnt need to prepare topics, even familiar topics like My favorite food or My best friend can work. With regular practice, children become more comfortable in expressing their own thoughts. One-minute topicsThis activity turns speaking practice into a fun game. What parents need to do here is write simple topics on slips of paper and place them in a bowl. Ask your child to pick one slip randomly, and speak on the topic for 60 seconds. Take turns to make the activity more interesting. Gradually, with this activity, children will develop confidence under pressure and learn how to structure ideas. Make the family their audienceAny child would take speaking more seriously when they know someone is listening to them eagerly and without judgement. Having a family audience also boosts a childs morale. Occasionally, ask your child to present a piece in front of the family- a poem, a short story, or an interesting fact they learnt. Over time, standing in front of a few familiar faces can make classroom presentations and public speaking situations feel much less intimidating.Ask them to record their voice Many adults, when they hear their voices on recordings, they feel awkward, and over time avoid public speaking because they feel their voices arent good enough. Children can develop the same feeling. However, public speaking isnt about ones voice. Its more about the flow, knowledge, and what values the matter holds. Record their voice when they speak and later when they listen to it, ask them what they like about their way of speaking. This approach will build self-awareness while protecting self-esteem. Story retelling Storytelling remains one of the most effective ways to build communication skills. Read a short story to your child and then ask them to narrate it back in their own words. This exercise will help improve your childs vocabulary, memory, listening skills, and sentence formation skills. When children retell a story, rather than memorizing it, they learn to express ideas more naturally and confidently. What parents should avoid While encouraging communication is important, turning speaking practice into another performance-driven activity is what parents need to be cautious about. According to Dhall, parents should avoid:Forcing children to memorise speechesCorrecting every small mistakeComparing them with other childrenFocusing only on results and performanceExcessive correction can make children self-conscious and afraid of making mistakes. In contrast, a supportive environment allows confidence to develop naturally.In essence, parents should remember, children who feel heard at home are often more willing to express themselves elsewhere.

26 Jun 2026 4:32 pm