How to Develop Public Speaking Skills in Kids: A Parent’s Guide

Your child might have an outstanding idea, but they feel they can't share it.
They may have the answer in class but keep their hand down.

They may formulate great stories at home but suddenly become shy when the audience is listening. Perhaps they will talk without stopping, but will not be able to present their ideas.

If any of these situations seem familiar, then your problem is how to help children develop public speaking skills.

The good news is that effective speaking is not something that kids are born with. It is something that can be cultivated by nurturing, practising, and finding the right opportunities.

Public speaking for kids means much more than just standing in front of the audience. It means helping kids find their voice through expressing ideas, listening to people, thinking creatively, and gaining confidence.

At the Sydney Academy of Public Speaking (SAPS), our philosophy is that public speaking is only the starting point. Our programs integrate all aspects of public speaking, storytelling, creative thinking, debating, group discussions, body language and personality development to transform the children into confident communicators and future leaders.

So, where do parents start?

Why Should Children Develop Public Speaking Skills?

Before asking how to develop public speaking skills in kids, it helps to understand why these skills matter beyond a school presentation.

Think about your child's everyday life.

They need to introduce themselves to new people, answer questions at school, explain their ideas, participate in group activities, make friends, resolve disagreements and eventually speak in interviews, meetings and professional environments.

Communication is everywhere.

When children become more comfortable expressing themselves, they can participate more confidently in classroom activities, social situations and new opportunities. SAPS similarly views communication as a practical life skill that extends beyond the classroom and supports confidence, leadership and self-belief.

The aim isn't to make every child the loudest person in the room.

It is to help them feel comfortable enough to have a voice in the room.

How to Develop Public Speaking Skills in Kids: 8 Practical Ways Parents Can Help

You don't have to own a platform, microphone or podium in order for your kid to commence honing their public speaking abilities.

Typically, the greatest opportunities for practice arise during everyday situations that occur at home. 

1. Start With Conversations, Not Speeches

To create opportunities for children to learn public speaking skills, it is crucial to promote more dialogue.

Do not ask questions that require a single-word answer, but instead ask questions that would require your child to explain their thoughts.

For instance, you might like to ask:

“What was the most fascinating thing you learned today?” 

Then directly follow with “Why was it fascinating?”

Or, “If you could change one thing in your school, what would it be?” 

While trying to do the above, do not evaluate your child’s vocabulary. Instead, think about how nice it will be if he/she learns how to express their opinion. 

2. Make Storytelling Part of Everyday Life

Kids naturally have a knack for storytelling. They can inform you about various events at their school. They create new characters while playing. They may also come up with their own explanations for why things happened.

Let your kids use this skill.

Encourage your child to tell a story that involves three random objects. Provide them with some images to tell a story about what happened before and after the scene. They should also pick their favourite story and start retelling it from another character's perspective.

Storytelling enables children to hone their skills in sequence, expression, imagination, voice, and audience engagement.

This is also the reason why storytelling is incorporated into the SAPS curriculum.

3. Give Them Time to Think Before They Speak

It is important to note that some kids do not struggle with words because of their imagination. Their problem lies in the fact that they need more time to process what they want to say.

If your child takes a moment to think before answering, don’t complete their sentences for them.

Allow them to think for a few seconds.

This method will change conversations from an exam-like environment to a safe and relaxed environment for them to think. You may also want to add simple “think and talk” exercises:

Choose any topic → Set a time limit of 30 seconds → After that, the child has a minute to speak.

Topics could include:

• My favourite invention
• If animals could talk, what would they say
• The best subject taught at school
• The one rule I would change
• The best weekend ever

Keep it playful. The goal is practice, not perfection.

4. Teach Them That Body Language Speaks Too

When we talk about self-assured communication, we are not just referring to the words that a person uses but to other aspects of the process. The use of the eyes, expressions, postures, gestures, as well as vocal quality and tone, is all influential in delivering a message.

Try a fun game at home.

Ask your child to repeat the same sentence in three different forms, for example:

“I can’t believe we won!”

Now make it excited. Then disappointed. Then surprised.

Find out what has been changed in the message. The child will be surprised to know that it does not involve mere words. 

Tone and body language are important ingredients of good public speaking and form part of the SAPS curriculum.

5. Encourage Them to Speak Without a Script

Memorising a speech can help a child prepare.

However, the reality of communication is not always scripted. For example, someone might pose a question that one did not anticipate. A teacher may switch up the topic. The child has to find a different way to express an idea they have already made clear.

This is where the ability to think flexibly is required.

Engage your child in some simple scenarios:

"Your friend forgot their lunch. What will you do?"

"You have got one minute to convince me that weekends should last three days."

"You are the principal for a day. What would you change?"

There is no right answer in this exercise. What the kids will learn is how to think, organise their ideas, and communicate in a spontaneous way.

6. Turn Family Time Into Mini Presentations

You don't have to announce, “It's time for public speaking practice!”

• Make it part of everyday family life.
• Ask your child to teach everyone how to play their favourite game.
• Let them present their latest drawing.
• Ask them to recommend a movie and explain why everyone should watch it.
• Give them the role of “family expert” for five minutes.

The more opportunities children have to speak in environments where they feel safe, the more naturally speaking can become part of their everyday behaviour.

7. Let Them Disagree - Respectfully

Confidence in communication doesn’t mean that one should always agree with everyone else. The child also needs to learn how to express opinions that differ from those of other people respectfully.  

Try a family debate. 

“Should children have their homework for the weekend?” Explain to the child the side they have to take up and let them state their arguments in favour of that. Then, get them to defend the opposite viewpoint.  

This will improve their argumentation skills, listening ability, ability to understand other viewpoints and persuasive speaking skills. Debates and discussions are important in the process of SASP teaching because they help the children learn to communicate with their interlocutors instead of talking to the audience.

8. Praise Progress, Not Performance

This might be the most crucial one.

If your child is done giving a presentation and asks “Was I correct?”, how would you respond?

Do not dwell on their perfection, but notice what they have accomplished.

You may want to try the following: 

“I liked how you explained that idea.”

“You seemed nervous but got through it.”

“I noticed that you managed to look in someone's eyes while speaking.”

“Your story had a good opening.”

Providing specific feedback enables children to grasp their improvements. More vital is that they learn that confidence does not equal perfection.

It is about being willing to try.

What If Your Child Is Shy?

This is one of the biggest worries parents have when thinking about public speaking courses for children.

But being shy doesn't mean that a child cannot be a confident speaker.

In fact, confidence can be different from child to child.

Some kids may feel perfectly fine speaking in public, while others may need a lot of time preparing for such things, and some may be confident in talking to only one person and feel anxious in a group conversation.

The goal should not be changing a child's personality; it should be rather giving a child tools for speaking using his or her personality.

SAPS's approach works similarly, as it aims to support kids, provide them with practice, give positive feedback and provide a lot of chances to speak.

What Should Parents Avoid?

The way we react can sometimes be just as important as how often we practice.

Do not compare
"Why can't you speak like your friend?”

Being compared makes speaking seem like a contest rather than a learning experience.

Do not label
When you call your child "shy," "quiet," or “not good at speaking," it can contribute to their identity.

Instead consider:
“You're in the process of building your confidence.”

Don’t demand perfection

Constantly correcting every pause, word, or gesture can lead to children becoming self-conscious about their attempts.

Let them complete their thought first. Then provide feedback.

Do not interrupt them too early

Give them time to respond, as silence does not mean that they cannot respond.

When the child stops talking, it is not always a result of their inability to find words.

When Should Parents Consider Public Speaking Classes for Kids?

Training at home is an excellent first way to start. However, structured public speaking courses for kids provide the kind of speaking experience that parents cannot provide at home regularly. 

A good program should emphasise more than just speech preparation. 

Look for a learning environment where children can practise:

• Public Speaking
• Voice Modulation
• Tone and Body Language
• Team Work
• Speech Writing
• Persuasive Writing 
• Creative Thinking
• Impromptu Speaking 
• Soft Skills
• Personality Development 

SAPS takes a broader approach by providing students with fun, hands-on, activity-oriented learning programs for children aged 7-14. In Sydney, the programs not only include public speaking but also storytelling, debating, teamwork, thinking creatively, and boosting children’s confidence.

This distinction is important.

Because the main question is not: “Can my child give a speech?”

But: “Can my child explain something, listen to someone’s opinion, think independently and speak beautifully when the matter truly counts?”

A Simple Weekly Public Speaking Challenge for Parents

Ready to begin today? 

Engage in this five-minute challenge every week.

Week 1: Share a one-minute anecdote about the day’s events.

Week 2: Share instructions for doing something they know how to do.

Week 3: Give your viewpoint on a specific situation and three reasons for your opinion.

Week 4: Pick an unexpected topic and provide your thoughts for one minute.

Week 5: Repeat the same story through various expressions and body movements.

Week 6: Hold a mini-debate with your family.

Make it a relaxed experience.

Do not unnerve yourself with the marks or right answers.

Just give your child one more chance to understand that their voice matters.

The Goal Isn't a Perfect Speaker. It's a Confident Communicator.

When parents ask how to teach public speaking skills to children, they are often looking for quick fixes.

There is no one trick that can help.

Confidence comes from small experiences happening on a continuous basis.

In the beginning, a child learns to speak.

• Then they learn how to express themselves.
• Then they learn how to be a listener.
• Then they learn how to be a thinker.
• Then they learn how to be a leader.

This is why public speaking is only the first step on the way.

We, at SAPS, focus on providing children with the confidence, communication, creativity and leadership required in any sphere of life and school.

Because someday your child will need to speak at some event.

But long before that, they will need to express their opinion in public and know how to give people an introduction, ask a question, and hold a discussion without fear.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I develop public speaking skills in my child?

Start with everyday conversations, storytelling, role play, mini presentations and simple speaking games. Give your child regular opportunities to express ideas without putting pressure on them to be perfect. Structured public speaking classes can provide additional practice, feedback and confidence-building opportunities.

What are the best activities for developing public speaking skills in kids?

Storytelling, presentations, role-play, debates, group discussions, impromptu speaking games and creative thinking activities are effective ways to help children develop communication and speaking confidence.

Can public speaking help a shy child become more confident?

Yes. A supportive and gradual approach can help children become more comfortable expressing themselves. The goal isn't to make a shy child outgoing; it is to help them communicate confidently in their own way.

At what age should children start learning public speaking?

Children can begin developing communication skills from an early age through storytelling, conversations, role play and games. More structured public speaking programs can then build these skills according to the child's age and stage of development. SAPS offers age-specific programs for children aged 7-14.

What should I look for in public speaking classes for kids?

Look for programs that combine speaking practice with confidence, storytelling, creative thinking, debate, group discussion, body language and personality development. Small, interactive classes and constructive feedback can also give children more opportunities to participate and grow.

Give Your Child More Than a Voice. Give Them the Confidence to Use It.

Every child has something valuable to say.

In some cases, they simply require the appropriate environment, motivation and chance to do so.

At Sydney Academy of Public Speaking, children do not just learn how to speak in front of an audience. They also learn how to communicate, use their creativity, take part in discussions, listen and express their thoughts freely. With Term 4 enrolments now open, children across Sydney can join SAPS's age-based programs at five locations across five Sydney locations, such as Melonba, Quakers Hill, Ponds, Westmead and Marsden Park. So whether your child is naturally confident, still finding their voice, or somewhere in between, Term 4 is another opportunity to help them practise, participate and grow.    

Public speaking is just the beginning.

Ready to help your child find their voice? Explore SAPS programs or book a trial class today.