why speech is important for students

5 Reasons Public Speaking Skills Are Important

The Speaker Lab
September 17, 2024

Public speaking is a vital skill, particularly if you are a CEO, thought leader, author, or someone who wants to level up their leadership skills . When you’re skilled at public speaking , you can articulate ideas clearly, inspire others, and advocate for positive change, playing a critical role in personal and professional success. Whether you’re addressing a large audience or simply conveying your thoughts to a colleague, the ability to speak confidently and persuasively is essential in today’s fast-paced world.

In some cases, people are born with natural speaking abilities. However, for many, public speaking can be an intimidating experience. This fear can stem from a lack of experience, the pressure to perform, or the possibility of being judged. So why is public speaking important if it makes people feel anxious? Because public speaking has the power to unlock a world of opportunities and help you make a lasting impact on the people around you.

The Impact of Public Speaking on Leadership and Career Advancement

Public speaking isn’t just for politicians or CEOs; it’s a valuable skill across various professions. After all, if you’re able to more effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas, it’s much more likely that people will latch onto your ideas. And when that happens, your confidence improves too.

Developing Strong Communication Skills

Public speaking courses don’t just focus on projecting your voice; they also teach crucial communication skills. These skills include crafting compelling narratives, using effective body language , and adapting your message to different audiences. These are all essential elements of personal development that extend beyond the podium, benefiting your personal and professional interactions.

Career Benefits

Strong communication skills are vital in securing many jobs, and they play a crucial role in career growth as well. The ability to clearly communicate ideas is essential for job interviews, presentations, team meetings, networking , and even day-to-day interactions. Strong speaking skills impress potential employers and set you up as a leader within your organization. It’s easy to see how honing these abilities leads to more career opportunities.

Thinking on Your Feet

One significant advantage of regular public speaking is becoming a clearer, more critical thinker. In crafting a speech, particularly a persuasive one, you learn to analyze information quickly and form strong, well-supported arguments. This process hones your critical thinking muscle, making you a stronger, more articulate communicator overall.

Becoming an Influential Figure Who Inspires

Public speaking isn’t merely about conveying information; it’s about influence . Those who master this skill have a powerful platform to share ideas, inspire action, and shape opinions. Think about individuals like Les Brown or Brian Tracy—both built successful careers by motivating and inspiring audiences through speeches. When you master public speaking, you’re able to connect with people authentically, spark conversations, and ultimately drive meaningful change. As a result, it’s one leadership skill you definitely don’t want to do without.

Everyday Public Speaking and Its Benefits

Public speaking isn’t always about grand stages. It shows up in various aspects of our everyday lives. It could be giving a toast at a wedding, presenting at a team meeting, or even sharing your opinion during a community discussion. Even these smaller-scale instances benefit from good public speaking skills. Engaging an audience, big or small, builds connections, encourages understanding, and creates a more significant impact.

Whether it’s a room of ten people or an auditorium of thousands, when you have a command of public speaking, you’ll quickly find yourself standing out from the crowd. You will also be forging stronger personal and professional connections along the way. It is a skill that pays dividends in every area of your life, fostering greater confidence, influence, and success.

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FAQs About the Importance of Public Speaking

Why is public speaking important.

Mastering this form of communication strengthens confidence, promotes clear thinking, and even improves personal and professional relationships, impacting your life positively. It helps refine verbal and nonverbal communication skills, which in turn boost your ability to articulate thoughts effectively and build meaningful connections. Moreover, it fosters empathy as you learn to adapt your message to resonate with diverse audiences.

What are the 5 benefits of public speaking?

Public speaking provides various benefits. Five key advantages include:

Enhanced Communication Skills: It helps refine your verbal and nonverbal communication, allowing for clearer, more impactful messaging.
Increased Confidence: Regularly addressing an audience helps conquer stage fright , building your confidence both on and off stage.
Improved Critical Thinking: Crafting well-structured speeches strengthens analytical thinking, helping you formulate persuasive arguments.
Career Advancement Opportunities: Strong speaking abilities stand out in professional settings, making you a sought-after candidate.
Greater Influence: Masterful public speakers can impact decisions, inspire action, and even spark positive social or political change.

Why is public speaking important for students?

Even during your academic journey, the ability to articulate ideas persuasively in front of peers is extremely valuable. Beyond acing presentations and improving grades, it also equips students with life skills crucial for navigating job interviews, participating actively in team projects, and conveying complex ideas confidently.

So, why is public speaking important in today’s world? As you’ve seen, public speaking isn’t just about commanding a stage; it is about clear thinking, compelling storytelling, and making meaningful connections. Honing your communication skills opens doors to leadership, fosters meaningful connections, and empowers you to advocate for ideas that matter. This ripple effect impacts your confidence, professional growth, and ultimately, your ability to create positive change.

Last Updated: September 12, 2024

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1.1 Why Is Public Speaking Important?

Learning objectives.

Explore three types of public speaking in everyday life: informative, persuasive, and entertaining.
Understand the benefits of taking a course in public speaking.
Explain the benefits people get from engaging in public speaking.

Christian Pierret – Leader – CC BY 2.0.

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with messages both good and bad. No matter where you live, where you work or go to school, or what kinds of media you use, you are probably exposed to hundreds. if not thousands, of advertising messages every day. Researcher Norman W. Edmund estimates that by 2020 the amount of knowledge in the world will double every seventy-three days (Edmund, 2005). Because we live in a world where we are overwhelmed with content, communicating information in a way that is accessible to others is more important today than ever before. To help us further understand why public speaking is important, we will first examine public speaking in everyday life. We will then discuss how public speaking can benefit you personally.

Everyday Public Speaking

Every single day people across the United States and around the world stand up in front of some kind of audience and speak. In fact, there’s even a monthly publication that reproduces some of the top speeches from around the United States called Vital Speeches of the Day ( http://www.vsotd.com ). Although public speeches are of various types, they can generally be grouped into three categories based on their intended purpose: informative, persuasive, and entertaining.

Informative Speaking

One of the most common types of public speaking is informative speaking . The primary purpose of informative presentations is to share one’s knowledge of a subject with an audience. Reasons for making an informative speech vary widely. For example, you might be asked to instruct a group of coworkers on how to use new computer software or to report to a group of managers how your latest project is coming along. A local community group might wish to hear about your volunteer activities in New Orleans during spring break, or your classmates may want you to share your expertise on Mediterranean cooking. What all these examples have in common is the goal of imparting information to an audience.

Informative speaking is integrated into many different occupations. Physicians often lecture about their areas of expertise to medical students, other physicians, and patients. Teachers find themselves presenting to parents as well as to their students. Firefighters give demonstrations about how to effectively control a fire in the house. Informative speaking is a common part of numerous jobs and other everyday activities. As a result, learning how to speak effectively has become an essential skill in today’s world.

Persuasive Speaking

A second common reason for speaking to an audience is to persuade others. In our everyday lives, we are often called on to convince, motivate, or otherwise persuade others to change their beliefs, take an action, or reconsider a decision. Advocating for music education in your local school district, convincing clients to purchase your company’s products, or inspiring high school students to attend college all involve influencing other people through public speaking.

For some people, such as elected officials, giving persuasive speeches is a crucial part of attaining and continuing career success. Other people make careers out of speaking to groups of people who pay to listen to them. Motivational authors and speakers, such as Les Brown ( http://www.lesbrown.com ), make millions of dollars each year from people who want to be motivated to do better in their lives. Brian Tracy, another professional speaker and author, specializes in helping business leaders become more productive and effective in the workplace ( http://www.briantracy.com ).

Whether public speaking is something you do every day or just a few times a year, persuading others is a challenging task. If you develop the skill to persuade effectively, it can be personally and professionally rewarding.

Entertaining Speaking

Entertaining speaking involves an array of speaking occasions ranging from introductions to wedding toasts, to presenting and accepting awards, to delivering eulogies at funerals and memorial services in addition to after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches. Entertaining speaking has been important since the time of the ancient Greeks, when Aristotle identified epideictic speaking (speaking in a ceremonial context) as an important type of address. As with persuasive and informative speaking, there are professionals, from religious leaders to comedians, who make a living simply from delivering entertaining speeches. As anyone who has watched an awards show on television or has seen an incoherent best man deliver a wedding toast can attest, speaking to entertain is a task that requires preparation and practice to be effective.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Oral communication skills were the number one skill that college graduates found useful in the business world, according to a study by sociologist Andrew Zekeri (Zekeri, 2004). That fact alone makes learning about public speaking worthwhile. However, there are many other benefits of communicating effectively for the hundreds of thousands of college students every year who take public speaking courses. Let’s take a look at some of the personal benefits you’ll get both from a course in public speaking and from giving public speeches.

Benefits of Public Speaking Courses

In addition to learning the process of creating and delivering an effective speech, students of public speaking leave the class with a number of other benefits as well. Some of these benefits include

developing critical thinking skills,
fine-tuning verbal and nonverbal skills,
overcoming fear of public speaking.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

One of the very first benefits you will gain from your public speaking course is an increased ability to think critically. Problem solving is one of many critical thinking skills you will engage in during this course. For example, when preparing a persuasive speech, you’ll have to think through real problems affecting your campus, community, or the world and provide possible solutions to those problems. You’ll also have to think about the positive and negative consequences of your solutions and then communicate your ideas to others. At first, it may seem easy to come up with solutions for a campus problem such as a shortage of parking spaces: just build more spaces. But after thinking and researching further you may find out that building costs, environmental impact from loss of green space, maintenance needs, or limited locations for additional spaces make this solution impractical. Being able to think through problems and analyze the potential costs and benefits of solutions is an essential part of critical thinking and of public speaking aimed at persuading others. These skills will help you not only in public speaking contexts but throughout your life as well. As we stated earlier, college graduates in Zekeri’s study rated oral communication skills as the most useful for success in the business world. The second most valuable skill they reported was problem-solving ability, so your public speaking course is doubly valuable!

Another benefit to public speaking is that it will enhance your ability to conduct and analyze research. Public speakers must provide credible evidence within their speeches if they are going to persuade various audiences. So your public speaking course will further refine your ability to find and utilize a range of sources.

Fine-Tuning Verbal and Nonverbal Skills

A second benefit of taking a public speaking course is that it will help you fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Whether you competed in public speaking in high school or this is your first time speaking in front of an audience, having the opportunity to actively practice communication skills and receive professional feedback will help you become a better overall communicator. Often, people don’t even realize that they twirl their hair or repeatedly mispronounce words while speaking in public settings until they receive feedback from a teacher during a public speaking course. People around the United States will often pay speech coaches over one hundred dollars per hour to help them enhance their speaking skills. You have a built-in speech coach right in your classroom, so it is to your advantage to use the opportunity to improve your verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

An additional benefit of taking a public speaking class is that it will help reduce your fear of public speaking. Whether they’ve spoken in public a lot or are just getting started, most people experience some anxiety when engaging in public speaking. Heidi Rose and Andrew Rancer evaluated students’ levels of public speaking anxiety during both the first and last weeks of their public speaking class and found that those levels decreased over the course of the semester (Rose & Rancer, 1993). One explanation is that people often have little exposure to public speaking. By taking a course in public speaking, students become better acquainted with the public speaking process, making them more confident and less apprehensive. In addition, you will learn specific strategies for overcoming the challenges of speech anxiety. We will discuss this topic in greater detail in Chapter 3 “Speaking Confidently” .

Benefits of Engaging in Public Speaking

Once you’ve learned the basic skills associated with public speaking, you’ll find that being able to effectively speak in public has profound benefits, including

influencing the world around you,
developing leadership skills,
becoming a thought leader.

Influencing the World around You

If you don’t like something about your local government, then speak out about your issue! One of the best ways to get our society to change is through the power of speech. Common citizens in the United States and around the world, like you, are influencing the world in real ways through the power of speech. Just type the words “citizens speak out” in a search engine and you’ll find numerous examples of how common citizens use the power of speech to make real changes in the world—for example, by speaking out against “fracking” for natural gas (a process in which chemicals are injected into rocks in an attempt to open them up for fast flow of natural gas or oil) or in favor of retaining a popular local sheriff. One of the amazing parts of being a citizen in a democracy is the right to stand up and speak out, which is a luxury many people in the world do not have. So if you don’t like something, be the force of change you’re looking for through the power of speech.

Developing Leadership Skills

Have you ever thought about climbing the corporate ladder and eventually finding yourself in a management or other leadership position? If so, then public speaking skills are very important. Hackman and Johnson assert that effective public speaking skills are a necessity for all leaders (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). If you want people to follow you, you have to communicate effectively and clearly what followers should do. According to Bender, “Powerful leadership comes from knowing what matters to you. Powerful presentations come from expressing this effectively. It’s important to develop both” (Bender, 1998). One of the most important skills for leaders to develop is their public speaking skills, which is why executives spend millions of dollars every year going to public speaking workshops; hiring public speaking coaches; and buying public speaking books, CDs, and DVDs.

Becoming a Thought Leader

Even if you are not in an official leadership position, effective public speaking can help you become a “ thought leader .” Joel Kurtzman, editor of Strategy & Business , coined this term to call attention to individuals who contribute new ideas to the world of business. According to business consultant Ken Lizotte, “when your colleagues, prospects, and customers view you as one very smart guy or gal to know, then you’re a thought leader” (Lizotte, 2008). Typically, thought leaders engage in a range of behaviors, including enacting and conducting research on business practices. To achieve thought leader status, individuals must communicate their ideas to others through both writing and public speaking. Lizotte demonstrates how becoming a thought leader can be personally and financially rewarding at the same time: when others look to you as a thought leader, you will be more desired and make more money as a result. Business gurus often refer to “intellectual capital,” or the combination of your knowledge and ability to communicate that knowledge to others (Lizotte, 2008). Whether standing before a group of executives discussing the next great trend in business or delivering a webinar (a seminar over the web), thought leaders use public speaking every day to create the future that the rest of us live in.

Key Takeaways

People have many reasons for engaging in public speaking, but the skills necessary for public speaking are applicable whether someone is speaking for informative, persuasive, or entertainment reasons.
Taking a public speaking class will improve your speaking skills, help you be a more critical thinker, fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and help you overcome public speaking anxiety.
Effective public speaking skills have many direct benefits for the individual speaker, including influencing the world around you, developing leadership skills, and becoming a go-to person for ideas and solutions.
Talk to people who are currently working in the career you hope to pursue. Of the three types of public speaking discussed in the text, which do they use most commonly use in their work?
Read one of the free speeches available at http://www.vsotd.com . What do you think the speaker was trying to accomplish? What was her or his reason for speaking?
Which personal benefit are you most interested in receiving from a public speaking class? Why?

Bender, P. U. (1998). Stand, deliver and lead. Ivey Business Journal , 62 (3), 46–47.

Edmund, N. W. (2005). End the biggest educational and intellectual blunder in history: A $100,000 challenge to our top educational leaders . Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Scientific Method Publishing Co.

Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2004). Leadership: A communication perspective (4th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland.

Lizotte, K. (2008). The expert’s edge: Become the go-to authority people turn to every time [Kindle 2 version]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from Amazon.com (locations 72–78).

Rose, H. M., & Rancer, A. S. (1993). The impact of basic courses in oral interpretation and public speaking on communication apprehension. Communication Reports , 6 , 54–60.

Zekeri, A. A. (2004). College curriculum competencies and skills former students found essential to their careers. College Student Journal , 38 , 412–422.

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Home > Blog > Tips for Online Students > Why Is Public Speaking Important? Because It’s Useful

Career Tips , Choosing a Job , Higher Education News , Tips for Online Students

Why Is Public Speaking Important? Because It’s Useful

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: February 9, 2020

Why-Is-Public-Speaking-Important-It's-Useful

Why is public speaking important? The reason is that everyone encounters a situation where public speaking skills are necessary. It could be at work, school, or in your personal life. Whether you are looking for tips on conquering stage fright, looking to improve your public speaking skills, or trying to motivate others on the importance of public speaking, we have all the info you need here. Find out all the benefits of public speaking below.

Public Speaking Definition

According to Merriam-Webster , public speaking is “the act or process of making speeches in public,” or “the art of effective oral communication with others.”

Everyday Public Speaking

Public speaking for the everyday person is still extremely important. Public speaking has many benefits in everyday life and can be grouped into the following categories:

1. Informative Speaking:

This type of speaking is the most common and happens to most people daily. It involves speaking in order to inform others, or get information out. This can be academic or professional knowledge, but can also be to report your progress on a project, or tell someone how to use something.

2. Persuasive Speaking:

Public speaking will often be in order to persuade others. This can be in a debate or formal speech, but can also be minor persuasions such as going to a place you choose for lunch. Persuasive public speaking is a very valuable skill to have.

3. Entertaining Speaking:

Public speaking for entertainment is used for award ceremonies, wedding speeches, comedy sketches, poetry reading, and much more. The purpose of this type of public speaking is to entertain the audience, instead of merely informing.

Why is Public Speaking Important?

Photo from pexels, 1. win over your crowd.

No matter the crowd in front of you — whether at a social gathering, business meeting or large audience at a conference — being able to speak publicly is a very important asset. With public speaking skills and experience, speakers are able to captivate the interest of their listeners and keep them interested in order to deliver the message.

2. Motivate Others

Public speakers motivate their listeners to make a change. It could be to stop or start something, try something new, or reach their goals. Public speaking is important because the speaker can motivate others to go in the direction they wish, and the speaker can motivate others to be their best selves.

3. Inform People

When you have information to share, you don’t want it to be portrayed in a boring way. You want people to listen! This is done with public speaking skills. Inform people about something that matters by using great public skills and they will be sure to listen and be more likely to understand the information.

Benefits of Public Speaking In Your Life

Photo by christina morillo from pexels, career benefits.

If you’re currently working in sales, the benefits of public speaking are many. You can reach for higher sales goals, get more customers and make more sales with public speaking skills.

2. Career advancement:

When you are a good public speaker, you will be more comfortable in interviews , be better able to sway others in your favor, and convince your boss to give you a promotion.

3. Stand out in the workforce:

Most will avoid speaking up and putting themselves in the spotlight at work, but with public speaking skills you have the confidence to do so!

4. Bring people together:

Within your company or on your team, public speaking is a way to bring workers together. When many people feel confident in public speaking, workers will speak their mind and collaborate better together.

5. Become a thought leader:

A thought leader is someone that people go to for ideas, consult on problems, and more. Being a good public speaker makes you that person and will get you ahead in your job when people know they can come to you.

Make New Social Connections

1. Find supporters:

When you practice public speaking, you are championing for others or a cause, and you will find a tribe of supporters to surround yourself with. These will be people who are like-minded or who share your values.

2. Get comfortable in social settings:

Public speaking allows you to relax in a group situation or when the spotlight is on you. This will make you more comfortable around people and easier to make connections.

3. Increase your professional network :

As you speak in more public settings such as work events and conferences, you will undoubtedly meet other speakers in your field, as well as audience members who are interested in what you have to say.

Developing Leadership Skills

If you want to do well and get ahead in school or your career, leadership is part of the equation. As a leader, you will have many public speaking opportunities.

1. Good speaker = good leader:

Most of the great leaders in human history were also great public speakers.

2. Good leader = opportunities:

As a good leader, you will be given more opportunities in social settings, your career, and other aspects of life.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Photo by startup stock photos from pexels, 1. boost confidence.

Public speaking repeatedly is a great boost of self confidence. Every time you speak, you gain a bit more confidence as you see your ideas and yourself were well-received by your audience.

2. Personal Satisfaction

Being able to speak in front of a crowd is a huge accomplishment. The first time can be very nerve-wracking, but coming out on the other end of the speech is a huge win! After the first time, you will keep getting better and better at public speaking and will get great personal satisfaction from this skill.

3. Critical Thinking

When preparing and conducting a speech, you also increase your critical thinking skills by working through problems, imagining positive and negative consequences, and finding solutions.

4. Improve Communication Skills

When you practice public speaking, you are practicing both verbal and nonverbal skills — and both will improve. The more you speak out, the better you get at communication . Public speakers are better overall communicators in all facets of life.

5. Learn to Argue

Presenting an argument in a formal setting will help you in informal settings as well. Public speaking helps you form better arguments, and you can increase your arguing skills even more through public speaking by engaging in Q&A with your audience.

6. Be a Better Listener

Attending conferences as a speaker means you will also listen to other speakers. As you listen to other speakers, you will have a greater appreciation and understanding of their material and craft, as a speaker yourself.

Public Speaking Helps You Drive Change

Photo by denniz futalan from pexels.

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to get your message across. With public speaking, you can influence the world around you. If you see something that needs to change, use public speaking to change it!

Make the difference:

Every public speaking opportunity you come across is a time to spread you influence for the greater good.

Reach people fast:

Instead of waiting for your message to spread by word of mouth, social media , or print media, put it in front of a huge audience and you’ll instantly inspire many.

Your message comes to life:

Written information is useful in some cases, but when you really want to make a difference in the world, you need to campaign for your cause and the best way to do so is to get it to come to life with public speaking.

How to Get Better at Public Speaking

Writing the speech.

1. Be prepared:

When you are comfortable, you are confident. Write a good speech that makes sense to you and that you are prepared to deliver.

2. Research the topic:

When you have thoroughly researched the topic, you will feel more confident when writing and delivering the speech.

3. Outline or write it out?

When you write out an entire speech, it will be easier to memorize as it can be stored word for word in your memory. The downside is that it could sound robotic and you risk reading it straight from the page. When you write an outline for a speech, it may sound more natural and you can glance at your outline as you. However, it is more difficult to rehearse and some people feel less confident with only an outline in front of them. It all depends on what you prefer.

Overcoming Your Stage Fright

Photo by mentatdgt from pexels.

Fear of public speaking is a common one, but it can be overcome. Use these tips to help you overcome the fear:

1. Read your speech out loud:

Even if it’s just to yourself, reading it aloud will help you work out any hiccups and have you feeling confident with your voice.

2. Practice in front of a group:

Don’t just practice in the mirror or with a friend. To get over a fear of speaking in front of a crowd, try to practice in front of a small group first.

3. Should you picture the crowd in underwear?

The answer is, probably not. Even though this is common advice to get you to relax, it can be distracting. The best thing to do is to make eye contact, but if that starts to make you nervous, pretend the crowd is not there and just look straight ahead.

4. Pump yourself up:

Whatever gets you going before a test or a game, the same applies here. Listen to your favorite music on the way, or go for a run in the morning.

5. Use the power of knowledge:

When you know both your speech and your topic inside and out, completely by heart, you will have the confidence to focus on delivery and staying relaxed in front of others.

Things To Remember As You’re Giving The Speech

1. eye contact:.

Know your speech well so that you can maintain eye contact with the audience. This is important to engage them and make yourself more personable.

2. Move your view:

Make sure to move your eye contact around the room. Slightly shift your body or head at times towards a new direction if the crowd is large.

3. Talk, don’t read:

Try to talk to your audience as if you are inviting them into your thoughts. Do not read your speech word for word off the paper.

4. Your voice is a tool:

And people need to hear it! Make sure you are speaking loud enough so that you are heard.

5. Body language:

This is another important tool for public speakers. Try recording yourself so you are aware of your body language and fix any fidgets you find on the recording.

When you are good at it and practice often, the benefits of public speaking are many. Being an excellent public speaker is important for your career, social life, personal development , and for making a change in the world.

Each time you speak, you get better and better. So get out there and make your voice heard!

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Home » SEL Implementation » Understanding the Importance of Speech Education in High School

Understanding the Importance of Speech Education in High School

Key takeaways, improved communication skills, boosts confidence and self-esteem, enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills, fosters empathy and active listening, introduction: understanding the importance of speech education in high school.

Effective communication skills are essential in today’s world. Whether it’s expressing ideas, persuading others, or building relationships, the ability to communicate effectively is a valuable asset. That’s why speech education in high school plays a crucial role in students’ personal and professional development. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of speech education, discuss the components of a speech curriculum for high school, and address the challenges in implementing speech education.

The Benefits of Speech Education in High School

Speech education offers numerous benefits for high school students. Let’s take a closer look at some of these advantages:

Speech education enhances both verbal and non-verbal communication abilities. Students learn to express themselves clearly, articulate their thoughts, and develop fluency in speech. These skills are essential for effective communication in various contexts, such as presentations, interviews, and everyday conversations.

Public speaking can be intimidating for many individuals, but speech education helps students overcome stage fright and fear of public speaking. Through practice and guidance, students build self-assurance and self-belief, which are crucial for success in both personal and professional endeavors.

Speech education encourages students to analyze and organize their thoughts effectively. They learn to develop persuasive arguments, use logical reasoning, and present their ideas in a coherent manner. These critical thinking and problem-solving skills are transferable to various academic subjects and real-life situations.

Speech education promotes empathy and active listening skills. Students learn to understand others’ perspectives, emotions, and experiences. By cultivating empathy and practicing respectful communication, students develop stronger interpersonal relationships and become more effective collaborators.

Incorporating Speech Curriculum in High Schools

A structured speech curriculum is essential for effective speech education in high schools. It provides a comprehensive framework for learning and ensures progressive skill development. Here are some key components of a speech curriculum for high school:

Public Speaking Techniques and Strategies

Students learn various public speaking techniques and strategies, such as vocal projection, eye contact, and body language. They practice different types of speeches, including informative, persuasive, and impromptu speeches, to develop versatility in their communication skills.

Speech Writing and Organization

Students learn how to write and organize speeches effectively. They understand the importance of a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. They also learn to use supporting evidence, rhetorical devices, and storytelling techniques to engage their audience.

Non-Verbal Communication and Body Language

Non-verbal communication and body language play a significant role in effective communication. Students learn to interpret and use non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, gestures, and posture, to enhance their message delivery and overall communication effectiveness.

Debate and Argumentation Skills

Debate and argumentation skills are essential for critical thinking and persuasive communication. Students learn how to construct well-reasoned arguments, anticipate counterarguments, and engage in respectful debates. These skills enable them to express their opinions confidently and persuasively.

Integrating Speech Education Across Subjects

Speech education can be integrated across various subjects to enhance students’ learning experience. Here are some examples:

Collaborating with English and literature classes to analyze and deliver speeches related to literary works
Incorporating speech activities in social studies and history classes to present research findings or historical events
Connecting speech education with science classes by having students present scientific research or explain complex concepts

Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Speech Education

Implementing speech education in high schools can come with challenges. However, with the right strategies and support, these challenges can be overcome:

Limited Resources and Funding

Securing resources and funding for speech education can be a challenge for schools. However, educators can seek grants and community support to fund speech-related activities and materials. Additionally, utilizing technology and online resources can provide cost-effective alternatives for delivering speech education.

Addressing Student Anxiety and Fear

Many students experience anxiety and fear when it comes to public speaking. Creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment is crucial in helping students overcome these challenges. Gradual exposure to public speaking and providing practice opportunities in a safe and non-judgmental setting can gradually build students’ confidence and reduce their anxiety.

Professional Development for Teachers

Teachers play a vital role in delivering effective speech education. Providing professional development opportunities, such as training and workshops on speech education, can equip teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge. Encouraging collaboration among teachers and sharing best practices can also enhance the quality of speech education in high schools.

Speech education in high school is of utmost importance for students’ personal and professional growth. By improving communication skills, boosting confidence, enhancing critical thinking, and fostering empathy, speech education equips students with essential skills for success in various aspects of life. It is crucial for schools and educators to prioritize speech curriculum for high school students to ensure their holistic development.

Where Can I Find More Resources on Understanding the Importance of Speech Education in High School?

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Exploring the Importance of Social Communication in Grade 12: Insights for Educators

Exploring the Importance of Social Communication in Grade 12: Insights for Educators Exploring the Importance of Social Communication in Grade 12: Insights for Educators Welcome to my blog! In this post, we will delve into the significance of social communication in...

How Everyday Speech Empowers Students: In Their Own Words

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The Importance of Public Speaking Skills for Students

What is the most important language art?

It seems that when teachers hear “language arts,” they immediately think “reading and writing.” This reveals a serious blind spot. We seem to ignore what is really the most important language art: speaking. (Feel free to argue with me about whether speaking is truly the most important, but do not feel free to leave speaking out of the discussion.)

Why Is Public Speaking Important for Students?

Most adults fear public speaking, yet at the same time, everyone seems to love talking. I see people on their cellphones chatting nonstop, and some people at faculty meetings go on and on. But when the stakes are raised—interview, presentation, eulogy, Back-to-School Night—we panic. Your students may very well feel the same way in the classroom and beyond.

Before you add oral communication into your classroom instruction, it’s important to understand the importance of public speaking skills for students and why it should be a part of your curriculum.

1. Speaking is the number one way we communicate.

Oral communication is by far the number-one way we communicate. Think of your day. Do you spend more time writing or speaking? Reading or speaking? How would your class function without speaking? Isn’t it overwhelmingly the way you share information with students and set the class atmosphere? Isn’t it the number-one way you communicate with teammates, family, and friends? That’s just in the “in-person” world, but let’s also look at the world of technological devices—your phone, FaceTime, Skype, even virtual classrooms . Close to 100% of the learning environment involves speaking.

2. Classroom activities improve when students speak better.

Teachers often have students talk as an afterthought to some assignment, yet offer no lessons about how to speak well. Can you point to specific instruction you gave to students about the elements of effective speaking, or how you taught “presence”? Body language is also important, but have you taught that? How about a lesson on pacing or connecting a talk to a specific audience?

Read-alouds make books come alive and inspire an interest in reading when done well. Poems , written with the sound of words in mind, become worth listening to if they are recited well. Presentations that don't bore classmates, who remember none of what was presented a day or even an hour later, become something worth striving for. Discussions are more engaging when ideas are presented passionately and coherently. With improved oral communication skills, we won’t suffer through student speaking activities but will enjoy the talks.

3. We make students talk—but don’t teach them how to talk well.

The minute students begin writing, we start offering instruction. We offer comments, lessons, and practice about how to make letters, spell, punctuate, and capitalize. We have specific lessons about run-ons, fragments, word choice, topic sentences, commas after an introductory phrase, commas to separate items in a series, commas to join independent clauses, and other aspects of writing. Just as we teach elements of writing, we must teach the elements of speaking. We comment on student speech: “Speak up” and “Louder please” and “Look at us” and “Stand still.” We hand out scoresheets: “Gestures, 5 points; Organization, 10 points.” Many teachers, however, don’t offer related lessons.

With improved oral communication skills, we won’t suffer through student speaking activities but will enjoy the talks.

The odds are excellent that you have already assigned some kind of student presentation this school year. The odds are also excellent that students were unprepared. That’s why we fear speaking: we were made to do it, but no one taught us how to do it. Public speaking makes many students (and adults!) nervous because nobody wants to be asked to do something they don’t know how to do, especially in front of an audience.

4. Many digital tools showcase speaking.

Many tools put a spotlight on oral communication: FaceTime, Skype, Flipgrid, Zoom, to name a few. Because of COVID-era online instruction , all teachers are now using such technology for instruction. The impact of all these tools? Increased emphasis on the importance of oral communication.

How well or how poorly a person speaks is on display everywhere. Ironically, as teachers embrace the tools that showcase speaking, they create a lot of evidence proving that students don’t speak well. Video after video that teachers post on YouTube show mediocre and potentially embarrassing student speech. It isn’t the student's fault. Teachers were focused on the video/podcast/webinar technologies instead of focusing on the oral communication the technologies were designed to share. That has to change.

5. Social and professional success increasingly depend upon oral communication.

George Anders is an American business journalist and senior editor at LinkedIn. On HMH’s Shaping the Future TM podcast , he says:

What we're seeing now is much more of a demand for oral communication rather than written. And that has big implications in our educational system because traditionally we've doubled down on writing skills.

Anders noticed that oral communication dominates in the business world. As an example, my son works for a company that connects people who have ideas for high-tech financial innovations with potential investors and users. He reports there’s no shortage of brilliant people with brilliant ideas but a serious shortage of people who can verbally communicate those ideas. Turning ideas into reality requires talking to others. It doesn’t matter what you know; it matters that you can communicate what you know, and the number-one way we communicate is verbally. Tools for video conferences, webinars, podcasts, narrated slideshows, and video creation put the importance of oral communication for students on display, and now, due to COVID, all of us are using these technologies. Those with better speaking skills will be more successful regardless of what industry they’re in.

The Bottom Line

Don’t ignore speaking. Don’t think of language arts as “reading and writing” but rather “reading, writing, and speaking.”
When students start speaking, start teaching speaking skills. When students have weekly share time in kindergarten, teach a lesson first, perhaps about how to look at all audience members. Before a research presentation in 10th grade, offer a lesson about how to add life to students’ voices so they don’t bore their classmates.
Don’t accept poor speaking. Listen to students talk with new ears and know they can all improve. Commit to giving all students the gift of effective oral communication.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

Blog contributor Erik Palmer is an author on the HMH Into Reading and HMH Into Literature programs. Palmer was also a guest on HMH's podcast series, Shaping the Future , in November 2019.

SHAPING THE FUTURE is a trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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10 Benefits Of Public Speaking For Kids (How To Teach Them)

Hrideep barot.

Public Speaking , Speech Writing

This picture is a depiction of the child thinking about a speech.

Public speaking is a skill that is beneficial throughout one’s life. Warren Buffett calls it an ‘asset’. Especially, in this age where every person is judged based on how well they can converse.

Have you ever felt your hands sweat, body shake and jittery feeling in your stomach when you have to face a large audience? Have you wondered why this happens?

This may happen because you are not well prepared and can’t anticipate how people will react to you. Public speaking works on breaking this anticipation and assures the person.

Purpose of public speaking for children

As a child, I used to participate in extracurricular activities like skits, speeches, annual functions etc. All these are social activities that build the personality.

Public speaking is also a social activity. It reinforces the child’s confidence and promotes personal development. Children learn to perceive people, their behaviour and their reaction to what is being said.

Predominantly, you may have witnessed that your child may not mix up well with other children when you go out. An awkward silence may fall within the group of children. This is because they may not know how to start a conversation or interact with other kids.

Be it a conversation with friends, teachers or family, children should be able to express their thoughts. Public speaking trains children to capture their audience’s attention with the skills they have learnt and voice their opinions openly.

Importance of public speaking at a young age

Children are prone to learn fast when they are young and inexperienced as compared to when they are older. As they say, “Catch them young”.

Let’s take the example of Simon. We don’t see many children up there where Simon is at such a young age. This is the start. As you can note, Simon is not a developed speaker. He does face issues in delivering his speech.

For instance, he pauses or stops but then picks up the pace again and continues his speech. This is because he is still learning and practising. With time, he will become fluent in his language, articulation, and inflexion.

10 benefits of public speaking for kids

1. growth and evolvement of communication.

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.” -Gerald R. Ford

Communication is interrelated with public speaking. Without communication, your thoughts and ideas cannot be put to use. It helps us translate what’s in our mind out to the listener.

Communication includes both:


Speech	Blogs
Presentation	Reports
Talk	Manuals
Workshops	Articles
Debates	Letters

Children who face difficulty in communication are often (wrongly) deemed incapable by society. They are cornered and this makes them think less of themselves.

Public speaking develops confidence which pushes children to face their fears. You will find that public speaking is a far-reaching skill in all areas of life.

2. Constructs listening skills

‘Why do you think we listen?’ We listen because we have something to respond to, something to understand, something to gain knowledge from and most importantly something to learn.

There is a difference between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’. Hearing is perceiving noises through the ear while on the other hand, listening is being aware of those noises and understanding what those noises are.

Hearing happens naturally but listening is something that you choose to do. In the process of hearing, the information may be communicated but not understood. The information can only be understood if you listen. Public speaking improves your listening skills.

Don’t listen to give advice. Listen to understand and extend support.

In the journey of public speaking, often speakers may have to acknowledge critical questions from the audience. This is when the listening skills come to aid.

Similarly, when children learn public speaking they develop the appropriate listening skills to know the correct response to different situations.

3. Progress in vocabulary and pronunciation

Pronunciation and vocabulary are correlated and depend on one another. For instance, if your pronunciation is incorrect, then the vocabulary that you know will not be effective.

With the help of public speaking children progress in both these areas. How? Daily practice in speeches, writing practice and proper guidance in delivery may improve their pronunciation and let them discover new vocabulary.

4. Critical analysis and thinking

What is critical thinking? In simple words, critical thinking is analyzing information, interpreting that information and using it to solve problems and come to a conclusion.

Once the child starts the journey of public speaking his imaginative power expands. For instance, when they prepare for a speech or any content, they have to research.

Research broadens their scope of knowledge and they learn about new things and topics. Gradually they set out to analyze text and can differentiate between right and wrong.

Problem-solving is a type of critical thinking. For example, if you face a problem you will take quick action and solve the problem using the knowledge you have gained. Public speaking prepares you to deal with such situations with ease.

5. Children become opinionated

Public speaking nurtures the child to form opinions. Once children acquire judgment they start to form opinions of their own. They can distinguish between morals.

Their conscience has started to develop and these are signs of them evolving. The child learns to take a stand for what he thinks is right and wrong. This step is critical in decision making.

Having an opinion of your own is an implication of individual identity. If a child has an opinion and puts forth that opinion in front of others he/she gains immense respect and appreciation.

6. Power of persuasion (P²)

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Persuasion is used in everyday life, even in the smallest things. For example, children persuade their parents through crying. They cry and throw a tantrum if they want something, and parents are unwilling to see their child cry and give into these tantrums.

There are many such examples, like convincing your parents to go on a trip, a salesman convincing the buyer to buy a product etc. This is persuasion, convincing someone to believe in what you want.

To convince is to win.

Using persuasion may urge the audience to take action. Check out our article, “A Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Persuasive Speech” . This article will help you write a persuasive speech.

7. Planning, organization and leadership qualities

Right from planning the speech to executing there is a long procedure that takes place. With the help of organization and planning, one can execute this procedure. Public speaking shapes children in such a way that they become remarkable planners and organizers.

For example, children learn to organize their research material and then structure their speech accordingly. Consequently, they prepare themselves to answer questions from the audience, if there are any.

They also possess leadership qualities. What are the qualities you would like to see in a leader? Some qualities are mentioned below:

Communication
Supportiveness
Responsibility
Decision-making
Problem-solving

Public speaking helps the children to learn these skills; it teaches them to take control in a roomful of people. A Good public speaker= A capable leader.

8. Growth in academics

Becoming a proficient speaker will make you a proficient student. When you achieve the capability to speak in front of an audience, you develop the ability to speak in class.

For example, the child starts to participate in class; answering questions, volunteering in discussions and being active throughout the year.

The child is already learning so much that his brain is developing faster as compared to a child who is not taking any extra effort to increase his skill. Public speaking contributes to the classroom success of the child. The extra effort does indeed make a difference.

9. Job opportunities

After you complete your education, the next phase of your life starts. It is to find a job. A child who is accomplished in public speaking will get the first preference in a job as compared to someone who isn’t adept with the subject.

Why? This is because public speaking is altogether a diverse experience that provides dynamic development. Besides, a child who is a public speaker has notable communication skills which are the basic job criteria.

10. Social Connections

Presentations, speeches, talks, and workshops are good places to find people who share similar interests and mindsets. When you give a speech, you are essentially conversing with the audience. You are letting them peek into your personality.

The moment you step down, people will come to either congratulate you, question you or talk to you. This way you start direct interaction with the people and make social connections.

Social connections help career development. So, public speaking helps children progress in their career.

How do you teach public speaking to children?

There are multiple ways in which you can teach your child public speaking. Try to add some of these to their daily routine.

Children are more likely to pay attention to videos rather than books. The attention span of a 2-year old is barely 4-6 minutes and this increases with their age. So use this time preciously and use fun methods to engage them in learning public speaking.

This picture is a portrayal of how videos can be a medium through which kids can be taught public speaking.

Make them watch movies, animated videos on YouTube, tutorials etc. Children always get attracted to colour and movement so they will pay attention to visual learning with curiosity.

2. Teach them through games

Games used to teach children public speaking.

Games are one thing that children always love to play and especially if there is a group. Teaching through games becomes stimulating because children may not even realize that they are learning.

Don’t just explain, show your child how to play the game. One example is ‘Show and tell’.

Show and tell is a fun activity where you convince the children to bring any object; it can be a toy, a plant, a pencil, anything that the child treasures. Then, the child has to talk about it or share an incident with that object in front of the group.

This game is often played with preschoolers as it is an initiation towards public speaking. Mentioned below are some games that can help your child in public speaking:

Tongue twister
The noun game
Puzzles and Scrabble
Complete the story
The Guessing Game

3. Record the child’s rehearsal

Children are not aware of how they sound, appear or move when they deliver a speech. They don’t bother with body language or intonation. To make them familiar with these aspects, record their rehearsal.

Show them what you recorded and let them see for themselves how they appear. This way the next time that they rehearse they will keep in mind not to repeat those mistakes.

This will make them work hard towards their shortcomings and improve their elocution. Besides, they will be able to eliminate filler words such as, ‘okay’, ‘um’, ‘uh’ etc.

4. Praise the child and give affirmative feedback

Children always need approval from others in whatever they do. You may have noticed that every 2 seconds the child will come and ask his mother or any adult around him ‘if this is okay?

This is because the child is confused 80% of the time and may not know if what he is doing is right or wrong. They may not come to one conclusion and may need the help of a second person.

If an adult praises them or gives them affirmative feedback, the children become certain and assured that whatever they are doing is right and they are on the correct path. Positive feedback encourages them to learn more.

At an early age, you may have observed that children tend to imitate others. Be it their parents, teachers or people around them. Mimesis is also known as imitation and can be used as a method of teaching.

In this technique, children imitate the gestures, pronunciation, expressions and way of speaking of the orator and then try to deliver similarly.

This way children learn public speaking effortlessly and are likely to avoid minor mistakes. Narration is one such example. Parents can narrate stories and ask the children to focus on their body language and way of speaking.

I want to share a little anecdote from when I was a kid. My mother is a keen reader and she always encouraged me to read. From a very young age, she bought books that had pictures of animals, birds, transport and all sorts of theme books.

Even though I couldn’t read at that time, she made me look at the pictures and spelt the words out loud. Gradually, I started to catch words and then tried to pronounce them myself. The keyword is ‘tried’. Eventually, I could articulate the words clearly.

With time she bought storybooks and made me read them loudly so that she could correct me if I made mistakes. All these little things help make the bigger picture.

7. Enrol them in coaching programs

If you want your child to socialize and be in an environment with other children you can opt for professional training. Coaching programs have a completely different atmosphere than the school or home.

Your child will learn new things under the guidance of the trainers. Another alternative is one on one coaching. This may cost you a bit but your child will get personal attention.

In times like these where everything is done through the mode of technology, especially online, there are many workshops, classes and webinars which conduct teaching sessions. You can enrol your child in these online sessions.

What causes fear of public speaking in children?

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than delivering the eulogy.” -Jerry Seinfeld

Picture depiction of fear of public speaking.

Glossophobia or fear of public speaking is a social anxiety that includes stage fright, communication apprehension and performance anxiety. This speech anxiety is seen in 75% of the normal population and more in children.

Stomach cramps, pounding heart, shaky voice are a few signs of this fear. Multiple reasons have come up to explain why a person fears public speaking, let’s have a look at some of them.

1. Conformity

Conformity can be considered as an unrecognized fear of public speaking. What is conformity? To conform is to fit in a particular group.

It refers to the pressure to behave in ways constant with norms implying how one should, or ought to, behave. This concern of fitting in may raise the fear of public speaking in the children.

Children want to please others and not become a laughing stock. But the fear of conformity stops them from speaking up in front of an audience.

2. Ostracism

The technical meaning of this term is exclusion from a society or group, but when linked with public speaking it means the fear of being left out or kicked out.

In other words, it is rejection. Research suggests that rejection is one of the most powerful emotions and may have a greater effect than fear.

Children fear that if they don’t deliver in a certain way then they will be excluded from the group and the audience will not accept them. This fear may hold them back.

3. Overthinking

Overthinking leads to uncertainty and hesitancy. The child keeps on contemplating, How he will do, and Will he be able to deliver his speech or What if something happens.

These what-if questions make the children self-doubt themselves and the fear of public speaking starts crawling in. This constant doubt also interferes with the ability to perform and the person ends up making an error.

4. Lack of success in the past

Past traumas or failures often come to haunt you in the present. If the child has faced such a situation in the past, he would refrain from being in the same situation again.

It is like a defence mechanism, a barrier that the child creates to escape reliving that same moment of his past.

5. Evaluation

Like I mentioned above, children are hungry for approval. They also want positive feedback, which creates a fear of what people will think when they go up in front of an audience.

This may undermine their self-esteem and make them not want to face an audience and take an easy way out.

You can work on this fear of what people will think by evaluating your speech. Follow these steps to know more: “6 Ways You Can Evaluate Your Presentation”

How do children manage the fear of public speaking?

The fear of public speaking must not stop you from achieving your aspirations. Public speaking is used in all walks of life and fearing it may only make you lose out on great opportunities.

I, myself have experienced this fear. I speak too fast and use a lot of ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ when I get nervous. I also tend to avoid eye contact to not be intimidated by the audience. But, there are numerous ways in which you can take control of your fear.

In this picture, we see how children can try to overcome their fear of public speaking.

1. Rehearse

Public speaking is a gradual process and cannot be taught in the course of a night. Practice is the key to adaptability. The more you practice the more thorough you are with your material. Some methods to rehearse are:

Jot down your speech
Record the rehearsal
Practice in front of a mirror
Rehearse the speech out loud
Focus on body language and inflexion

Follow these 13 tips to rehearse your presentation and learn the various ways you can rehearse if one single method doesn’t work for you.

2. Meditation

Imagine this, you have to give a speech and it’s your turn next. You are so nervous that you are shaking and sweating. What is it that you would do in such a situation?

Studies suggest that taking deep breaths can calm your nerves and help you let out the tension from your body. Your emotional response is linked with your breathing. So, the quickest action to control your fear is breathing.

Breathing is a type of meditation. Even 5-10 minutes of meditation helps in public speaking 90% of the time.

Meditation helps to control stage fright. Add meditation as a daily routine in your child’s schedule. It is useful in regulating the fear of public speaking and helps in the child’s personal development.

3. Don’t overthink

Focus on the thought of performing rather than the ‘what ifs’. Overthinking will only lead to anxiety and doubt. Direct your attention to what you can present to the audience and being positive will lead you away from unreasonable situations of what can go wrong.

How to not overthink? This is what you can do. Instead of sitting idle, use that time to go through your speech or practice. Watch a video tutorial or rather read about your topic to gain multiple insights.

Talk to a friend or surround yourself with people before your speech. You will feel light, distracted and stress-free.

4. Normalize rejection

Rejection is a common fear that all humans experience. Be it the genius Albert Einstein, J.K Rowling who wrote the renowned Harry Potter series or Jennifer Aniston the much-loved actress, all of them have faced rejection.

But did they just stop doing what they wanted? No, they accepted rejection and managed to do well in their life. Even the greatest public speakers have experienced rejection.

The fear of being rejected by the audience often leads the speaker astray. So, teach children that getting rejected is not the end, teach them to deal with rejection. Let them see it as a part of their learning experience.

Accepting rejection will only make the child ready to face future failures. There will be many more opportunities ahead and that’s how they will learn. I read somewhere that, “The most powerful motivation is rejection.”

5. Participation

Practical learning has a higher impact than theoretical learning. So, making your child familiar with speeches won’t work, you will have to make them perform to test how well they can give a speech in front of an audience.

For that make your child perform in front of your family or friends circle. Now that they have gained some confidence you can make them participate in school activities or speech programs.

Once again, I reiterate that this is a slow and gradual process so don’t rush and try to do everything in one day. Children may take time to manage this fear because some children may take less time and some more.

Public speaking courses for kids

There are thousands of courses online on the internet. These courses work as an additional practice to the already learning process at home and school.

Different types of courses are available according to the age of the child. One can choose a course suitable to their convenience and the age group of the child.

To know more about these courses you can read our article “Top 23 Public Speaking Udemy Courses Review: The Best Fit for You” where there is a review of public speaking courses for kids and students.

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16 Public Speaking Tips for Students

It's normal to be nervous—here's how to relax

Use Relaxation Strategies

Maintain Perspective

Be confident when speaking.

Public speaking can *really* hard, especially if you struggle with social anxiety or if you don't have a lot of experience talking in front of groups. Research suggests that 61% of university students in the U.S. have a fear of public speaking. Fortunately, many strategies can help you build your confidence and strengthen your public speaking skills.

Public speaking tips for students aim to reduce anxiety that can interfere with giving presentations or speeches in class. These tips aren't just helpful for speaking in front of a big group. If you have social anxiety disorder (SAD) , these strategies can also help you feel more comfortable speaking in front of a group or telling a story among friends.

At a Glance

If you have social anxiety and need to give a speech in elementary school, high school, college, or university, it helps to be as prepared as possible . Beyond preparation, however, there are strategies that you can use to reduce anxiety...without feeling like the urge to fake an illness so you can stay home and skip it.

Practice, preparation, and relaxation strategies are essential for students dealing with anxiety about public speaking. It's also important to maintain perspective; remember, other people get nervous, too! As you practice, you'll start to feel more confident about talking in front of groups, which will help you present your best self with a lot less anxiety.

Practice Your Public Speaking

Even great speakers practice their speeches beforehand. Practice out loud with a recording device or video camera, and then watch yourself to see how you can improve. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for feedback.

Research has even shown that imaginary practice can be an effective way to combat feelings of public speaking anxiety.

Talk About What You Know

If possible, choose a topic for your speech or presentation that you know a lot about and love. The audience will feel your passion for the topic, and you will feel less anxious knowing that you have a lot of experience to draw from when other students ask you questions.

Talking about things you are knowledgeable about can help you feel more confident and comfortable when you are speaking in public.

Concentrate on Your Message

When you focus on the task at hand, anxiety is less likely to get out of control. Concentrate on the main message of your speech or presentation and make it your goal to deliver that message to the other students in your class.

Grab the Audience's Attention

Most of your fellow classmates will pay attention for at least the first 20 seconds; grab their attention during those early moments. Start with an interesting fact or a story that relates to your topic. Other ways you can generate interest include:

Asking rhetorical questions
Inspiring emotion
Generating curiosity
Relating an interesting historical event

Have One Main Message

Focus on one central theme, and your classmates will learn more. Tie different parts of your talk to the main theme to support your overall message. Trying to cover too much ground can leave other students (and you) feeling overwhelmed.

Tell Stories

Stories catch the attention of other students and deliver a message in a more meaningful way than facts and figures. Whenever possible, use a story to illustrate a point in your talk.

Preparation Can Reduce Public Speaking Anxiety

Being prepared to speak in public can also be important if you have social anxiety disorder. Feeling confident and prepared to give your speech may help lessen your feelings of anxiety. Some of the things that you can do to prepare include:

Visit the Room

If you have access to the classroom where you will be speaking outside of class hours, take the time to visit in advance and get used to standing at the front of the room. Make arrangements for any audio-visual equipment and practice standing in the exact spot where you will deliver your speech.

Unfamiliarity can often make social anxiety worse. By making yourself more comfortable with the setting and room where you'll be delivering your speech, you'll feel much more at ease.

Rack Up Experience

Volunteer to speak in front of your class as often as possible. Be the first one to raise your hand when a question is asked. Your confidence will grow with every public speaking experience.

Researchers have found that practicing in a virtual format can also be helpful. You might try out virtual experiences that allow you to practice in front of a supportive audience or invite friends and family to watch you practice your presentation in person or through video conferencing.

Observe Other Speakers

Take the time to watch other speakers who are good at what they do. Practice imitating their style and confidence. Consider attending local events or presentations at your school. Watching TED Talks or speeches on YouTube can also be helpful.

Organize Your Talk

Every speech should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Structure your talk so that the other students know what to expect. Then write it down on notecards and spend time practicing what you will say.

Use Relaxation Strategies to Manage Anxiety

Taking steps to deal with your feelings of anxiety can also make public speaking easier. Fortunately, there are a lot of anxiety-fighting relaxation strategies that can help calm your mind and body.

It's a good idea to practice relaxation strategies before you give your speech. The more you practice them, the better you'll be able to use them when they are needed.

Some other things that you can do:

Tell Someone About Your Anxiety

If you are speaking in front of a high school or college class, meet with your teacher or professor and describe your public speaking fears . If you're in elementary or high school, share your fears with your parents, a teacher, or a guidance counselor.

Sometimes sharing how you feel can make it easier to overcome stage fright.

Visualize Confidence

Visualize yourself confidently delivering your speech, feeling free of anxiety, and engaging the students in your class. Although this may seem like a stretch for you now, visualization is a powerful tool for changing the way you feel.

Elite athletes use this strategy to improve their performance in competitions, and research has shown that it can be a helpful tool for combatting speech anxiety.

Proven Anxiety-Busters

Relaxation strategies can be super helpful for fighting speech anxiety. Some that you might try include:

Deep breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation
Guided imagery
Positive self-talk
Mindfulness

Find a Friendly Face

If you are feeling anxious, find one of your friends in class (or someone who seems friendly) and imagine that you are speaking only to that person.

Press Play for Advice on Finding Courage

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a strategy to help you find courage when you need it the most.

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Remember that other students are on your side. Think about a time when you have been an audience member and the student delivering the speech or presentation was noticeably nervous. Did you think less of that student? More likely, you felt sympathetic and wanted to make that person more comfortable by smiling or nodding.

Remember—other students generally want you to succeed and feel comfortable. If, for some reason, the audience is not on your side or you experience bullying or social exclusion, be sure to discuss this with a parent, teacher, or guidance counselor.

Sometimes just knowing what makes a good speech can help you feel more confident. Focus on some of the following elements and practice them before you have to speak in public.

Develop Your Own Style

In addition to imitating good speakers, work on developing your own personal style as a public speaker. Integrate your own personality into your speaking style and you will feel more comfortable in front of the class. Telling personal stories that tie into your theme are a great way to let other students get to know you better.

Avoid Filler Words

Words such as "basically," "well," and "um" don't add anything to your speech. Practice being silent when you feel the urge to use one of these words.

Vary Your Tone, Volume, and Speed

Interesting speakers vary the pitch (high versus low), volume (loud versus soft), and speed (fast versus slow) of their words. Doing so keeps your classmates interested and engaged in what you say.

Make the Audience Laugh

Laughter is a great way to relax both you and the other students in your class, and telling jokes can be a great icebreaker at the beginning of a speech. Practice the timing and delivery of your jokes beforehand and ask a friend for feedback. Be sure that they are appropriate for your class before you begin.

If all else fails, smile. Your fellow classmates will perceive you like a warm speaker and be more receptive to what you have to say.

Don't Apologize

If you make a mistake, don't offer apologies. Chances are that your classmates didn't notice anyway. Unless you need to correct a fact or figure, there is no point dwelling on errors that probably only you noticed.

If you make a mistake because your hands or shaking, or something similar, try to make light of the situation by saying something like, "I wasn't this nervous when I woke up this morning!" This can help to break the tension of the moment.

It's natural to feel frightened the first time you have to speak in front of your class. However, if you fear continues, interferes with your daily life and keeps you awake at night, it may be helpful to see someone about your anxiety.

Try talking to a parent, teacher, or counselor about how you have been feeling. If that doesn't get you anywhere, ask to make an appointment with your doctor. Severe public speaking anxiety is a true disorder that can improve with treatment .

Gallego A, McHugh L, Penttonen M, Lappalainen R. Measuring public speaking anxiety: Self-report, behavioral, and physiological . Behav Modif . 2022;46(4):782-798. doi:10.1177/0145445521994308

Spence SH, Rapee RM. The etiology of social anxiety disorder: An evidence-based model . Behav Res Ther. 2016;86:50-67. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2016.06.007

García-Monge A, Guijarro-Romero S, Santamaría-Vázquez E, Martínez-Álvarez L, Bores-Calle N. Embodied strategies for public speaking anxiety: evaluation of the Corp-Oral program . Front Hum Neurosci . 2023;17:1268798. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1268798

Kroczek LOH, Mühlberger A. Public speaking training in front of a supportive audience in Virtual Reality improves performance in real-life . Sci Rep . 2023;13(1):13968. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-41155-9

Banushi B, Brendle M, Ragnhildstveit A, et al. Breathwork interventions for adults with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders: A scoping review . Brain Sci . 2023;13(2):256. doi:10.3390/brainsci13020256

Vogel WH, Viale PH. Presenting with confidence . J Adv Pract Oncol . 2018;9(5):545-548.

By Arlin Cuncic, MA Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of The Anxiety Workbook and founder of the website About Social Anxiety. She has a Master's degree in clinical psychology.

1.2 Why is Public Speaking Important?

Click below to play an audio file of this section of the chapter sponsored by the Women for OSU Partnering to Impact grant.

An artistic structure of the letters OSU standing next to Theta Pond

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with all kinds of messages. No matter where you live, where you work or go to school, or what kinds of media you use, you are probably exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of advertising messages every day. Because we live in a world where we are overwhelmed with content, communicating information in a way that is accessible to others is more important today than ever before. To help us further understand why public speaking is important, we will first examine public speaking in everyday life. We will then discuss how public speaking can benefit you personally.

Everyday Public Speaking

Every single day people across the United States and around the world stand up in front of some kind of audience and speak. In a typical day, you may find yourself speaking in front of a group of college students for an organization you belong to, giving a presentation in your psychology class, addressing the Student Government Association about a pressing concern, or even speaking to a crowd at a religious function. Each and everyday you go out and interact with your community, you will find a variety of opportunities to make a difference in the world through public speaking. Although public speeches are of various types, they can generally be grouped into three categories based on their intended purpose: informative, persuasive, and special occasion.

Informative Speaking

One of the most common types of public speaking is informative speaking . The primary purpose of informative presentations is to share one’s knowledge of a subject with an audience. Reasons for making an informative speech vary widely. For example, you might be asked to instruct a group of coworkers on how to use new computer software or to report to a group of managers how your latest project is coming along. A local community group might wish to hear about your volunteer activities in Tulsa during spring break, or your classmates may want you to share your expertise on new agricultural practices. What all these examples have in common is the goal of imparting information to an audience.

TV announcers, teachers, lawyers, and entertainers should be able to speak well, but most other professions require or at the very least can benefit from the skills found in public speaking. Informative speaking is integrated into many different occupations. Physicians often lecture about their areas of expertise to medical students, other physicians, and patients. Teachers find themselves presenting to parents as well as to their students. Firefighters give demonstrations about how to effectively control a fire in the house.

Financial planners might address a group at the public library for an information session on retirement planning. Being able to effectively transmit your ideas to other individuals is an important personal and professional skill. It is believed 70% of jobs today involve some form of public speaking (Aras, 2012). Informative speaking is a common part of numerous jobs and other everyday activities. As a result, learning how to speak effectively has become an essential skill in today’s world.

Persuasive Speaking

With the recent economic shift from manufacturing to service careers, the ability to communicate with others has become crucial. Top CEOs advise that great leaders should be able to communicate ideas effectively, they should be able to persuade, build support, negotiate and speak effectively in public (Farrell, 2011). Professional and motivational speakers can make millions of dollars each year from people who want to be motivated to do better in their lives. Whether public speaking is something you do every day or just a few times a year, persuading others is a challenging task. If you develop the skill to persuade effectively, it can be personally and professionally rewarding.

Special Occasion Speaking

Special occasion speaking involves an array of speaking occasions ranging from introductions to wedding toasts, to presenting and accepting awards, to delivering eulogies at funerals and memorial services in addition to after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches. This form of speaking has been important since the time of the ancient Greeks, when Aristotle identified epideictic speaking (speaking in a ceremonial context) as an important type of address. As with persuasive and informative speaking, there are professionals, from religious leaders to comedians, who make a living simply from delivering entertaining, special occasion speeches. As anyone who has watched an awards show on television or has seen an incoherent best man deliver a wedding toast can attest, special occasion speaking is a task that requires preparation and practice for most speakers to be effective.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Oral communication skills were the number one skill that college graduates found useful in a business setting, according to a study by sociologist Andrew Zekeri (2004). That fact alone makes learning about public speaking worthwhile. However, there are many other benefits of communicating effectively for the hundreds of thousands of college students every year who take public speaking courses. Let’s take a look at some specific personal benefits you will get both from taking a course in public speaking and from actually giving public speeches.

Benefits of Public Speaking Courses

In addition to learning the process of creating and delivering an effective speech, students of public speaking leave the class with a number of other benefits as well. Some of these benefits include developing critical thinking skills, strengthening verbal and nonverbal skills, and building public speaking confidence.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

One of the very first benefits you will gain from your public speaking course is an increased ability to think critically. Problem solving is one of many critical thinking skills you will engage in during this course. For example, when preparing a persuasive speech, you will have to think through real problems affecting your campus, community, or the world and provide possible solutions to those problems. You will also have to think about the positive and negative consequences of your solutions and then communicate your ideas to others. At first, it may seem easy to come up with solutions for a campus problem such as a shortage of parking spaces: just build more spaces. But after thinking and researching further you may find out that building costs, environmental impact from loss of green space, maintenance needs, or limited locations for additional spaces make this solution impractical. Being able to think through problems and analyze the potential costs and benefits of solutions is an essential part of critical thinking and of public speaking aimed at persuading others. These skills will help you not only in public speaking contexts but throughout your life as well. As we stated earlier, college graduates in Zekeri’s study rated oral communication skills as the most useful for success in the business sector. The second most valuable skill they reported was problem-solving ability, so your public speaking course is doubly valuable!

Another benefit to public speaking is that it will enhance your ability to conduct and analyze research. Public speakers should provide credible evidence within their speeches if they are going to persuade various audiences. So your public speaking course will further refine your ability to find and utilize a range of sources.

Strengthening Verbal and Nonverbal Skills

A second benefit of taking a public speaking course is that it will help you strengthen your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Whether you competed in public speaking in high school or this is your first time speaking in front of an audience, having the opportunity to actively practice communication skills and receive professional feedback will help you become a better overall communicator. Often, people do not even realize that they twirl their hair or repeatedly mispronounce words while speaking in public settings until they receive feedback from a professor during a public speaking course. Before you even start a career, you have to get a job. Effective speaking skills make you more attractive to employers, enhancing your chances of securing employment and later advancing within your career. Employers, career counselors, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) all list good communication skills at the top of the list of qualities sought in potential employees. According to NACE’s executive director, Marilyn Mackes, the Job Outlook 2013 Report found that employers are looking for people who can communicate effectively (Koncz & Allen, 2012). Monster.com advises, “articulating thoughts clearly and concisely will make a difference in both a job interview and subsequent job performance” (McKay, 2005). Additionally, many folks around the United States will often pay speech coaches, seek out workshops, or read self help books to help them enhance their nonverbal speaking skills. People around the United States will often pay speech coaches over one hundred dollars per hour to help them enhance their speaking skills. You have a built-in speech coach right in your classroom, so it is to your advantage to use the opportunity to improve your verbal and nonverbal communication skills with the help of your professor.

Building Confidence in Public Speaking

An additional benefit of taking a public speaking class is that it will help improve your confidence with public speaking. Whether they have spoken in public a lot or are just getting started, most people experience some anxiety when engaging in public speaking. Heidi Rose and Andrew Rancer evaluated students’ levels of public speaking anxiety during both the first and last weeks of their public speaking class and found that those levels decreased over the course of the semester (Rose & Rancer, 1993). One explanation is that people often have little exposure to public speaking. By taking a course in public speaking, students become better acquainted with the public speaking process, making them more confident and less apprehensive. In addition, you will learn specific strategies for overcoming the challenges of speech anxiety. We will discuss this topic in greater detail throughout this book.

Benefits of Engaging in Public Speaking

Once you have learned the basic skills associated with public speaking, you will find that being able to effectively speak in public has profound benefits, including in fluencing the world around you, developing leadership skills, and becoming a thought leader.

Influencing the World around You

If you do not like something about your local government, then speak out about your issue! One of the best ways to get our society to change is through the power of speech. Common citizens in the United States and around the world, like you, are influencing the world in real ways through the power of speech. Just type the words “citizens speak out” in a search engine and you will find numerous examples of how common citizens use the power of speech to make real changes in the world—for example, by speaking out against “fracking” for natural gas (a process in which chemicals are injected into rocks in an attempt to open them up for fast flow of natural gas or oil) or in favor of retaining a popular local sheriff. One of the amazing parts of being a citizen in a democracy is the right to stand up and speak out, which is a luxury many people in the world do not have. So if you do not like something, be the force of change you are looking for through the power of speech.

Developing Leadership Skills

Have you ever thought about climbing the corporate ladder and eventually finding yourself in a management or other leadership position? If so, then public speaking skills are very important. Hackman and Johnson assert that effective public speaking skills are a necessity for all leaders (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). If you want people to follow you, you have to communicate effectively and clearly what people should do. According to Bender, “Powerful leadership comes from knowing what matters to you. Powerful presentations come from expressing this effectively. It is important to develop both” (Bender, 1998). One of the most important skills for leaders to develop is their public speaking skills, which is why executives spend millions of dollars every year going to public speaking workshops; hiring public speaking coaches; and buying public speaking books or listening to online tutorials.

Becoming a Thought Leader

Even if you are not in an official leadership position, effective public speaking can help you become a “ thought leader .” Joel Kurtzman, editor of Strategy & Business , coined this term to call attention to individuals who contribute new ideas to the world of business. According to business consultant Ken Lizotte, “when your colleagues, prospects, and customers view you as one very smart guy or gal to know, then you are a thought leader” (Lizotte, 2008). Typically, thought leaders engage in a range of behaviors, including enacting and conducting research on business practices. To achieve thought leader status, individuals should communicate their ideas to others through both writing and public speaking. Lizotte demonstrates how becoming a thought leader can be personally and financially rewarding at the same time: when others look to you as a thought leader, you will be more desired and make more money as a result. Business gurus often refer to “intellectual capital,” or the combination of your knowledge and ability to communicate that knowledge to others (Lizotte, 2008). Whether standing before a group of executives discussing the next great trend in business or delivering a webinar (a seminar over the web), thought leaders use public speaking every day to create the future that the rest of us live in.

Bender, P. U. (1998). Stand, deliver and lead. Ivey Business Journal , 62 (3), 46–47.

Edmund, N. W. (2005). End the biggest educational and intellectual blunder in history: A $100,000 challenge to our top educational leaders . Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Scientific Method Publishing Co.

Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2004). Leadership: A communication perspective (4th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland.

Lizotte, K. (2008). The expert’s edge: Become the go-to authority people turn to every time [Kindle 2 version]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from Amazon.com (locations 72–78).

Rose, H. M., & Rancer, A. S. (1993). The impact of basic courses in oral interpretation and public speaking on communication apprehension. Communication Reports , 6 , 54–60.

Zekeri, A. A. (2004). College curriculum competencies and skills former students found essential to their careers. College Student Journal , 38 , 412–422.

This resource is available at no cost at https://open.library.okstate.edu/speech2713/

the primary purpose of informative presentations is to share one’s knowledge of a subject with an audience

to convince, motivate, or otherwise persuade others to change their beliefs, take an action, or reconsider a decision

involves an array of speaking occasions ranging from introductions to wedding toasts, to presenting and accepting awards, to delivering eulogies at funerals and memorial services in addition to after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches

individuals who contribute new ideas; to achieve thought leader status, individuals must communicate their ideas to others through both writing and public speaking

Introduction to Speech Communication Copyright © 2021 by Individual authors retain copyright of their work. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Benefits of Public Speaking: Why It's Important for Students

Linked table of contents:, is public speaking important for students, let’s define public speaking, why is public speaking important for students, how to help students in becoming better at public speaking.

Communication is the key to growth- the only medium that can influence a large number of people in a short duration of time. Right from birth, an individual uses communication to express himself/herself.

Without effective communication, a child cannot ask for water or food from his/her mother; a student cannot ask for help from his/her teacher; and when the same student goes out into the world for a job, he or she finds it difficult to navigate in the professional life without effective communication.

One of the subsets of communication is public speaking. Public speaking is that pillar of communication that helps a person at different stages of life starting from a school student to a working professional in communicating with their peers, superiors and subordinates.

Public speaking is the art of using verbal or oral communication in expressing oneself, asking someone what they wish to know or telling someone what they know. It is also an efficient art of persuasion.

In the words of Joseph Conard,” He who wants to persuade should put his trust, not in the right argument, but the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.”

Public speaking is an art that begins at school. A student is introduced to it in the form of debates and orations but many fear it because of stage fright or speaking anxiety and since it's easy to escape from during student life.

However, escaping it becomes highly challenging in professional life where it becomes a daily affair.

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This brings us to our topic of discussion: what is the meaning of public speaking?

In simple terms, public speaking is a live presentation or speech given by a person to a large audience to educate or influence or entertain them. It can be given by a school student in the form of a debate, a team leader of a company or a politician asking for votes.

Public speaking doesn't always mean giving a speech, it is also related to other activities such as leading a meeting, pitching a proposal in a meeting, or narrating a story.

A situation where there is a lone speaker in front of the audience is considered public speaking.

Every person, at least once in their life, gets a chance to speak in front of a group of people. Teaching students this important skill at an early stage in school will help them speak more fluently.

As a result of the practice, students show an increase in general confidence as personality development . Students get nervous when asked to speak in front of their classmates but with practice, this nervousness subsides and they begin to enjoy the process.

Public speaking can help a student in building confidence

It is important to note that those who gain the confidence to speak in public are more capable of influencing decisions and having an impression on the audience.

Before any big event, you or your child can achieve and build your confidence by practising public speaking. Speaking in front of a group might help you gain confidence.

It is very inspiring to overcome the anxieties and hurdles that come with public speaking. Furthermore, engaging with a group of individuals can serve as a firm reminder that a child has valuable knowledge and viewpoints to share with the world.

When a child delivers a speech or leads a team with his/her communication skills, it presents them with a sense of achievement. As the child progresses from speaking to small groups of people to large crowds, his/her confidence improves.

Confidence helps students to have faith and trust in their instincts, whereafter their need for validation for being right or wrong reduces.

For example, when a student participates in a debate competition, the student not only learns how to speak fluently but also learns how to convince the audience and respond to the questions to prove their point.

Such an exercise makes the student be more comfortable around a crowd and present their point more sensibly.

Public speaking helps in enhancing leadership skills

One develops leadership skills through public speaking. A leader's worth is enhanced by confident speech. A good speaker makes a better leader, and the two skills are interlinked. Starting a student at a young age to speak effectively will help them in connecting with the audience whilst motivating them.

The ability to make people understand your vision and hard work are the traits of a good leader. A good speech instils confidence as well as a sense of power in the audience.

Good leaders use their speech to not only put their thoughts across to their audience but also to make the audience believe in what they are saying. Such leaders focus on reaching that level where they attract the crowd with their words.

Quick question: Did you know that Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook wasn't good at public speaking, but worked hard on the skill for years to grow in the world of business?

Public speaking helps in developing vocabulary and attaining fluency in the language

Good public speaking skills help listeners in understanding the point of view of the speaker more clearly, but for that using the correct words and right tonality is important.

For instance, if a student is asked to talk about global warming, he/she will go for an informative tone which will help their fellow students in understanding what they are trying to say.

This helps the students in learning new words, which expands their vocabulary and how to fix their tone ie. either positive or negative accordingly.

Public speaking helps in better communication

The more you practise giving speeches, the better you'll become at communicating orally. Improved oral communication skills can be applied not only to future speeches but also to everyday conversation. A speaker is either really good at communication or gets really good at communication with time.

They reach a level of confidence that makes them comfortable around people and talking to them. For example, a student who participates in school debates or storytelling competitions, etc. speaks better.

Public speaking helps students build upon their general knowledge

Public speaking might seem like an easy task, but it requires a certain amount of preparation. When you go for public speaking, you cannot simply stand at the podium and talk on any random topic, it has to be meaningful and informative.

So when a student prepares for public speaking he/she starts with collecting the information related to its topic by reading books or searching the internet.

This way he/she builds upon their general knowledge which remains with them for a good part of their life.

Public speaking helps in developing better writing skills:

Did you know that public speaking can help a child improve his/her writing abilities as well? Writing techniques used to write a good speech can also be used to write other content, such as reports, articles, memos and letters, research papers etc. Good writing skills can lead to better work assignments and grades in school.

Public speaking teaches children to stay calm in high-stress situations:

Learning to be calm in a stressful situation is perhaps the most transferable public speaking benefit. Public speaking is a stressful experience for the majority of us.

As a child gets more proficient in public speaking, he/she also learns how to stay calm, which is necessary to deliver the speech successfully.

Here are a few ways which can help students in becoming better at public speaking:

Make it fun and interesting

It is important to make a child comfortable with the art of public speaking before emphasising on them to be perfect in it. You can do this by turning it into a game that will make it more interactive and fun and will make it sound less intimidating.

Let the child begin with speaking aimlessly, which will help them build the desired confidence and later teach them the attributes of public speaking by working on the mistakes or teaching new ways.

Teach them to focus on delivering a message before focusing on the technique

It is imperative to teach a child how to deliver a good message to their listeners instead of focusing on the technique, which can be learned anytime.

Teach them how to begin their story, the voice in which they should narrate it, and how to change their tone at relevant parts to make it sound more fun.

Regularly interact with the child

Talk to the child and ask questions related to his interest, igniting his curiosity by teaching him something so that he talks and questions about it wholeheartedly. This is an exercise that can be done at any time of the day while going for a walk or before bedtime but develops a habit of doing it regularly.

What are the best practices of public speaking?

Public speaking might make a child nervous in the beginning or he might stammer while speaking. Here are a few practices which will help them overcome these fears and become fluent in them:

Prepare them with enough practice

Teach them about their audience since they would speak for these audiences

Don't let them go overboard with heavy words, try to keep it simple

Teach them to ask for feedback to improve their flaws

Do not ask them to just read text out of a sheet of paper, ask them to understand it and make it interactive for them

On which platform does PlanetSpark take these classes?

PlanetSpark takes these classes online, which helps the kids in attending them comfortably from their homes without hampering their normal study schedules.

How long is the PlanetSpark course?

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Public Speaking

8 Reasons Why Public Speaking Is Important for Students

By: solomon asine.

January 27, 2022

Public speaking skill is just as important to students as it is to workers. Here are my eight reasons why public speaking is important for students.

Every year, high school and college students compete in speech and debate events.

This provides opportunities for students to speak in front of a group.

The life skill of speaking confidently empowers a child not only in school but also in any situation she may face.

Public speaking not only boosts a student’s self-confidence but also helps them become better leaders and communicators.

It also empowers them to successfully give a presentation in class, at work, or in other professional settings.

Students must practice and overcome their worries to feel confident when speaking in front of an audience.

Because of the different opportunities for practice throughout high school and college, public speaking remains an important skill for students to develop.

Here are 8 reasons why public speaking is important for students.

Why is Public Speaking Important for Students?

1. it improves communication skills.

Effective public speaking involves both verbal and non-verbal communication.

As students get older, many teachers grade their book reports, project presentations, or debates based on oral presentations.

Eventually, students who are skilled in public speaking stand out in the group and earn higher grades.

Related: 5 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Communication Skills

2. Helps Develop leadership skills

Public speaking is a critical leadership skill, according to Life Science Leader .

Even as a student, leadership skill is an important skill to consider whether you want to succeed in school or your career.

As a leader, you will have many opportunities to speak in front of people.

Amazingly, human history is filled with great leaders who were also great public speakers.

So, if your student is a good leader, they will be offered more opportunities in social situations such as your work, and other areas of life.

3. It boosts confidence and self-esteem

A study by North Carolina Cooperative Extension of people aged 9 to 18 who participated in a public speaking program found that public speaking increases self-confidence.

By learning public speaking, students can develop their self-confidence.

Mastering this difficult but life-changing skill can help them gain the confidence they need to face both present and future challenges.

So, expect your child’s self-confidence to grow as she regularly learns how to effectively speak in public.

She will over time become less likely to stumble over her words.

She will confidently raise her hand in class, speak up when she has something to say, and engage in healthy debate when necessary.

Related : How Public Speaking Boosts Your Self-Confidence

4. Helps overcome fear and anxiety.

Did you know that the fear of public speaking is the number one fear in America , with people fearing it more than death?

Yes, some people would rather lose their life than speak in public!

Another study shows that 75% of students admitted their fear of public speaking.

95% of them agreed that if proper counseling, instruction, and coaching are provided, this fear can be overcome.

My point is that if a child can overcome the number one fear (public speaking), he/she should be able to successfully overcome other “smaller fears”.

People are often afraid to speak in front of a group, but they can overcome those fears by practicing and getting comfortable with public speaking.

Related: How to Overcome Fear and Become a Confident Public Speaker

5. helps students form connections.

Public Speaking is by far the best way to network and build relationships with the right people, especially as a young adult.

The problem is that some of them struggle to connect with others .

This prevents them from forming a relationship with someone who could help them in their development.

As a result, every school must educate students about the importance of such things and how they might overcome their hesitations and effectively communicate with others.

6. Classroom activities improve when students speak better.

When students are given an assignment, teachers have them speak as an afterthought, but they do not teach them how to speak well.

Can you describe specific instructions you gave students about effective speaking? Do you teach body language as well?

Why not give a lesson on pacing or how to connect a talk to a specific audience?

When done correctly, read-aloud bring books to life and inspire student interest in reading.

For example, when poems are composed with the sound of words in mind, they become worth listening to.

Creating presentations that don’t bore classmates who don’t remember anything about what you presented a day or even an hour later, is something worth striving for.

Ideas need to be presented passionately and coherently for discussions to be engaging.

We won’t suffer through student speaking activities if we develop our oral communication skills; instead, we’ll enjoy the talks.

7. Develops your social skills

Public speaking is an excellent way for students to improve their social skills, especially as an introvert.

It can help them become more comfortable in numerous situations where they have to talk and interact with people.

Whether they are making a presentation or simply having a chat with someone, public speaking improves their social skills.

Related : How to Be More Social as an Introvert

8. Strengthens their ability to organize and lead events

Significant events require the leadership of powerful minds who are not afraid to speak up and amplify their cause.

This means that when confronted with opposition, they can create a spine and stand up for themselves, their school, or organization.

For example, the address given by Mahatma Gandhi on the Quit India Movement in 1942 inspired patriotism and nationalism in every Indian.

It also helped the Indian National Congress pass the famous Quit India Resolution, which was vital to the country’s independence in 1947.

Indeed, one powerful speech by a man who wasn’t too masculine to look at changed the entire nation’s politics.

So, understand that this seed of empowerment and enthusiasm for oration is planted in a child while in school.

Many students find public speaking to be a scary activity, but with time and practice, it can become a vital skill for success in any situation.

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Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, making persuasive speeches a priority in the classroom.

Making Persuasive Speeches a Priority in the Classroom

The Internet age has brought drastic changes to approaching technology and communication, making real life-classroom discussion more important than ever. While many students struggle with social interactions, learning effective public speaking skills can help overcome these problems. The art of the persuasive speech is now a vital part of teaching students not only how to present ideas and arguments effectively but also how to communicate in general.

The loss of real discussion

As students become more engaged in online discussions, message boards and social media websites, they are spending less time having face-to-face discourse with peers. This can create a problem in developing the necessary tools for interacting with others both in and out of the classroom. Online discussions that do not carry the weight of direct real-life consequences can easily get out of hand. Students that only focus on communicating online are in danger of learning inappropriate ways of discussing issues and presenting ideas.

Speaking skills

When students learn how to give persuasive speeches they build upon their verbal abilities as a whole. The presentation of a speech is just as important as the argument itself. EnglishClub points out several areas where students can improve their abilities:

Body language
Articulation
Pronunciation

Students that continually work on persuasive speeches will be able to keep their posture, look over an audience, and verbally express their content in a clear and audible manner. By learning when to pause and how to keep a speech well paced, students begin to grasp the effect that ideas have when presented in the proper manner.

Persuasive speech preparation

Teaching Channel offers a video that showcases one classroom’s approach to preparing students for a persuasive speech assignment. Their example highlights different ways of engaging students in the process of learning how to make a persuasive argument, including writing out what they already know to be effective tools in a speech and critiquing example speeches. These preliminary steps prepare students to craft their own persuasive speeches. The Teaching Channel video also shows how teachers can get students involved in listening to their classmates and use their analysis to better their own speeches.

Reaching an audience

The Class Struggle points out that one of the most important aspects of a great speech is getting the audience to care. When a student can present material that engages the class and makes everyone consider the impact it has on them, they are far more likely to listen. Anyone who is uninterested in the content of a persuasive speech will not focus no matter how good the speaker is. A successful persuasive speech gets other students to hang on each point and follow along, wanting to know where the argument is going and how it will further impact their own lives.

Here are some more examples of topics for persuasive speeches that students will be more inclined to pay attention to:

Changing legal driving age
Adjusting the length of school year
Removing age restrictions for movies
School dress codes

Beyond the classroom

Students learn the art of giving a great persuasive speech to help them not only give presentations in future education levels but also in the work place. Additionally, the skills developed by persuasive speeches expand far beyond presentations. Students learn how to communicate with others, speak clearly, present themselves well and articulate their ideas. These tools help students communicate with friends, family members, in relationships and in the workplace. While technology continues to play a major factor in the classroom, the act of engaging students in real discussion becomes more crucial. When educators place high priority on persuasive speeches, they help students struggling to communicate socially as well as advance the abilities of those who can already speak well.

Why Is Freedom of Speech an Important Right? When, if Ever, Can It Be Limited?

By Michael Gonchar

Sept. 12, 2018

This extended Student Opinion question and a related lesson plan were created in partnership with the National Constitution Center in advance of Constitution Day on Sept. 17. For information about a cross-classroom “Constitutional Exchange,” see The Lauder Project .

One of the founding principles of the United States that Americans cherish is the right to freedom of speech. Enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of speech grants all Americans the liberty to criticize the government and speak their minds without fear of being censored or persecuted.

Even though the concept of freedom of speech on its face seems quite simple, in reality there are complex lines that can be drawn around what kinds of speech are protected and in what setting.

The Supreme Court declared in the case Schenck v. United States in 1919 that individuals are not entitled to speech that presents a “clear and present danger” to society. For example, a person cannot falsely yell “fire” in a crowded theater because that speech doesn’t contribute to the range of ideas being discussed in society, yet the risk of someone getting injured is high. On the other hand, in Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969, the court declared that even inflammatory speech, such as racist language by a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, should generally be protected unless it is likely to cause imminent violence.

While the text and principle of the First Amendment have stayed the same, the court’s interpretation has indeed changed over time . Judges, lawmakers and scholars continue to struggle with balancing strong speech protections with the necessity of maintaining a peaceful society.

What do you think? Why is the freedom of speech an important right? Why might it be important to protect even unpopular or hurtful speech? And yet, when might the government draw reasonable limits on speech, and why?

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The importance of free speech on college campuses

Running penn’s committee on open expression has given sigal ben-porath an up-close look at free speech on campus—and even inspired her to write a book on the topic..

Sigal Ben-Porath , a professor at the Graduate School of Education , has been chair of Penn ’s Committee on Open Expression since the 2015-16 academic year, a position that has given her an up-close and personal view of the complications and challenges surrounding free speech, especially in the current, hyper-partisan environment.

Consisting of faculty, staff, and students , the Committee follows Penn’s longstanding Guidelines on Open Expression , which were developed in the 1960s and updated a number of times in subsequent years. Members of the Committee are tasked with upholding the Guidelines and mediating related concerns that are brought before them.

Since the 2015-16 academic year, Sigal Ben-Porath has been chair of Penn’s Committee on Open Expression.

Devotion to an open-minded atmosphere on college campuses has been embraced, by and large, by students and faculty for generations, says Ben-Porath, who both believe freedom of expression is imperative for constructive learning and research. Nonetheless, she says students with diverging ideological leanings differ on how free freedom of speech actually is. Certain students believe the right is nearly absolute; others seek to limit debate or the expression of views on topics they believe fall outside the bounds of reasonable discussion.

Ben-Porath’s work on the Open Expression committee moved her to write the book “Free Speech on Campus.” Published last year by the University of Pennsylvania Press , the manuscript examines the current state of the arguments about free speech on college campuses, using real-world examples to explore the contexts in which conflicts and tensions erupt.

In response to her book, Ben-Porath has been invited to give talks about free speech at a variety of higher education institutions, including community colleges, Ivy League universities, and public institutions, some of whom have set up committees to draft or update guidelines on open expression.

“Free Speech on Campus” was published last year by the University of Pennsylvania Press.

“I think a lot of places are just now waking up to the concern that even if you’re a small place, even if you don’t necessarily see yourself as that visible or your students as necessarily organized in this way, it’s still your problem as well,” she says. “Even if you’re not interested in free speech, free speech is interested in you.”

Administrative awakenings in relation to free speech on college campuses are the result of student activism, and also the fact that universities are a primary target in the current culture wars, Ben-Porath says. University leaders have trepidations about how the higher education sector is perceived. She says where a person stands on the issue of free speech on college campuses is now a marker for a general ideological stance that partisans can use to signal their overall position, similar to how people used to speak about marriage equality.

The most vocal critics accuse universities of being too elitist, lacking ideological diversity, and prioritizing progressive and liberal views.

Commentators and critics point to instances in which conservative speakers have been heckled or prevented from speaking as proof that students at so-called “liberal” universities are too fragile for ideological debate, fail to understand democratic commitments, and are attempting to stifle free speech.

Surveys have shown a more limited support for free speech or First Amendment protections on college campuses, but Ben-Porath says students attempting to limit speech support free speech, but object to free speech being used to harm, denigrate, or devalue another human being.

“This is not being a snowflake, this is being an activist,” she says. “What they are expressing is not oversensitivity that they can’t handle the truth. They are expressing a commitment to the values that we are teaching them and we are not always practicing, like equal dignity to all persons. That doesn’t show fragility, in my view. It actually shows a commitment to democratic values, and we need to listen to that.”

Even if you’re not interested in free speech, free speech is interested in you.

Sigal Ben-Porath, a professor in the Graduate School of Education

Ben-Porath does not support speech codes or the shutting down of speakers—even those who speak hate. Universities as an institution should not invite such speakers, but if a student or a student group is interested in inviting the person to campus, she does not think the school should intervene.

Aside from individuals calling for violence, Ben-Porath says there are very few people who should be prevented from speaking.

“From where I stand, it’s going to be a pretty small marginal group of people, and I won’t expand it, even when there are people who I see and a lot of people see as quite hateful,” she says. “I don’t necessarily want to prevent them from coming to campus because I think that they are, sadly, a part of our current political debate. I regret that, but I would like to support my students in engaging with that.”

Student activists have a large toolkit for responding to speakers they disagree with if they look historically and in present practice, Ben-Porath says. And these tools are much more effective than shutting speakers down. She says students can use humor, as has been done when responding to the anti-gay preachers on Locust Walk. To protest the preachers’ hateful signs, students created their own humorous signs and collected donations for the Attic, an LGBT youth center, while the preachers spoke.

Sigal Ben-Porath, a professor in the Graduate School of Education

“The Black Graduate and Professional Student Assembly here on campus staged an excellent protest earlier this fall in response to a speaker speaking against the Black Lives Matter movement,” Ben-Porath says. “Excellent in the sense that it was nonviolent, but a very effective protest.” The students dressed in similar fashion, brought signs expressing their opposition, asked the speaker hard questions, and protested outside the venue.

“They engaged with the content and rejected it effectively,” she says. “They engaged with the actual invitation by their presence, by their visible appearance with their clothes and their signs. I thought that was great because they were able to express their opposition, and to express their valid perspective in opposition to her views way more effectively than if they shouted her down.”

Photo: Ben-Porath’s research focuses on citizenship education, normative aspects of educational and social policy, and the social and educational effects of war.

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The University celebrated graduating students on Monday during the 268th Commencement.

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Class of 2025 relishes time together at Hey Day

An iconic tradition at Penn, third-year students were promoted to senior status.

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The Benefits of Speech-to-Text Technology in All Classrooms

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During in-person instruction, Vikram Nahal would correct console grips in his role as a Resource Specialist Program (RSP) teacher in Northern California. Learning console grips helps students develop the hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills necessary to correctly form shapes on a page. He could provide grip tools for pencils or guide students’ hands with his own, familiarizing them with the strokes.

During virtual education, he relied on reference materials and parent assistance when available. An adult in the room could help demonstrate grips, steer hands and inform Nahal when additional resources were needed.

Despite the difficulties of offering support remotely, Nahal found that virtual learning allowed him to experiment with new technologies that supported his students with learning disabilities. Speech-to-text technology allowed them to more easily transfer their ideas onto the page. This especially helped his students with ADHD and processing-related disabilities, such as auditory processing disorder or working memory deficits.

Speech-to-text tools also saved time, which is helpful for students who might forget their ideas once they try to write or students who struggle with getting any words on the page at all, feeling unable to transfer their thoughts. For some, this was because of the intimidation of writing academically, with spelling and grammar anxieties prohibiting them from starting. For others, the time taken to write out initial thoughts caused them to forget later conclusions and analyses, given the lack of immediacy in writing.

“Coming into the distance learning, I was really worried about these kids. But what I found was through using the speech-to-text feature, they were able to get their ideas on paper. They didn’t have that physical transfer where they had to go and write it out and lose what they were thinking about in the process. And they really evolved as writers,” said Nahal.

The process of vocalizing their ideas and watching their words simultaneously appear on the screen relieved much of the stress around writing. Students could watch their thoughts fill a page, proving for some that they were capable of doing so. They could then go through and revise their grammar and ideas, correcting anywhere the technology misheard them and getting practice editing their own writing.

The initial skill required of students wasn’t spelling or grammar, but the ability to transfer their ideas to the page. Natalie Conway is a teacher who works with students with disabilities in grades Kindergarten through 3rd at a statewide online charter school in Oregon. She has been teaching online for seven years. She said that specifically identifying which standard is being assessed, and providing accommodations for the standards not presently up to bat, can help make school more accessible for all students.

“Those accommodations are going to benefit kids who are unidentified (in disability) and who just would enjoy learning that way,” said Conway. “So if you make it available to everyone, it’s not stigmatizing to anyone. And students are going to self-select what’s going to work for them. They know themselves, too, especially the older they get.”

Writing is Rewriting

Nahal eventually transitioned his students off speech-to-text, encouraging them to write phonetically in a subsequent phase but with the same initial indifference to spelling and grammar encouraged by a first draft from speech-to-text. Then, once the ideas were on the page, Nahal and his students could comb through their work, updating spelling and modifying their language to meet academic conventions.

“Through the process of correcting their work and typing, they’ve become better writers,” he said.

He spotlighted spell check as a simple way students could see that they misspelled words, with the automatic underline quickly notifying students of a mistake. That helped make editing for spelling and grammar less difficult online. Speech-to-text technology accelerated his students’ writing skills during virtual learning.

“These gains would have not happened had we been in person. I mean, it would have happened, but not so rapidly in my estimation,” Nahal said.

Voice Practice

Conway spotlighted speech-to-text technology as liberating for kids with writing disabilities and fine motor needs. Beyond writing homework assignments, the technology can also be used for quick in-class responses. If a teacher asks all students to put an answer in the virtual class’ chatbox, for instance, a student who might not feel confident in their ability to write their thoughts can use transcription software to still participate. And for chat boxes with microphone transcription enabled, they can participate even more quickly.

“It’s giving students independence, instead of having to have a scribe all the time or having to have someone read to them all the time,” said Kathleen Kane Parkinson, a diverse learner teacher in Chicago.

In the past, many students would only be able to practice their pronunciations in a classroom setting. Now, this technology and related technologies allow for pronunciation practice to be incorporated into at-home work. Some teachers, like Parkinson, may choose to continue using some form of voice-recognition software for out-of-class assignments moving forward.

Parkinson mentioned, however, that the technology does not yet fully accommodate students with speech and language impairments. The transcription of their speech may not accurately reflect what students said into their microphones, which can cause confusion and frustration.

Repeated Read Alouds

The related but inverse technology of text-to-speech, also known as read-aloud technology, helped Nahal’s students improve their reading skills. The process of hearing text read aloud ensured that words or lines weren’t skipped, improving comprehension. Students could also highlight new words to hear pronunciations or learn definitions, strengthening vocabularies.

For students who might not feel confident reading grade-level material, or who process information better when listening, read-along features for books and articles can be pivotal. Students with attention deficits might benefit from the ability to pause a story to process or take notes, and then press play to resume reading without losing their place.

“[For] kids who might have working memory deficits or trouble recalling information, the ability to listen to something over and over or listen to it as they read it, following along — that can be really powerful,” Conway said.

Jodi Dezale, a speech language pathologist at Jefferson Community School in Minneapolis pointed to online books as a key resource brought about during virtual learning. The read-along audio feature provided students the autonomy to read books on their own. Tie-in videos from publishers like Scholastic gave students an additional level of engagement for books, encouraging new modes of interaction with familiar images and stories.

“One of the tools that we use to build comprehension is repeated readings of the same thing. So getting comfortable with seeing something in different ways and using it multiple times was very helpful,” said Dezale.

Accessibility Opportunities

Engagement with both audible and visual modes of learning can also be achieved through closed captioning in class video software. Offered on both Google Meet and Zoom, closed captioning can have benefits for all students. It can make virtual classrooms that don’t have sign language translators more accessible for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Students with unimpaired hearing can also utilize captions as a secondary cue for their minds, allowing for another way to perceive the material.

“You’re pairing verbal input with visual input and it’s just more likely to stick in your brain and make sense to you,” Conway said.

Access to technology is an equity issue. Students gained technological skills during virtual learning that they might not have otherwise gleaned. Many schools engaged with new learning and accessibility tools they didn’t have the bandwidth or funding to try during in-person learning.

Increased familiarity with online platforms and technologies may lessen the digital divide between the schools that had embedded technology before the pandemic and those that newly engaged with modes of digital education over the past year. This offered more students digital skills that may be needed after graduation.

“They’ve got to be computer literate,” Nahal said. “It’s a literacy issue for me.”

Teachers who work with students with disabilities specifically can supply their students with tools and methods of enabling accessibility technologies that they can take with them into general education classes.

“When they’re in, say, a humanities class or a science class, that’s where those tools are going to come in handy. And it’s a matter of teaching them how to use the tools,” Parkinson said.

This not only makes education more accessible, it encourages students to take agency in their learning, spurring greater independence.

For teachers who work with students with disabilities, the instantaneous nature of online assignments’ feedback saves time. Sandra Zickrick works with middle schoolers with disabilities. She shared that before virtual education, she would take each student aside to assess their skills and determine where additional support was needed. Now, she can have all of her students complete simultaneous virtual assessments and immediately receive the results, allowing her to spend more class time providing specific support or doing activities with the entire class.

Beyond the new technologies learned, a number of students with disabilities preferred learning online. For some, doing school from home induced less social anxiety, which led to increased academic confidence.

Attending school from home was less optimal for many students, with many facing challenges of family distractions, Wi-Fi connection issues or an inability to find a quiet place to work. Yet some students were better able to concentrate on schoolwork at home, whether from reduced distractions in virtual school compared to social classroom settings, or from decreased social stress. Online education can allow for greater control over a student’s environment, which can limit external distractors or overbearing external stimuli, benefiting some students with autism, ADD and ADHD.

“A lot of the physical distractors that happened in a building, that happened in a physical classroom, aren’t the same at home,” Conway said.

Conway also pointed to the ability for students to revisit lectures, to rewind, rewatch and take their time, as another accessibility tool. The more methods teachers offer for students to access the material and demonstrate that they’ve learned it, the more accessible school becomes for all students.

When students can select how to best prove their knowledge — be it in an essay, video, PowerPoint, Google Doc or other tool — they not only take agency in their learning, but can unlock new creativity. This creativity will be an asset in higher education and in the workforce, Conway said.

“They now have skills to communicate in a variety of ways, collaborate with other kids and be creative and think critically about what they’re doing and how they’re doing it,” she said.

The specific tools and technologies a school may take on during virtual education may depend on the school’s location, technology team and budget. Yet the fact that more students received technological devices and more schools explored assistive technologies during virtual education helped in the movement to make education more accessible.

“I think the biggest takeaway of this online experience is just that there are things out there for free that we can use,” Conway said. “The sky’s the limit and you just need to Google whatever it is you want.”

MindShift is part of KQED, a non-profit NPR and PBS member station in San Francisco, CA. The text of this specific article is available to republish for noncommercial purposes under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, thanks to support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

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3 Reasons Why Public Speaking is Important

Communication is the backbone of our society. It allows us to form connections, influence decisions, and motivate change. Without communication skills, the ability to progress in the working world and in life, itself, would be nearly impossible.

Public speaking is one of the most important and most dreaded forms of communication. Glossophobia or speech anxiety, is the most common fear people have across the globe. Throughout primary school, it is easy to be the student who sits in the back of the classroom and avoids raising his or her hand to dodge such situations. But in the working world, public speaking is a vital skill to have and to hone. It effects simple, everyday interactions between coworkers, bosses and employees, marketing professionals and clients, etc., and it can have an enormous impact on your career path and your level of success in your industry.

There are many reasons why public speaking is important but the 3 that we believe to be the most significant are:

1. To Win Over the Crowd

An important skill to have in business and especially in the public relations arena is the skill of persuasion or the ability to win over the crowd. Inside and outside the workplace, the power of persuasion can carry you far and it all starts by honing those public speaking skills. Mastering public speaking results in an increase in confidence and with that, a cool and collected presence in front of an audience. Of course it is imperative to be knowledgeable about the subject you are presenting, but beyond that, when making a persuasive speech of any kind, including a sales pitch to a client, you need to be prepared to answer the opposition, and to speak with poise.

To make a strong case, the ability to speak publicly is not only important, but essential to make forward strides. For example, in order to express why a certain product or idea would be an interesting topic to an editor of a publication, one must use strong enough, convincing language to elicit intrigue and curiosity. A great pitch will persuade the consumer or editor to want to know more. When addressing any audience with an idea or argument for or against something, public speaking allows you to make your case compellingly and convincingly.

For tips on how to pitch the media, read “ Pitching Do’s & Don’ts with PR Pros “

2. To Motivate People

A great public speaker attains the power to motivate his or her audience to do something, stop doing something, change a behavior, or reach objectives. But to carry an idea forward, you must be able to excite and enliven your peers, employees, coworkers, customers.

Public speakers are leaders who are able to inspire their audience to work harder to achieve their goals. As a public speaker, your role is to influence your listeners and create an environment where everyone walks out ready to roll. You are not merely giving a speech in the attempt to get your audience to take a certain action; speakers are part of the action and can convey their passion and drive. It is not enough to simply know about the issues at hand but to make your audience share your passion. Elections have been won simply because one candidate was a better public speaker than the other. Being knowledgeable is a factor, of course, but more importantly, being able to arouse passion in people through skilled public speaking will motivate your audience to make a move. When people talk about having a voice in the world, they mean having an impact on the world by voicing your thoughts and your knowledge in an exciting way. A mastery of public speaking allows you to relate to the audience and gain their trust. As a skilled public speaker, you become likable and believable, and you will be able to inspire and even entertain the crowd.

3. To Inform

The ability to inform is one of the most important aspects of public speaking. From presenting research papers and PowerPoint presentations in school to presenting ideas and pitches to your boss or client, informative public speaking is a vital component of a successful career across all work fields. Once you have their attention, a good informative speech sharing your knowledge of a subject with an audience, enhances their understanding and makes them remember your words long after you’ve finished. For example, you might be asked to instruct a group of coworkers on how to use new computer software or to address your employees on company happenings. Whether it is giving demonstrations or sharing an area of expertise, this form of public speaking is an essential skill in today’s world.

According to a study by sociologist, Andrew Zekeri, “Oral communication skills were the number one skill that college graduates found useful in the business world.” Communication skills enhance your ability to interact with professionals and fellow colleagues in a qualified and composed manner. Public speaking improves these skills and thus, makes you a more worthy candidate to move up and succeed in your chosen field.

Perfect the rest of your thought leadership strategy with this guide .

In our annual Brand Experience Report, we asked marketers and customers how they are using and experiencing AI to better understand how the technology is changing that relationship.

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Why free speech—and especially disagreement—matters on college campuses

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A Rochester political scientist explains why the ‘clash of ideas’ resulting from free speech is necessary for a well-functioning university.

In September, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released a survey of undergraduates on college campuses across the United States in an effort to gauge the state of free speech and expression in American higher education. Recruiting students from the College Pulse American College Student Panel, the organization sought to measure how comfortable students were in discussing controversial topics in various campus settings; how tolerant they were of campus speakers whose views were offensive to liberals; how tolerant they were of campus speakers whose views were offensive to conservatives; and how well or how poorly their institutions’ administration did in supporting a culture of free expression.

About David Primo

An expert on campaign finance laws, the federal debt, corporate social responsibility, and budget rules, David Primo is the author or coauthor of several books, including Rules and Restraint: Government Spending and the Design of Institutions (University of Chicago Press, 2007) and Campaign Finance and American Democracy: What the Public Really Thinks and Why It Matters (University of Chicago Press, 2020).

Among those polled were 250 University of Rochester students. Twenty-seven percent of the Rochester cohort said that they hesitate “fairly often” or “very often” to express an opinion out of fear of their professors’ or classmates’ reaction. The situation is not unique to Rochester; it exists on many US college campuses and follows a national trend, the survey found.

David Primo , the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor and a professor of political science and of business administration at the University of Rochester, has made promoting free speech and expression a pedagogical priority—bringing guests from across the political spectrum to his classes and teaching an undergraduate course devoted to the topic, Disagreement in a Democratic Society . Primo also directs the Politics and Markets Project, an initiative he created in 2014 to encourage robust but civil discussions about contentious policy issues.

During a recent campus event, Primo urged universities to remain steadfast in their historical role as places of discussion and dissent. The “clash of ideas is the foundation for a college education. Without that you can’t have a well-functioning university,” he said. “Ideas that shape the world often emerge from college campuses.”

Fortunately, in the United States free speech is legally enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution, and many private universities (which are not bound by the First Amendment in the same way as public universities are) have explicit commitments to support free speech and free inquiry on their campuses. “In other words, students have the right to speak freely, debate speech, and also protest against speech they don’t agree with,” Primo explained. “Of course, some universities do a better job than others of living up to these ideals.”

Even at universities that uphold the principles of free expression, problems arise, according to Primo, when faculty and students become unwilling to express their own ideas or challenge each other’s. Primo argues the fear of being professionally or socially ostracized is often on the minds of those with unorthodox or unpopular perspectives.

So, what happens when students think they can’t speak freely—to professors, administration, staff, or each other?

“A fear of speaking out means that important ideas may not be heard, important discoveries may not be made, and the boundaries of knowledge may not be pushed,” Primo said. “That kind of self-censorship can also extend to faculty members and influence the kind of research projects they pursue, or feel they ought to pursue. The acceptable range of ideas narrows more than it should.”

Read on for more highlights from Primo’s remarks.

David Primo on stage discussing free speech in front of a PowerPoint screen with the headline "Benefits of disagreement" and a photo of John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" book cover.

1. Heeding John Stuart Mill on the importance of ‘the heretics’

“You may say there are some people who just shouldn’t be able to speak—those crazy people on the left and those crazy people on the right. The 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill had a name for these people—he’d call them the heretics, which was particularly appropriate given when he was writing, but I would argue is still appropriate now.”

Primo outlined three guiding principles on disagreement, distilled from Mill’s 1859 treatise, On Liberty :

We should care about disagreement. We should interact with those we disagree with because we could be wrong. Otherwise we are assuming we’re infallible.
You might understand your views on a contentious issue at a deeper level if you talk to someone who disagrees with you. It pushes you to understand your own ideas and positions better, and to learn to understand theirs.
Society is going to make progress through error. That’s the hallmark of science: we have to be open to error and have ideas clash so that we can take the best parts of these ideas and move forward with knowledge generation.

2. On ‘affective polarization,’ or when politics became your identity

“When people’s political convictions become their identity—the blue team versus the red team—that’s what we political scientists call ‘affective polarization.’ Practically speaking, that means if I know that you’re a Democrat, I generally know much more about you than I would’ve known 30 years ago. Same if I know you’re a Republican. As a result, we’ve seen a rise in this idea that we don’t like somebody because they support the other party. In other words, it’s not just that we disagree with people on the other side; it’s that we actively dislike them as people because of their ideology or party affiliation.

“College students today are practicing affective polarization. In an NBC News poll a couple of months ago, nearly half of all college students said they wouldn’t room with somebody of a different political party. We ought to be figuring out exactly why that is—and how we can fix it.”

3. Responding to disinformation on social media

“There are serious issues with false information’s being transmitted on social media, but that’s something that we have to manage rather than regulate. Because if governments start limiting what can be said on social media, and if governments start regulating how social media companies moderate what’s allowed on their platforms, it becomes a slippery slope. Where then do you draw the line?

“When I think about restrictions on speech, I think about whether I would want those restrictions to exist when somebody I disagree with fundamentally is in a position of power. Because then they’re the ones who are going to control whether or not I can speak.”

4. Avoiding the ‘noise’ of MSNBC and Fox News

“Students need to cut through the noise and yelling on channels like MSNBC and Fox News and instead focus on having rigorous, courteous, civil debates. They should be shown why it’s important to care about the fact that we, as a society, are currently not disagreeing effectively.

“In class we have vigorous and valuable discussions, which signals to me that there’s a lot of support for the idea of open disagreement on college campuses. That’s why I am worried about the 27 percent of students who feel they can’t speak out. But I’m also heartened by the fact that we still have a tremendous number of students who are deeply engaged, who are willing to explore ideas. So, if we can help support them within the University then, that’s going to help because students are the ones who’ll be going out into society; they’re the ones who are going to be making the decisions and running the show in a few years. That’s why it’s vitally important they learn those skills here.”

5. Encouraging free speech among students—and supporting one another

“Students need to be supportive of each other as they explore ideas. On the first day of my seminar courses, I work with the students to set class norms and talk about the terms of debate in our class. One of the things we agreed upon this semester was that you can discuss outside of class what was said in class but not attribute specific ideas to specific people. I want students to be free to explore ideas without worrying that in two hours’ time what they just said in class would appear somewhere on social media. We want to have a truly safe space for the discussion of ideas without this fear. Of course, I can’t police whether students live up to these ideals. But I think the fact that students supported this ground rule shows that you can create this foundation to build up agreement to disagree on college campuses.

“When the heretics get to speak, I am reassured that we are protecting the right for all of us to express ourselves freely.”

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On college campuses, where safe spaces and free inquiry often coexist, do trigger warnings protect students or hinder free speech? This episode of the University’s Quadcast podcast takes on the growing debate.

A protester holding a sign that reads I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

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Illustration showing two cargo boats moving in opposite directions against a background that is half white stars against a blue background and half yellow stars against a red background to illustrate the US-China trade war.

March 2022 Update: Check out the “Why We Should Learn the Parts of Speech” comic here.

It’s a common experience: The English teacher hands out a paragraph to each student in class. The instructions at the top read Underline each common, proper, or collective noun. Or perhaps they direct students to Write a verb to complete each of the following sentences, or List the ten adjectives that appear in the following passage . Students reluctantly pick up their pencils to begin the task, and soon after someone utters the despairing phrase:

“Why do we have to know this?”

Or better yet:

“When am I ever going to use this?”

These common refrains invite us to consider why we should even spend time learning parts of speech. After all, how often are most people asked to identify nouns , pronouns , verbs , adverbs , adjectives , conjunctions , prepositions , and interjections in their daily lives? What can teachers tell students to explain why this is useful? And what can homeschool parents tell their kids when faced with the same questions?

As an English teacher who has heard these objections more than a few times, I have had to justify to students why they have to know the FANBOYS or identify linking verbs . Thus far, I’ve come up with three compelling reasons to give students as to why it’s important to learn the parts of speech.

1. You can’t make (or understand) sentences without them.

This sounds basic, right? Sentences are made of words, and all words fall into one or more of the parts of speech categories, so… duh! How does that help?

Let’s say your teacher tells you that you are using incomplete sentences, and your grades are suffering because of it. In order to improve your performance in class, you need to first understand what makes a sentence complete. So you look up the definition of a complete sentence only to find this:

A complete sentence has two basic parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is the part of the sentence about which something is being said. The predicate is the part that says something about the subject. A simple subject is the key noun or pronoun that tells what the sentence is about. A simple predicate is the verb or verb phrase that communicates the essential idea about the subject of the sentence.

If you made it through that paragraph-long definition, you can already start to see the value of knowing your parts of speech. It is not possible to decipher what a subject is unless you know that a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. Moreover, good luck teasing out what a predicate is if you don’t know that a verb describes an action or state of being.

And sentences are just the start of our troubles! What do we do if we’re asked to fix the passive voice in a paper or minimize our use of adverbs? This brings us to the second reason that knowing the parts of speech is, in fact, a great idea.

2. It helps you master writing techniques.

If you want to be a better writer, there are techniques you can learn to elevate your prose and dazzle your readers. However, it’s much harder to learn those techniques if you don’t know your parts of speech. A great example of this is the use of parallel structure in writing.

What is parallel structure?

Also called parallelism, it’s the use of repeating grammatical constructions in a sentence. Parallelism is powerful because it creates unity in writing, establishes a rhythm, and calls attention to our words. One famous example comes from the last sentence of the Gettysburg Address :

“… that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

What stood out to you in that sentence? I bet it was Abraham Lincoln’s use of parallelism. He used repeating prepositional phrases ( of the people, by the people, for the people ) to underscore the fragility of this newfangled form of government that privileged the people .

If Lincoln hadn’t been the masterful writer that he was, that sentence could have read something like this:

“… that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, created for them, important to preserve our country, shall not perish from the earth.”

It doesn’t have quite the same punch, does it? The problem boils down to parallel structure, and parallel structure can’t be achieved without knowing your parts of speech.

However, even if you don’t plan on becoming a celebrated speech writer, there is still one simple reason that parts of speech are worth the trouble to learn.

3. It makes writing (and life) easier.

Now, you might be thinking, “I could just look this up when I need to know it.” That’s true; you could. But is that what you really want?

Let’s step away from English for a moment and look to a math analogy to shed light on why knowing parts of speech makes life easier:

Imagine you have nine pet lions. Every day, you need to feed each lion a total of four steaks. How many steaks is that per day?

Odds are that you quickly figured out you would need thirty-six juicy steaks each day. Perhaps you decided that it’s too expensive to own nine lions, and you’re considering just getting a dog. Regardless, you hardly needed to think about the math because you know your multiplication, or “times,” tables from elementary school. It was automatic and easy. This is why we learn our times tables: It gives us more time to set the table (for our lions).

Bad jokes aside, parts of speech are just like multiplication tables in that they are the basic units of grammar. Knowing what a verb is off the top of your head will help you identify if a sentence is incomplete because it is missing a verb; recognizing that your first two list items are nouns will help you see that you should end the list with a noun to maintain parallel structure. The more work you put in on the front end to learn your parts of speech, the less time you will put in on the back end to fix your mistakes.

Like anything else, learning parts of speech takes time and effort. To my mind, it’s worth every agonizing sentence that requires one to Write the word that is being modified by an adverb or Write the conjunction that appears in each sentence .

What do you think? Are parts of speech worth the time to learn? What do you tell your students? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Additionally, your students can always get a refresher on parts of speech and other ELA concepts on the Terms page.

Parts of Speech

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Speech Writing /

2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education in English for Students

Updated on
Jun 26, 2024

Speech on Importance of Education: Knowledge is power, and education is the ocean of knowledge. Education is a tool that can bring social change to society. A person who does not read books has no advantage over those who cannot. In every culture, education is given great importance because it has the power to enhance personal, economic, and global developments.

Here is what Mahatma Gandhi said about education, ’ By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man; body, mind, and spirit. True education must correspond to the surrounding circumstances or it is not a healthy growth.’ Can you believe this century-old quote can still be of great significance? This is what we will do for you today. We will provide you with a speech on the importance of education, where we will provide samples and other details on how it can change our lives.

Quick Read: Speech on Earth Day

Table of Contents

1 Sample 1: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education
2 Sample 2: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education
3 10 Quotes on Importance of Education

‘A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.’ – Albert Einstein

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Sample 1: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education

‘Good morning my friends and teacher (s). Today, I stand before you to present my ‘Speech on the importance of education’. We all want to progress and grow in our lives. Education is the only weapon that can bring peaceful and sustainable development. Every personal, professional, social, and environmental issue can be solved with an educated mind.

Every society requires educated people for overall development. A society that has more education and civilized people will flourish and sustain better than those who lack education. That is why our government and educational institutions are promoting education.

In earlier times, education was given little importance, as most people were either engaged in agricultural or different manual labour jobs. With the advancement of science and technology, different sectors, like secondary, tertiary, quaternary, and quinary emerged.

Education is the key that unlocks doors of opportunity, enabling individuals to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society. At a personal level, education allows us to understand the world around us. It empowers us to dream big, set goals, and work towards achieving them.

Through education, we can understand our rights and duties towards our families, society and nation. We can explore innovative ideas, as were are constantly involved in learning and growing.

Important people like big industrialists, politicians, movie actors, and even sportspersons are all educated, as they know the importance of education in life. Their contribution is essential for innovation, productivity, and economic competitiveness.

Investing in education is like investing in a future workforce. It ensures that our society remains dynamic and resilient in the face of rapid technological and global changes.

When we talk about social justice and equality, education plays a major role. Education provides equal opportunities for people from different backgrounds. Making education accessible to everyone will help in building a fair and just society, one where talent and potential are recognized.’

Sample 2: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education

Good morning to the respected teachers and students,

Education is not simply acquiring knowledge; it is a process that develops our thoughts and broadens our perspectives. It prepares people to pursue their goals, attain them, and live fulfilled lives. Education provides opportunities and helps us to realise our greatest potential. It promotes critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, all of which are useful in both personal and professional situations.

Education is also a successful tool for economic development. It provides the individual with the skills necessary for the job market, enhancing their employability. Education promotes innovation, increases productivity, and improves global competitiveness. It also encourages development by promoting understanding and tolerance among people of different backgrounds. An educated society places a higher importance on justice, equality, and human rights. Education allows us to address social concerns such as poverty, inequality, and corruption.

Education has a wide-ranging impact on health and well-being. People who are educated are more likely to make informed decisions about their health. They are better able to understand healthcare facilities and carry out preventive measures. Despite its importance, providing high-quality education remains a global challenge. Poverty, gender injustice, and a lack of infrastructure prevent millions from getting the education they deserve. As citizens of this country, it is our responsibility to increase awareness so that everyone has access to a quality education.

It will require collaborative efforts from the community and the government. Education is a major driver of personal, economic, and social development. It is the key that unlocks a door full of potential and opportunity. So, let us commit to and work towards a better educated and informed society by making education available to everyone.

Also Read: 2 Minutes Adult Education Speech for School Students

10 Quotes on Importance of Education

Here are 10 quotes on the importance of education. Feel free to add these quotes to your speech or any writing topics.

‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’ – Mahatma Gandhi
‘The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.’ – Herbert Spencer
‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ – Nelson Mandela
‘The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.’ – Martin Luther King Jr.
‘Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.’ – Malcolm X
‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ – Benjamin Franklin
‘The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.’ – B.B. King
‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ – W.B. Yeats
‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.’ – John Dewey
‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ – Dr. Seuss

Also Read: Speech on Education in English for School Students

Ans: Education is an important tool for social change. Every society requires educated people, who can help in navigating the developmental changes and lead the country to new heights. Education means knowledge and power. Every society requires educated people for overall development. A society that has more education and civilized people will flourish and sustain better than those who lack education. That is why our government and educational institutions are promoting education.

Ans: Education plays an important role in a person’s overall development and life. It can make you a responsible citizen, can offer you a better life, and make you aware of your duty towards society and country. From a personal level to social development, education has the power to change the world and counter every problem hindering developmental activities.

Ans: Literacy and education can be used interchangeably, but there is a big difference in their meaning. A person’s ability to read and write is known as literacy. Education refers to the formal and informal learning experience that a person acquires through personal experience.

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Developing Rapport With Students: Why It’s Important & How to Do It

Have you ever had a teacher ask you about your favorite hobby, share their interests, or stay after class to speak with you about the course material? While you may think these are signs of an enthusiastic teacher, they’re also examples of building rapport. Rapport requires professors to create an emotional connection between themselves and their students to establish trust and improve the overall learning environment.

Nationwide, colleges and universities struggle to secure suitable funds, fill their halls with qualified staff, and implement student retention best practices. And with many learners opting to forego college altogether, institutions are on the lookout for strategies to improve student success and increase retention. Building rapport is a highly accessible and affordable method to maximize the value of college while creating an environment students can’t wait to take advantage of.

What Is Rapport?

At its most basic level, rapport is the relationship of students with their teachers — an established connection that grows naturally or with common interests. This relationship grows as professors learn more about the learners in their classrooms. Establishing a meaningful rapport is a fantastic strategy for conveying information effectively and is crucial to building a safe, supportive, and productive environment.

Why Building Rapport Impacts Student Success

Between college’s social, emotional, and intellectual aspects, it can be tough for students to find their footing. Throw a negative teacher interaction on top and they could experience more stress or anxiety than they can handle. Establishing rapport is an essential skill that can do a world of good for all parties involved. It begins on the first day with the first few interactions and lasts the rest of your time with them.

While it’s not always easy for teachers to connect with their students, getting to know them will put them at ease. They’ll be more likely to open up and provide helpful information about themselves and their situation when feeling comfortable with you, which means you’ll be better equipped to guide them toward success. This collaboration also benefits teachers, improving faculty engagement to better facilitate learning and encourage student development.

Building rapport can also help students:

Reduce anxiety
Increase trust and respect
Create a positive learning environment
Instill a sense of accomplishment

The Most Common Positive Effects of Building Rapport

Allowing an advisor-student relationship to develop will have a positive influence on a student’s academic success , now and into the future. True relationships encourage students to care about and continue with their studies and thus increase student retention rates. Attentive teachers fuel this passion for education, striving to engage their students throughout the learning process by creating a lively atmosphere and fostering meaningful communication to overcome obstacles.

Creating student-rapport provides benefits including:

Higher student motivation: Students who enjoy rapport with instructors are more motivated to complete assignments and engage in class discussions.
Improved classroom dynamics: When you have rapport with your students, they are likely to listen to your instruction, which in turn fosters higher retention rates.
Better opportunities for intervention: Creating an open and trusting environment allows you to identify students who are struggling or falling behind and take proactive measures to assist them in getting back on track.
Elevated overall student satisfaction: Students will have a more positive outlook on their higher education institution and education when they feel safe and supported.

How to Build Rapport With Your Students

Establish rapport by finding common ground with the student. Do you share a favorite sports team? Do both of you have cats? Are you from the same hometown? Regardless of which similarities you home in on, the first step is to find something that interests you both.

Don’t forget, however, that the conversation must primarily be about the student. Active listening is a crucial component of building rapport with students. A teacher spends tons of time lecturing, giving instructions, and leading group discussions. Conversations with your students should focus on their interests, ambitions, concerns, and triumphs. The goal isn’t to solve their problems but to show your students that you care.

While getting to know your students, you should remain nonjudgmental and avoid interrupting them when speaking. Pay attention to their body language during class time and work hard not to display any negative facial expressions or body language that could send mixed signals. At the end of the day, all they want to know is that you’re there for them, ready to help them achieve their hopes and dreams.

10 Strategies to Successfully Build Rapport With Your Students

Building rapport with your students is critical to fostering trusting and successful relationships, so paying careful attention to how you interact with them is key. Some tips to help build a successful rapport with your students include the following:

Learn and use their names : Learn your students’ names and make it a point to use them during the discourse.
Ask questions : Ask students about their hobbies, outside interests, and long-term aspirations to get to know them better.
Create relevant examples: Make your course material relatable with personally relevant examples during lectures and discussions. Personalize their learning to connect them with you and their studies.
Give them extra time: Consider arriving early to class and staying late occasionally so you and your students can converse in a relaxed setting. Also, post and keep office hours so students can reach you outside of standard class times.
Get online: Utilize email or school discussion platforms to increase accessibility to your students.
Provide a safe space: Actively listen and create safe conversations, avoid judgment in your interactions, and encourage open and honest discussions.
Demonstrate mutual respect: If you expect your students to show you respect, make sure you’re showing them respect in return.
Empower your students: Involve students in decisions and give them a choice in relevant aspects of the coursework.
Inquire with intention: Use appropriate questioning techniques to elicit authentic and actionable responses.
Use nonverbal communication: Monitor your body language, eye contact, and gestures to convey openness and ease. Don’t forget to smile too!

Tips to Cultivate Meaningful Student Relationships

Creating ongoing rapport is about how you conduct yourself throughout student interactions. Learning outcomes are much more likely to improve if students feel comfortable around you and have an authentic connection with you. But, building meaningful rapport isn’t about checking off items on your checklist, and it isn’t about preaching to them. It requires lots of active listening and a genuine interest in who they are and what they want to get out of learning.

Rapport building should be a pivotal part of your teaching strategy, within which you should always act genuine, natural, and professional, and bear the following tips in mind:

Be positive throughout conversations.
Demonstrate empathy and respect.
Make intellectual connections with your students.
Don’t be afraid to crack a joke now and then, when appropriate.
Be consistent and follow through.
Relate to your students on personal matters when relevant.
Highlight students’ strengths and interests.

Ensure Student Success With Watermark Insights

Building rapport with students plays an essential role in their success. By building rapport, you get to know your students and create a relationship of mutual respect. When students respect you, they are more likely to engage in lectures and be motivated to complete assignments.

The Watermark Student Success & Engagement (formerly Aviso Coaching) software platform can help track and guide these important interactions between advisors and students. Using this software, student advisors can understand whether their efforts to build rapport with students are fruitful. To learn more about the other features and tools available in Watermark Student Success & Engagement and how you can help improve retention and student success at your institution, schedule a demo with us .

Ensure Student Success With Watermark Insights

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A nobel laureate’s speech provides five lessons for any speaker.

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William Faulkner Receives The Nobel Prize From King Gustav Of Sweden, 1949. (Photo by: Universal ... [+] Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Today marks the birthdate of William Faulkner, the illustrious American novelist whose novels— The Sound and the Fury , Light in August , among them—and short stories earned him the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature. His acceptance speech went on to become as celebrated as the body of writing that won him the award. The following analysis of that speech provides five essential lessons that any speaker or presenter can utilize today:

First Lesson: Theme

Every speech and every presentation must have a clearly stated overarching theme or objective. Faulkner’s was to encourage perseverance in challenging times. In his time, the challenge was a world living with the threat of the nuclear bomb during the Cold War; and so, his objective was: “It is [the writer’s] privilege to help man endure.”

Today’s business world is challenged by the rapid technological change driven by AI. A headline in last week’s Wall Street Journal read, “Tech Jobs Have Dried Up—and Aren’t Coming Back Soon.” For any company to survive in this difficult environment, their overall objective must be the same as Faulkner’s all those years ago: perseverance. And all their presentations must contain a clearly outlined plan of how they will compete and grow and to define their path to profitability.

Second Lesson: Structure

As Aristotle instructed more than two millennia ago, every story must have a beginning, middle, and end. Faulkner’s beginning was:

An introduction: “using this moment as a pinnacle from which I might be listened to by the young men and women.”
And then moved onto a middle that defined a problem: “There is only the question: When will I be blown up? Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart.”
Then he concluded with a solution to the problem: “The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure.”

Today’s presentations are defined by slide decks. But the decks are shuffled so much that only slide-to-slide logic remains without any apparent structure. Instead, after all the shuffling is done, add the step of taking a 35,000 view of the entire deck to ascertain that there is an overall structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Google Play Store Warning—Do Not Install These Apps On Your Phone

Netflix’s best new movie has a near-perfect 97% critic score, ‘dancing with the stars’ week 2 scores—who went home in the double elimination, third lesson: antithesis.

This is a rhetorical technique in which there are two contrasting ideas in one sentence to create emphasis. The classic examples of antithesis are:

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here.”
President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you do for your country.”

Faulkner had three instances of antithesis in his speech:

“This award was not made to me as a man, but to my work.”
“The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help”
“I believe that man will not merely endure he will prevail.”

Many business presenters try to identify their business model, product, service, or company by stating it in only the negative: “We are not …” In doing so, they not only omit the contrast, but they also fail to identify their subject. So, either use the complete antithesis, “While we are not…, we are …” Better still, purge any negativity in your message by saying, “We are…”

Fourth Lesson: Repetition

Repetition is reinforcement. Nowhere is repetition better implemented than in advertising slogans. Capital One’s “What’s in your wallet?” has become a conversational idiom. Faulkner repeated the primary words of his theme: “prevail” twice and “endure” four times.

Presenters all too often refer to their technology, product, or service as “it,” and to their company as “we.” Instead, use the actual name of your product or service and company and say them often. Brand your business as effectively as Capital One does.

Fifth Lesson: Brevity

In the words of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style , “Vigorous writing is concise.” Faulkner did all the above in 552 words.

For generations, the anathema of public speaking is the speech that overstays its welcome, a factor that has only been exacerbated by the advent of social media and its accompanying shortened attention span. To avoid that curse, try this: rehearse your speech with a timer and whatever the outcome, shorten it by 10 to 20 percent.

Five lessons that worked for William Faulkner that can work for you.

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Vocabulary Interventions for Students with Language Disorders

Beckyann harker, phd, ccc-slp.

Language Disorder(s)
School Intervention and Collaboration in Schools

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Editor's Note: This text is an edited transcript of the course Vocabulary Interventions for Students with Language Disorders , presented by BeckyAnne Harker, PhD, CCC-SLP.

Learning Outcomes

After this course, participants will be able to:

Explain the importance of vocabulary learning for all students, but especially those with language disorders.
Describe how to choose target vocabulary and at least two methods for vocabulary intervention.
Discuss the results of a study of vocabulary intervention for students with language learning disorders.

The course agenda is aligned with the learning objectives. We'll begin by covering some background information, including key theories, which, while not always exciting, are both important and interesting. I hope you'll find them engaging as well. We'll then explore how vocabulary relates to comprehension and its connection to other language modalities.

The second part of the presentation will focus on intervention, addressing both the "what" and the "how." Finally, we'll review my dissertation study, as it provides some interesting findings that I’d like to share with you.

Background Information and Theories

Let’s dive right in and discuss some background information and theories. But, we need to start with some statistics. What do we know about vocabulary and vocabulary learning? Children typically learn between 2,000 to 3,000 words each year.

By third grade, students generally know about 10,000 words. That’s quite a lot! However, by fourth grade, a 6,000-word gap emerges, largely based on socioeconomic status (SES). Children from lower SES backgrounds may know around 13,000 words by fourth grade, while their peers from higher SES backgrounds often know closer to 20,000. This gap is significant in terms of the number of words students have in their vocabulary.

Interestingly, only about 300 to 400 words are explicitly taught in schools. And if you’ve ever wondered what your students actually retain, research shows that kindergarteners learn only about 40% of the words taught to them, which translates to learning about 5 to 7 new words per week. This means that for students to learn 400 words, teachers need to target at least 1,000 words per year. That’s quite a lot! Now, let's continue with more stats.

Wanzek and colleagues conducted an interesting study on second-grade teachers, examining the number of words they spoke. They found that these teachers produced 3,764 words per hour—so yes, they talk a lot.

I think it would be fascinating to study how many words SLPs use per hour, because it’s probably even more. But what’s really striking is that while teachers produce that many words, they only use about 1,000 different words, meaning there isn’t much diversity in the vocabulary they’re using. In fact, 84% of the words were common, everyday words, and just 1% were academic words.

The study also found a correlation: the more academic words teachers used, the better their students’ vocabulary scores were by the end of the year. Now, of course, this isn’t causal—correlation doesn’t imply causation—but it’s still worth thinking about. It suggests we might want to focus on using more academic language and expanding the vocabulary we expose students to.

Why Vocabulary?

You're most likely taking this course because you're interested in vocabulary, and perhaps you're not sure of the best way to teach it. When I started my doctoral program, I didn’t set out to become an expert in vocabulary. In fact, in my 25 years of practice, I don’t think I really focused on vocabulary much myself.

But as I worked through my program, I kept reading and trying to figure out how to best help our students, particularly with their comprehension. And no matter what I explored, I kept coming back to vocabulary. Now, I realize just how critically important it is.

I’ve also noticed that there might be a divide in how we view vocabulary instruction. For those of you who graduated more recently, you might already be aware of this. But for those of us who have been in the field a bit longer, like myself, this was something I only learned recently. The National Reading Panel conducted a survey back in 2000 to determine the most important aspects of literacy. And, as you can see, vocabulary emerged as one of the key pillars.

Of course, skills like phonics, reading fluency, and comprehension are essential—they’re the backbone of reading. But vocabulary was specifically identified as its own critical element, a separate pillar in literacy instruction. It’s not just about sounding out words or understanding what you’re reading—it’s about the words themselves and the knowledge behind them.

Another concept I learned only in the past several years, which I wasn’t aware of before, is also foundational to literacy. I really should have known this earlier. The first equation I want to highlight is: R = D x C . This represents the Simple View of Reading, where reading ( R ) is equal to decoding ( D ) multiplied by comprehension ( C ). It’s not a sum, but a product, meaning both elements are essential and work together. This concept forms the foundation of the science of reading.

Scarborough introduced a visual model known as the Reading Rope , which provides a great breakdown of these components. If you’re interested, you can easily look up the graphic for a clear illustration. Scarborough outlines what makes up both decoding and comprehension.

Decoding includes the ability to recognize letters and sounds, phonological awareness (breaking down sounds and blending them together), and sight recognition—because we don’t sound out every single word we encounter. That’s all part of decoding.

Then there’s language comprehension, which is our area of focus. This includes vocabulary knowledge (which, notably, is listed first), background knowledge, understanding of language structures, sentence structure, literacy knowledge, and verbal reasoning. All of these factors are crucial in building students’ reading comprehension skills.

What is Language?

Vocabulary is essential not only for literacy but also for overall comprehension. This is probably no surprise to anyone in this group, but I wanted to share a graphic I developed that reflects how I think about language.

Figure 1. Language Model.

In this model, language is the overarching concept, divided into receptive and expressive components. These days, we understand that the line between these two isn’t so clear-cut, which is why I’ve represented them in a Venn diagram to show how much they overlap.

On the receptive side, we have listening and reading, as reading is a language function—just delivered through the visual modality. On the expressive side, we have spoken language and writing, which is another way of expressing oneself visually. These modalities overlap, and in the center of the diagram, we can consider language in terms of content, form, and use, as we know from language theory.

I’ve highlighted semantics because it’s closely tied to vocabulary. Semantics, which includes vocabulary, also interacts with other areas of language, such as morphology. We’ll dive into these relationships a little more as we go along.

Wazowitz extended Scarborough’s reading rope even further, incorporating both reading and writing, and integrating the oral and written modalities more comprehensively.

In the top half of the model, we focus on the oral language components. On the receptive side, we have language comprehension, and notice what I’ve highlighted here— vocabulary . On the language expression side, again, I’ve highlighted vocabulary . It's essential on both sides. But also, look at how all of these components come together: background knowledge , language structure , verbal reasoning , literacy knowledge , and, importantly, pragmatics . These are the strands in Scarborough’s reading rope that fall under comprehension.

In the bottom half, we shift to the written language modality. On the left, we have reading as the receptive task, and on the right, we have writing as the expressive task. And once again, I’ve highlighted semantic awareness —because vocabulary and knowledge of meaning are crucial not just for reading, but also for writing. Vocabulary plays a central role in both modalities, tying directly into literacy development.

This reinforces the idea that vocabulary is woven throughout all aspects of language—whether it’s oral or written—and that it’s a critical component of literacy.

Reading disabilities are, in fact, language disabilities because reading is simply a written form of language. I want to pause here for a moment and look ahead, specifically to a term I used in my dissertation. I referred to the students I worked with as having language learning disabilities (LLDs). Now, I know that in our field, there’s been a push towards using the term developmental language disorder (DLD) more frequently.

However, I deliberately chose the term language learning disorder for my research because I wanted to include students who have reading disabilities or learning disabilities related to reading, which are fundamentally language-based. When we talk about developmental language disorders, we often focus on the students we typically see in our clinical settings. But there’s another group—students with reading disabilities—who also have language weaknesses that are connected to their reading difficulties.

By calling it a language learning disorder in my study, I aimed to encompass both groups: those with traditional developmental language disorders and those with reading disabilities stemming from language-based challenges. We’ll dive deeper into this concept when we discuss the findings from my dissertation later on.

Children with Language Disorders (McGregor et al., 2021)

This course focuses on students with language disorders, specifically, and what we know about their vocabulary learning. Well, we know that learning new vocabulary is an area of difficulty for them. This challenge stems from weaknesses in verbal memory and executive functioning. These students struggle to recall words effectively and have trouble focusing on verbal input. I know it can be frustrating at times when it feels like students aren’t paying attention, almost like they’re hearing us as the “Peanuts” teacher, with everything sounding like “wah-wah.” They’re not always actively engaged in learning the material we present, and this directly impacts their ability to acquire new vocabulary.

Another challenge they face is having smaller semantic networks. This means that even when they learn a new word, they only grasp it on a shallow level. They don’t make the rich connections between words that would help deepen and solidify their understanding. As a result, they have less breadth (fewer words overall) and less depth (a more superficial understanding of the words they do know). They’re unable to see how a word might apply in different contexts or recognize subtle nuances in meaning.

This means that these students need more repetition of vocabulary words and their definitions in order to learn effectively. Due to their memory and executive functioning difficulties, they require us to provide frequent practice and expose them to these words in different context s so they can build those semantic networks. By doing this, we can help them develop a more robust understanding of the vocabulary they’re learning.

The Matthew Effect (Stanovich, 1986)

The Matthew Effect is another concept I came across during my research, and I think it’s likely familiar to some of the younger SLPs out there. It was new to me when I stumbled upon it, but it resonated deeply and drove much of my interest in vocabulary research. The Matthew Effect essentially means "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer." In our case, it’s particularly relevant to vocabulary development.

In terms of vocabulary, the Matthew Effect suggests that if a child starts off with a strong language base—let’s say in kindergarten—they're likely to be drawn to language-rich activities. These children enjoy looking at books, reading, talking with peers, engaging in conversation, playing rhyming games, and participating in other language-based activities. The more they engage in these activities, the better their language becomes, reinforcing itself over time.

Now, what does this mean for our students with language disorders? They often begin with a weak language foundation, and as a result, they tend to avoid language-based activities. They don’t want to sit down and listen to books or engage in extended conversations with their peers. Instead, they might prefer more physical play and steer away from the types of activities that promote language growth. This avoidance means their language skills stay weaker, and the gap between students with strong language abilities and those with language weaknesses widens over time.

The Matthew Effect really illustrates how early language skills—or the lack thereof—can set a trajectory that continues to impact a child’s vocabulary development, creating a widening divide between those with strong language foundations and those without.

Some Theories of Vocabulary and Comprehension

So, it’s great to learn new words, but so what? For me, the "so what" is comprehension. The whole point of being able to read and communicate is to understand—whether it’s understanding what you’re reading or what others are saying. This led me to explore how vocabulary and comprehension interact, and I found that there are many different hypotheses out there—about 25 if I remember correctly.

However, I focused on the three that resonated most with me and directly shaped how I approached my research. These hypotheses really helped me narrow down my focus on the relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, and they guided my investigation into how improving vocabulary could also enhance overall understanding for students with language difficulties.

In the end, it’s not just about building up a long list of words—it’s about helping students make meaningful connections so that those words contribute to their ability to comprehend, both in reading and in communication.

Instrumental Hypothesis (Anderson & Freebody, 1981)

The Instrumental Hypothesis essentially means that vocabulary serves as an instrument of comprehension. It makes perfect sense, right? You need a certain level of vocabulary knowledge in order to understand what’s being communicated. If I said a sentence with three words you didn’t understand, you’d probably have no idea what I was talking about.

This hypothesis is backed by empirical evidence, and it’s more than just a logical assumption—it’s been shown to have a causal relationship. Studies have demonstrated that when you teach children new words, they can then understand sentences that contain those words. This finding isn’t just from a single study; it’s been confirmed through meta-analysis, meaning it holds true across multiple studies.

Knowledge Hypothesis (Anderson & Freebody, 1981)

The second hypothesis is the Knowledge Hypothesis, also proposed by Anderson and Freebody, who developed three hypotheses that work together. This one suggests that vocabulary and comprehension are related through background knowledge—hence, the "knowledge" in the hypothesis.

In this case, vocabulary does contribute to comprehension, but it’s actually tied to all the other background knowledge you have. This is why building semantic connections is so critical. As you expand your understanding of a topic, you’re also expanding your vocabulary, which improves your overall comprehension.

When teaching vocabulary, it’s essential to teach multiple semantic connections, because they act as a proxy for background knowledge. Let me give you an example: the word "lathe." When I was in upper elementary school, I came across the word in a book, but I had no idea what it meant, and the context didn’t help me figure it out. So, I looked it up, and the definition was: “a machine in which work is rotated about a horizontal axis and shaped by a fixed tool.”

Now, I understood every word in that definition—machine, work, rotated, horizontal, axis, shaped, fixed, tool—but it still didn’t help me grasp what a lathe actually was. I didn’t have the background knowledge to fit it into my mental schema of what a machine does.

For those who don’t know, a lathe is a woodworking tool that spins material on a horizontal axis, and you use a chisel to shape the material into round objects, like baseball bats, spindles, or bowls. Without that woodworking knowledge, all those individual words in the definition weren’t enough to make sense of it. That’s just a small example of how background knowledge plays a huge role in understanding vocabulary.

In essence, vocabulary doesn’t just stand alone—it’s tied to everything else we know, which is why teaching those connections is so important for comprehension.

Reciprocal Hypothesis (Stanovich, 1981)

We’ve already touched on the Reciprocal Hypothesis, which states that vocabulary and comprehension have a reciprocal relationship. This is essentially the Matthew Effect in action. The less vocabulary you know or the lower your language abilities, the fewer language and reading exposures you have. As a result, you miss out on countless opportunities to learn new words, and the gap between students with strong and weak language skills continues to widen over time.

This reciprocal relationship means that as language skills lag, so do opportunities for growth, which only makes the problem worse. This is why it’s so crucial that we focus on building vocabulary early and consistently to help our students. By strengthening their vocabulary, we also improve their overall comprehension, breaking the cycle of missed opportunities and helping to close that knowledge gap.

Vocabulary Interacts with Other Language Modalities

Another important area I wanted to explore is how vocabulary interacts with other language modalities. While some of this might not be groundbreaking news, I did find certain aspects really intriguing. Specifically, we’re going to discuss how vocabulary connects with phonology, morphology, and background knowledge.

Vocabulary and Phonology

When I think about our field, I’ve often viewed speech and language as separate—speech over here, and language, divided into receptive and expressive, over there. But they actually interact, as we store words both semantically and phonologically. For example, if you hear a name you’ve never encountered before, especially from another culture or language, it might not be very complicated, but it’s unfamiliar. In such cases, I often ask, "How do you spell that?" Once I see the word or name written out, I can store it in my brain more easily and recall it later.

For instance, my daughter's name is Amani. It’s Arabic, and many people trip over it at first. They might say, "Amanda?" or ask how it starts—"Is it Amani with an A, an I, or a U?" It’s spelled A-M-A-N-I. Once you see it written, you can store it in your brain, and you’re more likely to remember it.

Studies have shown this interaction between phonology and memory. Words containing later-developing sounds (the “late eight” sounds) are recalled less often than those with earlier-developing sounds. This makes sense—shorter words are easier to recall than longer ones with more syllables because there’s less to store phonologically. Even children who know their letters and sounds struggle to read words they don’t already know.

Ouellette (2006) found that a better vocabulary helps increase phonological awareness. If you're storing words based on their sounds, you'll be able to discriminate between similar-sounding words more effectively. But we know our students often struggle with recalling sounds, encoding new words, and storing the sounds of new words. They need help with this process.

When thinking about vocabulary, phonology, and reading, Ouellette also found that students with a stronger receptive vocabulary are better at decoding words, while a stronger expressive vocabulary correlates with better sight word reading. While I’m not entirely sure what this means for the rest of us, I found it fascinating that they were able to draw these correlations.

Vocabulary and Morphology

This shouldn’t be entirely new because morphology is the study of word parts, and meaning is semantics, which is essentially vocabulary. So, it’s all connected. Morphological knowledge—understanding prefixes, suffixes, and root words—has been shown to predict reading comprehension across multiple languages, not just in English. When students understand word parts, they can comprehend text more easily. It helps with overall reading because they’re able to chunk letters and sounds, allowing them to read more fluently without relying on sounding out every single letter or sound.

Knowing prefixes, suffixes, and root words also enhances background knowledge, which, as we’ve discussed, is critical for comprehension.

Think back to when you took the ACT, SAT, or even the GRE for graduate school. In the vocabulary or reading sections, sometimes it felt like they had made up words just for the test. But one strategy I remember using was analyzing the prefixes and root words. For example, if a word started with “un-,” I knew that meant “not,” and if the root looked familiar, I could make an educated guess. Whether or not I got those questions right, that strategy was grounded in my understanding of morphology and background knowledge.

As students get older, the texts they encounter contain increasingly morphologically complex words, which makes morphological knowledge even more important. When students have a good grasp of morphology, they don’t need every word explicitly taught to them—they can figure out new words incidentally by breaking them down into familiar parts. This allows them to learn vocabulary more naturally and efficiently, which is key as they progress to more advanced texts.

Morphology Examples. You’ve probably all seen a long word that, if you had to sound it out letter by letter, you’d be stuck on it until next Tuesday. But instead of sounding out every letter, you can break it down into morphemes that you recognize. For example, take a word like antidisestablishmentarianism . Rather than sounding out the whole thing, you can pick out familiar morphemes: “anti,” “dis,” “establish,” “ment,” “arian,” and “ism.” Once you break it down, you can recognize and read the word much faster. Plus, you can figure out the meaning—“anti” means against, “dis” adds a layer of opposition, and “establishment” refers to the institutional order. So the word essentially refers to opposition to the movement against the established church. And “ism” indicates a belief system. It’s a complex word, but by knowing the parts, you can decode it and grasp its meaning.

Another fun example is hemidemisemiquaver . I didn’t know what a quaver was at first—and I’m guessing most people don’t. It’s actually a British musical term, and even though I’m a musician, I hadn’t come across it before. A quaver is an eighth note. Knowing that “semi,” “demi,” and “hemi” all mean fractions or halves, you can deduce that a semiquaver is a sixteenth note, a demisemiquaver is a thirty-second note, and a hemidemisemiquaver is a sixty-fourth note, which is incredibly fast!

Vocabulary and Background Knowledge

Moving on to vocabulary and background knowledge, we know that students learn words better within familiar contexts. There’s a famous study where students who struggled with reading and language tasks, but had a strong interest in baseball, were able to read and learn new words when reading about baseball. It seemed almost miraculous because the context made sense to them. This shows that just pulling random words out of the air to teach won’t be as effective. But when the vocabulary is tied to something they already know, it becomes much easier to learn.

Background knowledge provides a foundation for learning. I mentioned earlier how semantic networks help connect words together. When students have a solid background in a subject, new words can be linked to that knowledge, making them easier to remember and understand. In fact, studies have shown that vocabulary and background knowledge are highly correlated as early as kindergarten.

Another key aspect of background knowledge is its role in helping students make inferences. I’ve set goals for students to improve their inferencing skills, which is a cognitive ability in itself. However, if a student lacks the necessary background knowledge, they won’t be able to make that leap to fill in gaps and guess the meanings of unknown words.

I remember when my daughter Amani was in fourth grade and learning about government. She came across terms like "executive branch" and "legislative branch." Even though the teacher likely explained them, those words didn’t mean much to her at the time because she didn’t yet have the background knowledge to understand how government worked. Without that foundational understanding, those terms remained abstract to her. Building that background knowledge is key to helping students learn and retain new vocabulary.

I also looked to see if there were any studies showing whether teaching vocabulary directly increases background knowledge. While we’ve seen how background knowledge affects vocabulary acquisition, I was curious if the reverse is true—whether improving vocabulary enhances background knowledge. I didn’t find any studies that explicitly confirmed this, likely because measuring background knowledge is a bit tricky. However, studies have shown that the two domains are highly correlated, and there’s some evidence to suggest that improving vocabulary can indeed support the growth of background knowledge.

That said, it’s important to recognize that teaching vocabulary alone might not be enough, especially in cases like the government example I mentioned earlier with my daughter Amani. Simply learning terms like "executive branch" and "legislative branch" doesn’t necessarily build the deeper understanding needed to grasp government systems. You often need to work on building background knowledge alongside vocabulary instruction, using words and concepts students are already familiar with to scaffold that learning.

Interventions: What and How

Vocabulary in speech and language therapy (justice et al., 2014).

This particular study, which is about ten years old now, by Justice et al., looked at how SLPs teach vocabulary. What they found was that 87% of us—yes, I’m including myself—do not target vocabulary in the most effective way. We’re not selecting the best types of words, and we’re not using enough components of evidence-based practices for explicit vocabulary instruction.

We do some good work. We use our skills, but it’s not enough. And honestly, I’m 100% guilty of this. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t start out in this field because I had a passion for vocabulary. In fact, I often feel overwhelmed by vocabulary because there are so many words out there—where do you even begin?

I remember attending a workshop on vocabulary instruction about a year ago. We discussed common strategies, like teaching synonyms, antonyms, categories, similarities, and differences. At one point, the presenter asked us, "How did you know to teach vocabulary this way?" And we all just kind of looked around, unsure. No one had explicitly taught us to approach vocabulary that way. Maybe we picked it up from other people’s goals or from workbooks, but it turns out that this isn’t really the most effective method. I didn’t know that until recently.

As I said, the sheer number of words can be overwhelming. If a third-grader knows around 10,000 words, how do you even decide which ones to target? In 2002, Beck and colleagues introduced the concept of three tiers of vocabulary words, which provides a framework to help prioritize.

Tier-one words are the everyday, basic words that children pick up naturally, just by hearing them in conversation. These are words like pencil , hurry , or ugly . No one really sits down and teaches kids what "ugly" means—they learn it because it’s part of everyday language.

Tier-two words are more difficult and less common in everyday speech, but they appear frequently in written language and across different contexts. These might be words like forbid , bask , or intend . You’ll see them in novels, science texts, social studies, and so on. These are the words that show up across subjects but aren’t as commonly used in conversation.

Tier-three words are highly specialized, context-specific terms. Examples include hypotenuse , aorta , and thesis . They appear in specific lessons, introduced by teachers in the context of a particular subject, such as biology or geometry.

The problem is that many of us tend to focus on tier-one or tier-three words, but it’s those tier-two words that often get missed. Yet, these are the words that can really enhance students’ understanding across different contexts and help them bridge the gap between basic vocabulary and more complex, subject-specific language.

Choosing Words

When choosing vocabulary to target, we really need to focus on tier-two words. Let me share a quick anecdote. Early in my career, I was working at a high school, and one of my students, a freshman girl with a learning disability in reading and language goals, brought her social studies book to our session. I thought, "Great, we’ll use this to work through her vocabulary." We started reading the introduction paragraph, and I quickly realized we couldn’t even get through it. She didn’t understand half the words—and they weren’t the bolded content words specific to the subject. This was just the introduction, filled with tier-two words she didn’t know. As a result, she couldn’t grasp the basic premise of what the chapter was about.

At that moment, I felt overwhelmed and thought, “Where do we even start?” Unfortunately, it took me almost 20 years to figure it out: we need to focus on those tier-two words. These are the words that students will encounter frequently across different subjects, but they’re not often explicitly taught. Without a solid grasp of them, students can’t fully comprehend texts, even before they get to the content-specific vocabulary.

But pulling words out of thin air isn’t helpful. We need to choose words from some kind of context. In my own work, I often use storybooks. I challenge any of you to pick up a children’s storybook—something with an actual narrative, not just simple early-reader books—and try to find tier-two words. For my study, I selected eight storybooks aimed at third-grade readers. Each one had at least seven tier-two words that my students didn’t know. It’s a simple but effective strategy for identifying which words to focus on because those are the words that can significantly improve their comprehension across a variety of texts.

Storybooks. If you're going to use a storybook for an activity, go through it first and identify some words to teach your students—words they’ll need to know at some point. Their curriculum is also a great resource for finding vocabulary, and it doesn’t have to be limited to their language arts curriculum. Science, social studies, and math all contain many vocabulary words, not just the academic terms teachers focus on, but also those tier-two words that are essential for understanding.

In my district, the language arts curriculum changed every grading period, covering different topics. One period might include science, while another focused on fairy tales. For one science unit, they studied weather phenomena. "Phenomenon" is a word that I’m sure the teachers defined at the beginning, and it’s a word they used repeatedly—probably about 50 times a day. However, I would bet that many of my students still didn’t fully grasp its meaning by the end of the unit.

There were also plenty of other words related to topics like the impact of hurricanes, words they were expected to use in writing and discussion. But I’m not convinced they truly understood those words. It’s crucial to identify and teach these words explicitly, so students can confidently engage with the material.

When selecting vocabulary to teach, especially in cases like my high school student who struggled with nearly every other word in her textbook, it's important to prioritize. There are often too many words to cover, so focus on the ones that are most essential for understanding the passage. If you have an overwhelming number of unfamiliar words, choose those that are critical for comprehension.

Also, focus on words that can’t be easily inferred from context. Many textbooks or materials written for students will provide definitions for certain words within the next sentence. If the word is already defined in the text, you might not need to spend as much time on it. Instead, target words that are harder to figure out from context.

You may still want to briefly review the defined words, but when it comes to explicit vocabulary instruction, choose those that aren’t as easily deciphered. Additionally, limit the number of words you focus on at one time—about three to five is ideal. That’s a manageable amount for students to grasp and retain without becoming overwhelmed.

Let's Practice. Below is a passage that I use as part of my study. As you read it, pay attention to which words could be good tier-two words.

Gecko Found Living with Possum Family

"An Australian organization posted pictures of an unlikely scene. The scene was of a gecko cozied up to a family of possums. Staff and volunteers found them in possum nesting boxes. Nesting boxes are enclosures built by people to be a safe home. This is the first time anyone had seen a reptile with the possums. The next week, another volunteer saw the gecko was still there. “So it’s not just a one-off fluke,” he said. He guesses the gecko went to the nesting box for warmth. Geckos like to bask in the sun for warmth. They will not eat baby possums since they only eat insects. Possums will not eat geckos since they only eat pollen, nectar and insects. This is why they are able to live together."

Some tier-two words from the passage include gecko, pollen, reptile, basque, nectar, fluke, enclosure, and volunteer.

How to Teach Vocabulary

Once you’ve identified some words to teach, how should you go about teaching them? I’ve outlined four key approaches. First, we’re going to focus on explicit instruction, which is something I know I’ve been lacking in my practice. This type of instruction is also referred to as rich vocabulary instruction or robust vocabulary instruction, and we’ll dive into how to do this effectively.

Next, we’ll cover different methods for semantic mapping, which helps students visually organize and connect new vocabulary with related concepts. We’ll also explore morphological instruction, where students learn how to break down and understand word parts, like prefixes and suffixes, to enhance their word learning. Then finish with peer tutoring.

It's important to discuss how not to teach vocabulary. Don’t have students spend time looking up words in the dictionary. These days, most people don’t even use a dictionary—they just type the word into Google for a quick definition. So, don’t waste time with that, and avoid having students copy down words and definitions.

A couple of years ago, I was in a high school self-contained classroom where they were reading a story. The teacher gave the students a list of vocabulary words, and since the students weren’t strong readers or writers, he wrote the definitions on the board for them to copy down. They handed in their work, and that was called "vocabulary practice." I would bet my entire house that none of those students actually learned any of those words. Copying down words and definitions like that is just busy work. If students are making flashcards for later review, that’s different—but as a standalone activity, it’s a waste of time and does nothing to help them learn.

Explicit Instruction. Beck & McKeown defined explicit instruction as robust instruction, and there are three key components necessary to explicitly teach vocabulary.

First, you need a child-friendly definition. That complex definition of "lathe" we discussed earlier wasn’t even adult-friendly, let alone something a child could grasp. The definition should use words that the child already knows to help them understand the new term.

Second, you need to provide multiple examples in different contexts. This is how we begin building those semantic networks. If you use a word in at least two different ways, it prevents the child from getting stuck thinking that the word can only be used in one specific sentence or situation.

Finally—and this is crucial—the child must actively process the meaning of the word. You can have them say the word, which is important, but they also need to engage with it by identifying examples and non-examples, or by creating their own sentences using the word. When you ask them to do this, you often see that moment of realization—the look that says, "Oh, you’re asking me to do something with this word!" That’s when you know they’re starting to make connections. This active engagement is key for building a deeper understanding of the vocabulary.

Anita Archer, who I consider the queen of explicit instruction, has also spent time focusing on explicit vocabulary instruction (2012). Her approach is similar to what Beck & McKeown proposed but with a few additional elements.

First, you introduce the word and provide a student-friendly definition. Then, give at least two examples, and you can even incorporate pictures or drawings, which is especially helpful for visual learners. After that, have students make up sentences with the word.

The key step is ensuring that the child is processing the word. This is where checking for understanding comes in. Ask them questions that require deeper thinking and application of the word. For instance, if the target word is impact , you might ask a deep-processing question like, "How might a snowstorm impact school?" This encourages students to apply the word in a new context.

Next, you can ask something like, "Does studying impact your grades at school?" to help them think about the word's relevance in their lives. Finally, you might prompt them with sentence starters like, "Not sleeping well might impact your ability to..." and have them finish the sentence.

Archer emphasizes keeping this process quick and efficient. Kids don’t have long attention spans, so vocabulary instruction should move along briskly, with rapid-fire examples and non-examples. While you need to be mindful of your students' processing time, teaching a word should not take an hour—it should be a brief but effective part of the lesson.

Example: Let me walk you through an example of teaching a vocabulary word explicitly using the word enclosure from a gecko passage. I did this for all the words I used in my study daily. While you may not want to spend this much time every day, it’s important to prepare some examples and processing questions in advance. What I want you to notice is how often I repeat the word and definition, and how many exposures the students get to both. This includes the number of times they say the word and definition themselves. All of these exposures count, as we know our students need lots of repetition.

So, if I’m going to teach this word, I would start like this:

"Okay, the first word today is enclosure . Enclosure . Can you say that with me? Enclosure . How many syllables are in that word? En-clos-ure . Say it with me: en-clos-ure . Three syllables. An enclosure is an area closed off by a barrier. What is an enclosure ? An area closed off by a barrier ."

Next, I would break down the word: "Our word enclosure has three syllables, and they all mean something. The root word is close . The e n- at the beginning means in , and the -ure at the end means that which is . So, enclosure means 'that which is closed in.' That’s why it refers to something closed off by a barrier."

I would then ask again: "What’s the word? Enclosure . What’s an enclosure ? An area closed off by a barrier ."

Then, I’d provide examples: "My dad built an enclosure for the bunnies. He built a little area closed off by a barrier so the bunnies couldn’t get out. That was the enclosure . Another example is: The elephant enclosure is my favorite place at the zoo. The enclosure is the spot closed in by a fence so the elephants can’t get out."

I’d wrap up by reinforcing: "What’s the word? Enclosure . What is an enclosure ? An area closed off by a barrier ."

By doing this, students hear the word repeatedly, say it themselves, and connect it with meaningful examples, all of which help solidify their understanding.

In my study, I had the students write the word and the definition on the back of their papers. I’ll admit that it took a lot longer than expected, and I don’t think I would do it that way again. Maybe, instead, they could write a key part of the definition while I provide the rest. We also drew pictures together. I had them brainstorm with me about what kind of picture would represent the word, and if they didn’t have an idea, I’d suggest one and draw it while they copied. This added another modality to help them solidify the word.

Next, I’d move into some processing questions. For example, "An area surrounded by a fence is called an enclosure . Why would a baby’s playpen be an enclosure ?" This is where the kids would pause and think, “Wait, what was enclosure again?” Then I’d prompt them: "Because the baby is closed in, with a little barrier to keep them safe."

I’d continue with another question: "Do wild animals live in enclosures ? Think about it—if it’s an area closed off by a barrier, do wild animals live there?" This leads them to understand a non-example: wild animals are not in enclosures because they roam free.

Then I’d use a sentence starter: " The enclosure went around the... " They could fill in with anything: "the yard," "the bunnies." Finally, I’d reinforce the word and definition again: "What’s the word? Enclosure . What’s the definition? An area closed off by a barrier. "

By repeating the word, offering various examples, asking processing questions, and using visual aids, I aimed to ensure the students really understood the word enclosure . This framework helped the students grasp and retain vocabulary throughout my study .

Semantic Mapping (Graham, 1985). Explicit instruction is the evidence-based practice we know helps kids learn vocabulary words. Semantic mapping is a tool that provides visual representations to support—not replace—explicit instruction. You can use word webs or word maps while you’re teaching the word, its definition, examples, non-examples, and engaging students with the word.

Semantic maps are helpful because they’re visual, which aids comprehension, and they help students access prior knowledge and understand relationships between words. This is where you can incorporate synonyms, antonyms, and categorizing. It’s important to note, though, that we’re not focusing on teaching synonyms and antonyms for their own sake. Instead, we’re teaching the target word, and through that process, we make connections to synonyms, antonyms, and similarities and differences.

When I used to teach similarities and differences, I would give examples like, “How are a bracelet and a ring alike?” thinking that this was teaching vocabulary. But the focus really needs to be on teaching the words themselves , and then, as part of that instruction, highlighting the synonyms, antonyms, categories, and similarities.

Here’s an example of how a word web might look: You can write your target word in the middle, include the student-friendly definition, and have the students repeat it. On the left, you can list a synonym, and on the right, an antonym. Add an example underneath, and if it’s helpful, you can include the part of speech and word parts at the bottom.

For the word enclosure , my word web would look like this:

Definition : An area closed off by a barrier.
Synonym : Cage or pen.
Antonym : Open space.
Example : Rabbit hutch.
Part of Speech : Noun (a thing).
Morphology : “en-” (in), “close” (closed), and “-ure” (that which is).

Semantic mapping is a great visual tool that works alongside explicit instruction to help students grasp and retain new vocabulary.

This is one way to approach explicit instruction, and you can incorporate visuals alongside it. As I mentioned, I also used flashcards. I had the students write the words and definitions, and then they used the flashcards to quiz each other.

Explicit Morphological Instruction. We discussed why morphology is important—understanding word parts helps students generalize their word knowledge and improves reading fluency. This approach is particularly beneficial for older students, as their texts tend to be more morphologically complex. However, don’t hesitate to introduce it to younger students. It can be seen as word play or word discovery, and even if they’re not fully engaged, they might start noticing how words are made up of smaller parts.

That said, explicit morphological instruction shouldn’t be the only focus. It can be incorporated as part of your overall vocabulary instruction. If the word you’re teaching includes a prefix or suffix, you can dedicate a day to morpheme-related activities or games. However, the primary focus should remain on teaching tier-two words, ensuring students can apply them effectively. You can still incorporate fun morpheme games—such as building multiple words using root words, prefixes, and suffixes—to reinforce the learning in a more engaging way.

Peer Tutoring. As part of my doctoral studies, I worked on a project that involved an evidence-based practice called class-wide peer tutoring, which is something many teachers are already doing. In the younger grades, they often use the PALS program for reading, where kids work in pairs on letters and sounds. In this context, peer tutoring involves students quizzing each other on vocabulary words and definitions.

What’s great about this method is that it benefits both students. The student providing the definition reinforces their understanding by explaining the word, and the peer who is testing makes judgments about the accuracy of the response, which further strengthens their own knowledge. This peer interaction creates a valuable learning experience for both students.

Greenwood and colleagues devised some rules regarding peer tutoring:

Student pairs are given a set of flashcards containing words that will be their targets for the day.
The timer is set for 10 minutes. The first student will show the second student each card. The second student will define the word (or give the word if the definition is shown).
After the second student responds, the first student will give feedback. “That is correct” or “Try again.”
Points are awarded: 2 points if the second student got the definition correct on the first try. If they needed the cue, but then got it right, they get 1 point.
When the timer goes off, the students switch roles of tutor and tutee for another 10 minutes.
Total scores are kept for the class to see. The pair that gets the most points after a given amount of time gets a prize. Bonus points or prizes can also be given to students for giving each other good feedback. Additional prizes are earned for meeting pre-determined goals.

I’m not sure how many of you have the opportunity to do whole-class activities, but if you can, this would be a great option. Even in a small group session, it works well. If you have two students, they can pair up and quiz each other, or if you have four, you can divide them into teams and have them compete for points.

Here’s how it works: the students are given flashcards, which serve as their target words for the day. You can set a timer, but you don’t have to—it works either way. One student flashes the card, and the other student either gives the definition or says the word, depending on how you want to structure it.

The feedback is key. If the student gives the correct response, the first student says, “That’s correct,” and they earn two points. If the response is incorrect, the first student says, “Try again.” If the second attempt is correct, they earn one point. If they’re still incorrect, they get zero points, and the first student provides the correct answer.

You can continue this process, tallying up points as you go. You can organize it by teams, and if you want, offer small prizes for the team or student who gets the most points. This works especially well in whole-class peer tutoring setups, but can easily be adapted for smaller groups.

I made up this data sheet (see below) that is in your handouts. You can do it either going up and down if you're just doing five words, or maybe they do the words and the definitions, and so you'll get about ten responses.

You can use the data sheet however you’d like, but it includes a space to track the points. I’ve used this method not just for vocabulary but for other areas like grammar, specifically with irregular past tense verbs. I had a group of four kids who struggled with those verbs, so after teaching them the concepts, I had the kids quiz each other.

I’ve also used this approach for speech sounds, especially when students are working on discrimination skills. This method works well for a variety of targets—not just vocabulary—so you can adapt it to fit whatever goals you’re working on, whether it’s grammar, speech, or any other language skills.

Results of a Vocabulary Intervention Study

I wanted to briefly discuss my study, as I believe some interesting findings came out of it that I’d like to share with you. The title was The Effects of a Rich Vocabulary Intervention on Comprehension for Third Grade Students with Language Learning Disorders . I’ve already explained why I used the term "language learning disorders," and the focus of the study was on vocabulary to improve comprehension.

What I was really hoping to achieve was to improve students' comprehension by teaching them vocabulary words. The study used a single-subject design, specifically a repeated acquisition design, which isn’t very common, but I’m now fully on board with it and think it should be more widely used. For anyone interested in research, the study lasted eight weeks.

I conducted it over the summer, which may not have been ideal, but that’s how it worked out. The study included three weeks of baseline and five weeks of treatment. Each week, I pre-tested the students on vocabulary words and comprehension using passages like the gecko passage. During the baseline period, the vocabulary words were not from the passage, but during treatment, they were. At the end of each week, I conducted a post-test on both vocabulary and comprehension.

Then, the next week, I introduced a brand new set of words and passages. Essentially, it was like a pre-test/post-test design that I replicated eight times over the course of the study.

Participants

In this study, the students acted as their own controls. I also had a control group that didn’t receive the vocabulary intervention, but since it was conducted over the summer, it was challenging to keep the kids engaged. Unfortunately, I lost both students in the control group, but I was able to retain all three students in the treatment group.

All three students qualified for services under a specific learning disability. One student did not have any speech or language goals, another had only a vocabulary goal, which was interesting, and the third student was in a self-contained classroom with articulation and language goals. This third student had a significant phonological processing disorder at the beginning of the year—stopping, fronting, and deleting all final consonants, essentially showing multiple phonological processes. But things really clicked for him that year. By the time we did the study, the only speech sound he struggled with was with /r/, which was incredible progress. As we know, phonology and vocabulary are closely related, so his case was particularly interesting. He was almost a study on his own!

For the variables in my study, I implemented the rich vocabulary instruction just as I demonstrated with the word enclosure . I used words from modified passages, which I’ll explain in a moment. The passages came from an online news source called Newsela and were all set at a third-grade reading level.

When it came to testing vocabulary knowledge, I used two different methods. I didn’t rely solely on definitions because, as we know, our kids often struggle with verbal memory. I was concerned they wouldn’t be able to fully show what they had learned. So, in addition to asking for definitions, I included a receptive component called context test questions (CTQs). These involved asking five questions about the word in increasingly complex contexts, and the students would answer yes , no , or I don't know .

For the comprehension measure, I was particularly excited about using the Sentence Verification Technique (SVT) . Measuring comprehension can be tricky—story retells are common, but I was worried about whether our kids could effectively retell stories and remember all the details. SVT provided a more receptive way to measure comprehension, where students only had to answer yes or no to questions. I’ll show an example of that in a moment.

For the gecko story, I had a rubric for the vocabulary definitions, including the specific words I expected them to know. I pretested the students, anticipating they wouldn’t know the words, and then post-tested them after teaching the vocabulary.

For the context test questions (CTQs), I’ll use enclosure as an example. The first question would be something very general, like "Did I use the word correctly in the sentence?" or "Was it the right part of speech?" For instance:

"Can a man enclosure?" (Obviously, the answer is no.)
"Can an enclosure be big?"

Students earned one point for a correct answer, zero points if they said I don't know , and minus one point for an incorrect answer. There were a total of five possible points for the context test questions and four points for the definitions.

The total score for the students’ semantic knowledge could reach a maximum of nine points. For the Sentence Verification Technique (SVT), I needed to modify the stories so they were 12 sentences long, which would generate 16 questions for the SVT task. All the students had to do was answer yes or no to each question.

The 16 questions were broken down as follows:

Four sentences were verbatim from the story—exactly as they appeared. The question would be, "Was this sentence in the story?" The correct answer should have been yes .
Four sentences were verbatim but with one key word changed. The correct answer here should have been no , since the sentence was altered.
Four sentences were paraphrased from the story. The idea wasn’t to test memorization, but to check whether the meaning of the sentence matched something in the story. The correct answer should have been yes for these.
Four sentences were distractors—completely unrelated to the story. The correct answer for these would be no .

That was the structure of the SVT measure, with the goal of assessing comprehension through a simple yes/no format.

Phases of the Study

So for the baseline, as I mentioned earlier, I did a pretest and post-test on the target words and comprehension. During this phase, I taught them vocabulary using words from picture books. Then, during the treatment phase, I continued with the pretest and post-test, but this time I focused on teaching five specific words.

I originally pretested seven words to account for the possibility that they might already know a couple. After identifying the ones they didn’t know, I narrowed it down to five words to teach explicitly.

Results - Visual Analysis

Since this was a single-case design, we used visual analysis to interpret the data. The students in the study chose their own names—Cookie, King, and Rose. Let’s focus on the bottom of the graphs, where the black lines represent the comprehensive vocabulary scores.

(Click here for larger image of results.)

These charts show exactly what you’d expect in a repeated acquisition design. You can see the progression from pretest to post-test for each week. For example, week one started with the pretest, then moved to the post-test, followed by a brand-new set of words for the next week, repeating the cycle of pretest and post-test.

Once the treatment phase began, you’ll notice that the lines became more vertical. This indicates that the students didn’t know many of the words during the pretest, but we were hoping to see progress by the post-test, which is reflected in the vertical lines—showing improvement. This pattern held true for most of the students. King had one off day where he didn’t perform as well, and he also missed the first day of instruction that week, so he was taught separately, which might have affected his results.

The little triangles on the graphs represent the maintenance phase, which I conducted one month later. I retested the words to see how well the students retained their knowledge. While their scores weren’t as high during the maintenance phase, meaning they lost some of the word knowledge, they were still higher than their initial baseline scores, though not by a significant margin. This highlights the need for continued repetition and exposure to vocabulary.

The gray lines at the top represent the comprehension measures using the Sentence Verification Technique (SVT). Rose doesn’t have any triangles because she didn’t come back for the maintenance testing despite my efforts to contact the family multiple times.

For vocabulary, explicit instruction significantly improved word knowledge for all three students. However, as we saw, after the maintenance phase, without continued practice, they did lose some of that knowledge, although their scores remained higher than their baseline.

Regarding comprehension, there were no significant results. In fact, many of the students’ comprehension scores actually went down during the post-test phase of treatment, which is puzzling. We’ll discuss possible reasons for this in a moment.

Discussion of Results - Vocabulary

Let’s start by discussing vocabulary. The takeaway here is simple: kids learn words when you teach them. Even students with language learning disorders are capable of learning new vocabulary when it’s explicitly taught.

When I was practicing with the word enclosure , I counted each exposure as either me saying the word and its definition or the students repeating the word and definition. I saw the students twice a week. On the first day, I introduced the words and had them practice, and on the second day, we reviewed and practiced again. By practice, I mean they worked with flashcards. On average, each word received 111 exposures, which is why the students learned them. However, they clearly needed ongoing practice to retain the meanings over time.

There were no significant effects on comprehension, and I believe there are a couple of reasons for that. First, our students have language learning disorders, which means they need even more intensive work with words.

Second, I read the stories aloud to them. These were grade-level passages, and I read both the texts and the comprehension questions aloud because these students receive read-aloud accommodations in the classroom. For example, this could be similar to the read-aloud support they would get during state testing. However, if the students aren’t reading the passages themselves, we end up relying heavily on their verbal memory, which we know is an area of weakness for them. They also have reduced verbal attention, so they weren’t always fully engaged with the sentences being read to them.

Even during the SVT measure, I think some students would latch onto specific words they recognized. For instance, when I read a question, they might have thought, “Oh, wait, I’ve heard that word before,” without fully processing the entire context of the sentence. This could explain some of the puzzling results we saw.

Discussion of Results - Comprehension

Let’s talk about my comprehension measure, the Sentence Verification Technique (SVT). I was really excited about it initially, thinking it could revolutionize comprehension research. But it turned out to be much harder than I anticipated. As we know, comprehension involves more than just word knowledge.

There were likely sentence structures the students weren’t fully paying attention to, and they may not have had the necessary background knowledge to understand everything. For example, Cookie didn’t know what a gecko or opossum was, and those weren’t my target words. I had to explain those later, but by that time, he was already feeling bad about not knowing them, and I felt bad, too, for not realizing that earlier.

Another factor was verbal attention. I did the pretest and post-test within the same week, and I think the students were thinking, “We just did this!” They seemed to answer questions without fully engaging. Interestingly, during the maintenance testing a month later, they actually performed better than on both the pretest and post-test. I believe part of this was because it was the third time they had encountered the story, so the material felt novel again, giving them a fresh perspective.

Lastly, it’s possible that the words I targeted weren’t as critical to understanding the passage. However, I don’t think this played a major role since the passages were fairly short. Still, it’s something to consider when reflecting on the overall results.

Future Research

Research often leads to more research, and for anyone interested, there are many areas this study has opened up for further exploration. One thing I’d like to do is compare comprehension between typically developing peers and students with language learning disorders. As I mentioned earlier, there is empirical evidence that teaching vocabulary helps kids understand sentences containing those words. But in my study, that didn’t seem to be the case with my students. By comparing them to typically developing peers, I could determine whether there was something intrinsic in how I was teaching or testing that influenced the results.

I’m not ready to give up on the SVT comprehension measure, either. I’d like to continue working with it, perhaps by using passages that are more aligned with the students’ reading level instead of their grade level. This could help us see whether their comprehension improves when the material is more accessible.

Additionally, I want to explore different delivery models for vocabulary instruction. We know that distributed practice—spreading the learning over time—is more effective than mass practice. While I did spread the instruction over two days, it wasn’t truly distributed enough. What if we extended it over several weeks and then tested the students? That might lead to better retention.

Anecdotally, I noticed that words introduced during the baseline phase seemed to stick with the students. For example, the word temperament came up on our very first day. Later, in week five, while discussing a different topic, Rose suddenly recalled the word temperament in a new context, which was incredible. This showed me that using words repeatedly in different contexts really does help with recall, so perhaps the delivery model of the intervention could be adjusted to maximize those kinds of connections.

Key Takeaways

The key points I want you to remember are that vocabulary is a critical component of language and literacy development, and we need to spend more time focusing on it. It doesn’t have to take up your entire session; you could simply pause when a word comes up and teach it explicitly. Consider keeping a list of the words you’ve covered so you can revisit them later in different contexts or when the word comes up again.

We absolutely need to be teaching vocabulary explicitly, and I believe that student engagement is the area where we often fall short. We need to ensure that students are truly interacting with the words, not just passively hearing them.

Although my study's results didn’t show that vocabulary intervention directly improved comprehension, that doesn’t mean we should stop teaching vocabulary. In fact, the Matthew Effect shows that students with language learning disorders need more vocabulary instruction, not less.

I also think we need a better way to measure comprehension, which I plan to address when I redo the study soon.

Questions and Answers

How do you target vocabulary for students in low SES or even tier one words are unfamiliar?

If a word comes up that the students don’t know, it’s important to stop and teach it—that’s a must. I feel the same way when it comes to teaching concepts, like before , after , between , and around , which are mostly tier one words. There’s still value in explicitly teaching those concepts, but for other vocabulary words, teach them as they come up. For example, words like gecko and possum , which I assumed my students would know because the text was written for third graders, needed to be taught. I didn’t spend too much time on them—just explained that a gecko is a little lizard and showed a picture—but I focused more on explicitly teaching the targeted words from the text.

Here are two practical tips for implementing vocabulary instruction in a 30-minute session. Focus on teaching just three to five words. My sessions took a bit longer—around 45 to 50 minutes, as it was summer, and I had the students write the words on flashcards, define them, and draw pictures, which took too much time.

I recommend making the flashcards yourself and having the students verbally engage with the words instead. This should only take a few minutes. You could spend about three to five minutes per word, so that might be the focus of your lesson. Or, if you’re working with a storybook, you could pause briefly to teach the words, spending about two to three minutes on each, and then review them when they appear in the story to reinforce their meaning in context.

How do you get classroom teachers on board?

I haven’t had a lot of success with pushing into classrooms and working directly with teachers, but I know that those who have succeeded in this area find it much easier once the classroom teacher is on board and willing to collaborate with the SLP. Teachers would likely appreciate it if you offered to take over teaching some of the vocabulary, or you could present it as a service you can provide. You might also ask the teacher directly, “I want to work on vocabulary—this student has difficulty with it. Can you provide me with a list of vocabulary words or the texts you're using?” I think teachers like knowing they are being supported in this way.

In my school, I saw some teachers explicitly teaching vocabulary, which was wonderful to see, especially in kindergarten classrooms. Sometimes I’d walk in at just the right moment when the teacher needed help coming up with examples, and we ended up demonstrating words like agility to the whole class, which was a lot of fun. If you let the teachers know that you’re there to support them and ask for any materials they have—like newsletters with the week's vocabulary focus—you can work together to help reinforce those words in your sessions. Teachers usually appreciate knowing that their efforts are being supported, and this kind of collaboration can benefit both them and the students.

At what point should we really start focusing on tier-two?

You really should focus on tier-two words, and while working on them, you can incorporate activities like comparing similarities and differences. Of course, tier two words for a kindergartner will be different from those for an 8th grader, but the goal is the same—building vocabulary. Use words you come across in storybooks, classroom materials, or other sources, and concentrate on those tier-two words because students aren’t likely to pick them up on their own or even notice them when they’re used.

For example, if someone uses the word forbid , they may not pay attention to it or understand it. I remember one time when a mother kept telling her child to apologize, and the child just gave me a blank look. I realized he didn’t understand what apologize meant. The mom said, "He knows how to say sorry," and I replied, "Yes, but I don’t think he knows that apologize means the same as sorry ." There are so many opportunities like that to teach tier-two words and build students’ comprehension and vocabulary skills. By doing this, you’re not only expanding their vocabulary but also improving their overall comprehension.

*See handout for a full list of references.

Harker, B.A. (2024). Vocabulary interventions for students with language disorders. SpeechPathology.com . Article 20694. Available at www.speechpathology.com

BeckyAnn Harker, PhD , CCC-SLP

BeckyAnn Harker has 25 years of clinical experience in both outpatient pediatric and school-based settings. She recently received her doctorate from Kent State University (Kent, Ohio) in Special Education, and her dissertation focused on a rich vocabulary intervention for students with language learning disorders (speech and language impairments and/or specific learning disability in reading) to examine the impact on their comprehension of texts containing those words. She is joining the faculty at Monmouth University (New Jersey) to teach the language and literacy courses and to continue her research on vocabulary and comprehension measures.

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World Students' Day 2024: Easy English Speech for School Students

World Students Day Speech in English

World Students Day, celebrated on October 15th, honours the contributions and legacy of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, an inspiring leader and former President of India. This day focuses on the importance of students as the foundation of tomorrow's world. Preparing a speech on this occasion allows students to reflect on their role in shaping the future.

From this guide, students will find helpful tips, key points, and examples to create a meaningful and engaging speech on World Students Day. Explore how to express thoughts confidently and create a lasting impact. Through this World Students Day Speech in English guide, students can discover how to structure their thoughts and include relevant themes like education, innovation, and leadership.

Introduction for World Students Day Speech

Good (morning/afternoon/evening) everyone,

Today, we gather to celebrate World Students Day, an occasion that honours the legacy of one of India’s most revered leaders, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Dr. Kalam, a brilliant scientist and the beloved former President of India, dedicated his life to inspiring and empowering students. On this special day, we reflect on his vision for a brighter future and recognise the invaluable role that students play in shaping our world.

World Students Day Speech - Historical Context

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was not just a scientist who played a key role in India’s space and missile programs; he was also an educator and a passionate advocate for the youth. His dedication to education and his belief in the potential of every student are what make World Students Day so significant. Celebrated on October 15th, this day is not just a tribute to Dr. Kalam’s achievements, but also a reminder of the impact that students can have on the world.

World Students Day Speech - Role of Students in Society

As students, you are at the heart of tomorrow's innovations and solutions. You are the future leaders, thinkers, and creators who will shape the direction of our world. Education is more than just attending classes and completing assignments; it is a journey of growth and self-discovery. The knowledge and skills you acquire today are the tools that will help you tackle future challenges and seize opportunities.

Dr. Kalam often spoke about the power of dreams and the importance of perseverance. He believed that with hard work and dedication, any dream could become a reality. This belief is not just inspirational but practical. By setting high goals and striving to achieve them, you contribute to your own growth and to the betterment of society.

World Students Day Speech - Inspirational Messages

Dr. Kalam once said, “You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” These words remind us that every great achievement begins with a dream. As students, you are encouraged to dream big and pursue your passions. Remember, challenges and setbacks are part of the journey. They teach resilience and build character.

Education is a powerful tool that can transform lives. It opens doors to new opportunities and helps you develop the skills needed to make a difference. Embrace your studies with enthusiasm and commitment, knowing that every effort you make contributes to your future success.

World Students Day Speech - Current Challenges and Opportunities

In today’s world, students face various challenges, from academic pressure to balancing extracurricular activities. It’s important to address these challenges with a positive mindset. Seek support when needed, and remember that persistence pays off.

At the same time, you have access to unprecedented opportunities. The digital age offers vast resources and platforms for learning and collaboration. Make the most of these opportunities to enhance your knowledge and skills. Engage in activities that interest you, seek out mentors, and stay curious.

Conclusion for World Students Day Speech

World Students Day is a celebration of your potential and a tribute to the inspiring legacy of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. As you move forward in your educational journey, remember that you have the power to shape the future. Embrace your dreams, work diligently, and never underestimate the impact you can make.

Thank you, and let’s continue to honour Dr. Kalam’s vision by striving for excellence and contributing positively to our world.

10 Key Pointers for World Students Day Speech in English

Greeting : Start with a warm greeting to your audience to set a positive tone.

Introduction to World Students Day : Briefly explain the significance of World Students Day and its connection to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Legacy of Dr. Kalam : Highlight Dr. Kalam’s contributions to education and his belief in the power of students.

Role of Students : Emphasise the importance of students as future leaders, innovators, and change-makers.

Power of Education : Discuss how education empowers students to achieve their dreams and overcome challenges.

Inspirational Quotes : Share a motivational quote from Dr. Kalam or another inspiring figure related to education and dreams.

Encouragement : Encourage students to pursue their goals with dedication and resilience.

Reflection on Achievements : Acknowledge the achievements of students and their potential to make a positive impact.

Call to Action : Inspire students to take their education seriously and strive to make a difference in the world.

Closing : Conclude with a heartfelt message of celebration for World Students Day and best wishes for the student's future endeavours.

World Students Day is a special occasion to recognize the contributions and potential of students across the globe. This day is a reminder that students hold the key to the future and that their efforts, dreams, and aspirations shape the world. Celebrating World Students Day encourages students to continue their journey of learning and growth, pushing boundaries and achieving excellence. With Vedantu supporting students, they can access resources that make their learning journey easier and more effective, helping them excel in their academic and personal lives.

FAQs on World Students' Day 2024: Easy English Speech for School Students

1. What is World Students’ Day?

World Students’ Day, celebrated on October 15th, honours the legacy of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, focusing on the importance of students and education.

2. Why is October 15th significant for World Students’ Day?

October 15th is the birth anniversary of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a renowned scientist and former President of India who greatly valued education and students.

3. What should be the main focus of a Speech on World Students Day?

The speech should emphasise the importance of education, the legacy of Dr. Kalam, and the role of students in shaping the future.

4. How can I start my World Students Day Speech in English?

Begin with a warm greeting, introduce the significance of the day, and share a compelling anecdote or quote related to education and Dr. Kalam.

5. How long should a Speech on World Students Day be?

Aim for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the event’s schedule and audience. This length is usually enough to cover key points without losing attention.

6. What tone should I use for the World Students Day Speech in English?

Use an inspirational and motivational tone. The goal is to uplift and encourage students while honouring Dr. Kalam’s legacy.

7. How can I make my Speech on World Students Day engaging?

Include personal anecdotes, relevant quotes, and relatable examples. Engage the audience with questions or interactive elements if appropriate.

8. What are some key points to cover in the speech about World Students Day?

Discuss Dr. Kalam’s contributions, the importance of education, the role of students, and how students can make a difference in the world.

9. How can I incorporate Dr. Kalam’s legacy into my speech about World Students Day?

Highlight his achievements, share his inspirational quotes, and discuss how his vision for education and youth empowerment continues to inspire students today.

10. Should I include statistics or facts in my speech?

Including relevant statistics or facts can add credibility and context, but ensure they are presented in a way that supports your message and keeps the audience engaged.

11. How can I address common challenges faced by students in my speech about World Students Day?

Acknowledge challenges such as academic pressure or balancing responsibilities and provide encouragement and strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

12. What is the best way to end my speech?

Conclude with a strong, uplifting message that reinforces the importance of education and students' potential. Offer best wishes for the future and a heartfelt thank you.

13. How can I handle nervousness before delivering the speech about World Students Day?

Practice thoroughly, use deep breathing techniques, and visualise a successful delivery. Remember that confidence grows with preparation.

14. Is it necessary to use visual aids in my World Students Day Speech in English?

Visual aids are optional but can be helpful if they enhance your message. Use them sparingly and ensure they are relevant to your speech.

15. How should I adapt my Speech on World Students Day for different audiences?

Tailor your content to the age, interests, and cultural background of your audience. For younger students, use simpler language and more relatable examples. For older audiences, focus on deeper insights and broader implications.

Why is school attendance important? Three schools share insight, successes, and tips

Sept. 23, 2024 – “Why is school attendance important?” For teachers like Jacqueline Villaronga, understanding the answer to this question is critical.

“The impact of not being in school definitely leads to later life challenges,” shares the Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership educator. “When (students) have to go out and become productive members of society, they’ve missed a lot of opportunity in learning.”

Today we’re speaking with educators and leaders from three Team Duval schools – elementary, middle, and high – about the impact of missing school , and the turnaround stories they’re seeing on their campuses.

But first, let’s look at the facts surrounding school attendance.

The Facts: Why School Attendance Is Important

The statistics and outcomes tied to low attendance speak for themselves. According to research:

Missing two days a month is the equivalent of missing 10% of the year’s instruction .
Poor attendance can indicate whether students will be held back in the third grade.
High absence rates can also point to whether students will graduate high school on time, if at all.

District data also reveals that third graders and 10 th graders who score the lowest on the state’s English and Language Arts Assessments (Level 1 in the table below) are more likely to miss 20 or more days of school. Passing these tests is among the requirements for students to be promoted and to graduate.


1	39.8%	1	55.5%
2	31.6%	2	47.3%
3	25.8%	3	34.9%
4	23.1%	4	27.4%
5	17.2%	5	19.2%

“We need students to attend school regularly because it starts to indicate whether they’re on grade level with their peers throughout their educational journey, and we want to make sure they’re reading proficiently,” insists Executive Director of High School Programs Wendy Dunlap.

Attendance in Elementary School: Northwestern Legends

For elementary students, missing too much school disrupts their ability to learn foundational skills. Northwestern Legends Elementary School Principal Kimberly Brown would know — last year, 63% of her students missed 20 or more days of school.

“It’s almost like a domino effect,” shares Brown. “It affects relationship building here at the school, behavior, and the ultimate impact is academics.”

Teacher at Northwestern Legends Elementary School helps a group of students in a workbool

Students who are frequently absent develop learning gaps

Brown explains that from day one, instruction is taught in concepts designed to build upon each other. Students who consistently miss class will have difficulty keeping up because they’re lacking critical foundations.

“They’re missing out on the learning process. Interventions have to be put in place, and you’re having to re-teach” adds Marva Payne, a school counselor at Northwestern Legends.

Absent students have a harder time developing rituals and routines

Not being able to acclimate to school routines is also a result of low attendance, and this is detrimental for students, especially those newest to school.

“There are structures that we set up at school,” Brown explains. “But if they miss most of school…now they don’t understand why I have to sit in my chair for this period of time, and why do we line up like this?”

Students who don’t attend school have difficulty developing relationships

Experts say missing class hurts students’ ability to develop important relationships. By not being in school regularly, students have a harder time learning how to be around adults and students outside their families.

“Children learn through those relationships,” says Payne. “Just learning how to get along with one another, learning how to be good citizens, and interacting with one another – all of that is part of the relationship-building process.”

The importance of school attendance. Northwestern Legends Elementary student smiling at desk with a book

Turning attendance around

To combat the high number of absences, Principal Brown says the school implemented a multi-tiered strategy, including:

Creating a task force. A special team of teachers and the school counselor was created to come up with strategies and solutions.
Speaking to families. School leaders met with parents one-on-one to discover root issues.
Establishing incentives for students. This includes holding an “Atten-dance” for students who regularly attend class.

Brown says thanks to these strategies, more students are attending school than ever.

“I have 355 students who get to come to our (first) ‘Atten-dance’. That’s the most ever in history for students to be here for the first weeks of school!”

Attendance in Middle School: Joseph Stilwell Military Academy

Regular attendance becomes even more important for middle school students, especially as they transition into more advanced schoolwork.

“It’s harder as they get older. They’ve made up their minds about the value of school,” says Chris Dillinger, school counselor at Joseph Stilwell Middle Military Academy. He’s seen firsthand the negative impacts absenteeism has on students — last school year, the school’s chronic absenteeism rate reached 52%.

Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership students outside exercising on school track

Students who don’t attend school are more likely to develop behavioral issues

School Behavior Interventionist Shiffon Champion-Holmes affirms that behavior is part of the “domino effect” of irregular attendance. She says,

“They tend to be behind their peers because they missed the material. Sometimes (this) translates into them having a little bit of self-doubt and a lack of confidence in the classroom setting, which then can turn into behavioral issues.”

Students who don’t come to school miss unique learning opportunities

Whether they’re participating in Career and Technical Education , exploring visual and performing arts , or trying out for an athletic team — if students aren’t in school, they can’t discover and explore their interests.

“Every day they’re missing school, they’re missing out on the chance to take advantage of those opportunities,” says Dillinger.

The middle school transition is even more difficult with irregular attendance

Leaders go on to say students who come to school regularly will have a much easier time transitioning to the social and emotional dynamics of middle school.

“I think middle schoolers need to have a sense of belonging. They’re missing out on that if they’re not in school interacting with their peers on a regular basis,” says Champion-Holmes.

Stilwell staff member speaking to two students reading books

A combination of strategies, including positive interventions and personal contact, have helped lower Stilwell’s chronic absenteeism rate from 52% to 24.15%. Some of the school’s turnaround tactics include:

Working with nonprofits. Specifically, with City Year to identify root causes.
Encouraging incentives. Stilwell is using Bizi , a tool that allows students to earn “BiziBucks” as they engage in good behavior, such as regular attendance. Students can then use their “money” to redeem rewards.
Regularly reviewing attendance records. This includes running school attendance reports weekly.
Reaching out to students. Teachers make calls when students have two or more unexcused absences.

With these strategies, staff say lives are changing.

“When they come back, their grades are improving. Their social life is improving because they’re connecting with friends and being engaged,” says Dillinger.

“It’s all about making a connection. You have to give them a reason,” adds Villaronga. “There has to be something to break that chain and bring them from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’.”

Attendance in High School School: William M. Raines

When it comes to attendance for high school students, educators say there’s no other way to put it –– graduation is at stake.

“High school is getting closer to the end of the of the line,” shares Brandie Stallings, Assistant Principal at William M. Raines High School . “You don’t have as much time to recover.”

Seeing students graduate with a high school diploma is what drives Stallings and other staff at Raines High School to continually improve their attendance rate. Without regular attendance, she says their chances suffer.

School attendance - Raines High School students sitting in their desks as their teacher gives a lesson

Excessively absent students may not earn the credits or pass assessments needed to graduate

Being graduation-ready doesn’t happen overnight. Stalling says earning the credits and test scores required for a high school diploma takes time and consistency.

“When students do not come to school and it’s testing season, they’ve already missed out on so many minutes and hours and days of instruction,” she explains. “Where they could have been proficient years prior, you may see a drop, and it’s not because of their ability.”

Students who miss school may underestimate the value of having a diploma

Stallings says students who are chronically absent – particularly older ones – often don’t have the proper valuation of a high school diploma. It’s a mindset she says can be corrected with the right amount of encouragement and understanding.

“We explain that this is an opportunity to open another door. You don’t have to just be the worker; you can move into management. You can go to college. (A diploma) puts them in a position so they can further their careers.”

William M. Raines High School students in a computer lab reviewing their work

Absent students miss opportunities to sustain what they’re learning

Without regular attendance, Stallings says students will have a hard time sustaining skills.

“It’s missed opportunities for them to really build skills and build a muscle in that area.”

Stallings is proud to say that the absence rate at Raines High School has gone down. So much so, leaders point to the school’s increasing graduation rate and its first-ever “B” grade . She says the turnaround can be credited to three overarching strategies:

Making home visits. At Raines, the principal, assistant principal, school counselors, and teachers make home visits when students are not in class.
Executing Operation “ICARE.” Also known as “I call and report every day,” this reminds staff to call students they haven’t seen in class.
Offering additional support. This includes mentoring and after-school sessions.

“We have seen quite a few turnaround stories,” shares Stallings. “We’ve seen a lot of students make a change from 9th through 12th grade and go on to get full scholarships. Students graduating on time with their cohort.”

Duval County Public Schools high school student writes on whiteboard as teacher looks on

Tips to help students and families maintain regular attendance

In terms of tackling attendance, Principal Brown says this — “Parents are the ultimate decision makers in getting them to school.”

It’s why Brown and other leaders advise families to put their own strategies into practice to encourage regular attendance.

Establish regular routines

By having routines set in place, educators say students will have fewer reasons to miss school. This includes:

Tracking school days and holidays with the district calendar
Establishing a bedtime and a time to wake up
Having clothes picked out and items packed before bedtime

Remain active in your child’s education

As long as parents stay connected to their child’s schoolwork and assignments, leaders say students will be more likely to remain engaged with school. It’s why district Chief of Schools Scott Schneider recommends all parents:

Download the district app to ensure communication with your child’s school.
Set up a Linked Parent Account to track student progress, grades, and assignments.

“We want to make it as transparent as possible so they can not only send their children to school, but (also) be active participants in their child’s education,” says Schneider.

Ensure families understand there are disciplinary consequences to missing school

Dillinger says families must understand that not attending school goes beyond academic and social consequences. With enough absences, parents will be asked to attend an Attendance Intervention meeting, which results in a student and parent contract. If there is no improvement after two meetings, next steps could include a referral to the State Attorney’s Office .

Deal with root causes and barriers to school attendance

Finally, District Director of School Behavioral Health Katrina Taylor says one of the best things that schools and families can do to curb chronic attendance is to address root causes and barriers. She says some of the most common challenges facing chronically absent students include:

Trauma (such as homelessness, crime, or abuse)
Lack of resources (such as clothing)
Academic failure
Health

But Taylor says as parents are willing to communicate their needs, district leaders can work to provide resources and support.

“If you’re dealing with trauma or mental health, we have counselors. If you need clothing, we have a clothing closet,” assures Taylor. “There’s nothing that a student is dealing with that we as a school district can’t address directly or have the resources to point you in the right direction.”

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Biden calls on nations to unite amid an 'inflection point in world history' in last U.N. speech

In his last speech as president before the United Nations General Assembly, Joe Biden called on nations Tuesday to band together amid the spiraling conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing global concerns about China’s influence.

"I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history. The choices we make today will determine our future," Biden said.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin, for example, has "failed" at his goal of destroying Ukraine and NATO. "But Ukraine is free," Biden said. "NATO is bigger, stronger, more united than ever before, with two new members: Finland and Sweden."He said the world cannot let up in its protection of Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Biden detailed Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 people and included acts of sexual violence and the taking of many people into Gaza as hostages. In response, he said, innocent civilians in Gaza have experienced “hell” as Israel has sought to fight back against Hamas. He said the U.S. has put forward a cease-fire proposal that has been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, which he called on the parties to finalize.

"A diplomatic solution is still possible. In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security," said Biden, who also criticized the violence against innocent Palestinians in the West Bank and the need to strive for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians. Biden said Gaza is "not the only conflict that deserves outrage," saying Sudan is embroiled in a civil war in which millions of people are on the brink of famine and hundreds of thousands are already suffering from it. "The world needs to stop arming these generals," he said, adding that nations need to speak with one voice and demand that the war end.

Biden spent several minutes toward the end of his speech focusing on artificial intelligence, saying it will change our ways of life, ways of work and ways of war. Biden said countries must ensure that AI supports, rather than undermines, because it can "uplift and empower everyday people."

Biden finished his remarks by sharing his decision over the summer to exit the presidential race and not seek re-election. "Let us never forget, some things are more important than staying in power," he said. "It's your people that matter the most. ... We are here to serve the people — not the other way around." Biden said that "every age faces its challenges" and that he has witnessed moments of tension and uncertainty in his decades of public service, referring to the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the wars in the Middle East.

But, he argued, there's always a "way forward."

"Things can get better," he said. "We should never forget that. I've seen that throughout my career."

His speech comes against the backdrop of the presidential race on its final leg before Election Day, knowing that his successor — Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump — will face the same issues in the White House and may deal with them very differently.They were also Biden’s first remarks before the General Assembly since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and the conflict that has ensued in Gaza, killing thousands of civilians. He spoke to the leaders of other nations as hope for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas has dimmed.

As Israel continues its battle with Hamas, its conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah has also escalated in recent days. On Monday, Israel launched airstrikes on neighboring Lebanon , whose government said nearly 500 people were killed and more than 1,600 were injured in Lebanon’s deadliest day of conflict with Israel since 2006. Israel also issued evacuation warnings to people living in its northern region to escape the violence near the border.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had told reporters last week that Biden would “reaffirm America’s leadership on the world stage” and “rally global action to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.” They include, he said, climate change, artificial intelligence, the opioid epidemic and the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan .Kirby said Biden would meet with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to “talk about how the partnership between the United States and United Nations in advancing peace and safeguarding human rights can endure and to — prosper.” Kirby said Biden will have engagements with foreign leaders Wednesday.

Biden is also scheduled to host a summit of a coalition to address synthetic drug threats, including the supply chain of illicit fentanyl. Republicans have often accused him of not doing enough to tackle the problem as part of the strategy at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Other key speakers expected at the General Assembly include Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian ; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .

Biden administration officials have been involved in negotiating a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, though progress appears to have diminished. Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters last week: “We do not believe that the deal is falling apart. We believe that that is the best way to end the war that’s happening in Gaza and to lower those tensions in the region.” Still, there have been no recent signs of a breakthrough.

Biden also addressed his administration's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, over which he has faced ongoing criticism from GOP lawmakers. Congressional Republicans who have been investigating the pullout recently released a scathing report . The administration and Democrats, on the other hand, have largely blamed Trump for what unfolded during the withdrawal.

Biden said Tuesday that "13 brave Americans lost their lives, along with hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bomb," referring to the attack at the Kabul airport. He said he thinks of those lost lives every day, the 2,461 U.S. troops who died during the 20-year war and the more than 20,000 Americans who were wounded. "I think of their service, their sacrifice and their heroism," he said.

Biden kicked off the week of global engagements near his hometown, Wilmington, Delaware, where he hosted the leaders of Australia, India and Japan on Saturday for a meeting of a security grouping known as the Quad .Though officials say the Quad is not aimed at any particular country and China was not explicitly mentioned in the four leaders’ joint statement after the summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken began the closed-door meeting by saying, “Our first topic of discussion is China.”

Biden then said, “China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region,” in comments that were briefly caught on hot mics after journalists were escorted from the room.

In his speech Tuesday before the U.N., Biden briefly mentioned China, the world’s second-largest economy, and reiterated U.S. policy, which is to "responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not veer into conflict."

Asked about Blinken’s and Biden’s comments Monday, a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said that the U.S. is “lying through its teeth” when it says it is not targeting China and that groupings such as the Quad undermine regional peace and stability.

Biden announced various initiatives during the summit, including a “cancer moonshot” partnership with the other countries to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region.

Rebecca Shabad is a politics reporter for NBC News based in Washington.

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Who is Pakistan's new ISI chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik? Why is the post important?

Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed the chief of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Malik, currently serving as an Adjutant General at the general headquarters in Rawalpindi, graduated from Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. He also received a Sword of Honor – an award bestowed on the best student in the Pakistani Military Academy read more

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has a new boss.

Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed the chief of Pakistan’s spy agency.

Malik’s appointment was announced by Pakistani state broadcaster PTV News on its official X account.

Malik is set to take charge of the ISI on September 30.

His predecessor Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, who has held the position since 2021, was appointed by former prime minister Imran Khan.

Malik’s appointment comes a month after the arrest of ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed.

But what do we know about Malik?

Let’s take a closer look:

Malik is currently serving as an Adjutant General at the general headquarters in Rawalpindi.

This position looks after the administrative functions of the Pakistan Army.

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in October 2021.

Malik graduated from Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.

He also received a Sword of Honor – an award bestowed on the best student in the Pakistani Military Academy.

He led the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan and the Infantry Division in Balochistan – both volatile regions key to Pakistan’s internal security.

He also served as the chief instructor at National Defence University (NDU), as well as an instructor at Command and Staff College Quetta.

Why is the post important?

The post of ISI director general, usually a serving military officer, is one of the most powerful positions in Pakistan, at the intersection of domestic politics, the military and foreign relations.

While the ISI chief technically reports to the prime minister, he is controlled by Pakistan’s army chief.

As per Dawn, the method of appointing the ISI chief is not laid out in Pakistan’s constitution or in the Army Act.

Instead, the army chief recommends names to the prime minister who takes the final call.

Imran alleges that the current ISI chief Anjum, whom he appointed in 2021, is being used to target him.

As per Dawn , Anjum began his career in September 1988.

He previously commanded Corps V in Karachi, led a brigade in Kurram Agency, commanded the Frontier Corps (North) in Balochistan, and served as commandant of the Command and Staff College in Quetta, before becoming Karachi corps commander in December 2020.

The appointment of the new ISI chief comes one month after the probe took an unexpected turn after the former ISI chief Faiz Hameed’s arrest when an iPhone discovered in Chakwal reportedly unveiled details of his relationship with Imran Khan.

On August 12, Pakistan’s military announced that General Hameed had been arrested due to “multiple instances of violation” of the Army Act following his retirement in December 2022, according to Geo News.

The military further stated, “The process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated, and Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has been taken into military custody.”

The Pakistani military explained that the action against the former ISI chief was in line with the orders of the Supreme Court, which in 2023 called for an investigation after a land development company named Top City filed a petition, Geo News reported.

The company alleged that Hameed and his brother had acquired ownership of several properties and had even blackmailed the company’s owner.

Several senior judges have also alleged, in a letter to the chief justice that was published in local media, that ISI agents were applying pressure on them to decide cases against Khan.

A standoff between Khan and the army over the appointment of the ISI chief in 2021 is believed to have led to a falling out with top generals, which was followed by his ouster from the premiership months later.

Pakistan’s army, which denies pressuring judges or any role in politics, ruled Pakistan for more than three decades from 1958 and continues to exercise control over key areas of governance in the country.

With inputs from agencies

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8 Reasons Why Public Speaking Is Important for Students
2. Helps Develop leadership skills. Public speaking is a critical leadership skill, according to Life Science Leader. Even as a student, leadership skill is an important skill to consider whether you want to succeed in school or your career. As a leader, you will have many opportunities to speak in front of people.
Why Persuasive Speeches Should be a Priority for Students
Students that only focus on communicating online are in danger of learning inappropriate ways of discussing issues and presenting ideas. Speaking skills. When students learn how to give persuasive speeches they build upon their verbal abilities as a whole. The presentation of a speech is just as important as the argument itself.
Why Is Freedom of Speech an Important Right? When, if Ever, Can It Be
Students, read at least one of the above articles in its entirety, then tell us: — Why is the freedom of speech an important right? Why do you think it's worth protecting?
The importance of free speech on college campuses
Administrative awakenings in relation to free speech on college campuses are the result of student activism, and also the fact that universities are a primary target in the current culture wars, Ben-Porath says. University leaders have trepidations about how the higher education sector is perceived. She says where a person stands on the issue ...
The Benefits of Speech-to-Text Technology in All Classrooms
Voice Practice. Conway spotlighted speech-to-text technology as liberating for kids with writing disabilities and fine motor needs. Beyond writing homework assignments, the technology can also be used for quick in-class responses. If a teacher asks all students to put an answer in the virtual class' chatbox, for instance, a student who might ...
3 Reasons Why Public Speaking is Important
There are many reasons why public speaking is important but the 3 that we believe to be the most significant are: 1. To Win Over the Crowd. An important skill to have in business and especially in the public relations arena is the skill of persuasion or the ability to win over the crowd. Inside and outside the workplace, the power of persuasion ...
Why free speech—and especially disagreement—matters on college campuses
That's why it's vitally important they learn those skills here." 5. Encouraging free speech among students—and supporting one another "Students need to be supportive of each other as they explore ideas. On the first day of my seminar courses, I work with the students to set class norms and talk about the terms of debate in our class.
Three Reasons It's Important to Know the Parts of Speech
March 2022 Update: Check out the "Why We Should Learn the Parts of Speech" comic here. It's a common experience: The English teacher hands out a paragraph to each student in class. The instructions at the top read Underline each common, proper, or collective noun. Or perhaps they direct students to Write a verb to complete each of the following sentences, or List the ten adjectives that ...
2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education in English for Students
Sample 1: 2-Minute Speech on Importance of Education. 'Good morning my friends and teacher (s). Today, I stand before you to present my 'Speech on the importance of education'. We all want to progress and grow in our lives. Education is the only weapon that can bring peaceful and sustainable development.
Why Should Speech Acts be Taught?
Speech acts have been taught in some second language classrooms, yet most materials have been written based on the intuition of the textbook writers. There seems to exist a shared belief that native English speakers just know intuitively how to interact in their language and should be able to explain the social use of the language to the learners.
Developing Rapport With Students: Why It's Important & How to Do It
When students respect you, they are more likely to engage in lectures and be motivated to complete assignments. The Watermark Student Success & Engagement (formerly Aviso Coaching) software platform can help track and guide these important interactions between advisors and students. Using this software, student advisors can understand whether ...
What Does 'Public Education is the Cornerstone of Our Democracy' Really
Students choose an issue that Human Rights Watch cites as a challenge for the U.S., trace its history, and participate in activism related to the issue. Katelyn Condon, a high school social studies teacher in Maine. Condon's students have taken the project in various directions. One wrote an essay about climate change and submitted it to a ...
A Nobel Laureate's Speech Provides Five Lessons For Any Speaker
First Lesson: Theme. Every speech and every presentation must have a clearly stated overarching theme or objective. Faulkner's was to encourage perseverance in challenging times.
Vocabulary Interventions for Students with Language Disorders
Editor's Note: This text is an edited transcript of the course Vocabulary Interventions for Students with Language Disorders, presented by BeckyAnne Harker, PhD, CCC-SLP.. Learning Outcomes. After this course, participants will be able to: Explain the importance of vocabulary learning for all students, but especially those with language disorders.
Speech on World Students Day: A Guide for Students
World Students Day, celebrated on October 15th, honours the contributions and legacy of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, an inspiring leader and former President of India. This day focuses on the importance of students as the foundation of tomorrow's world. Preparing a speech on this occasion allows students to reflect on their role in shaping the future.
Why is school attendance important? Three schools share insight
Sept. 23, 2024 - "Why is school attendance important?" For teachers like Jacqueline Villaronga, understanding the answer to this question is critical. "The impact of not being in school definitely leads to later life challenges," shares the Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership educator. "When (students) have to go out and become productive members of society, they've ...
Biden calls on nations to unite amid an 'inflection point in world
In his speech Tuesday before the U.N., Biden briefly mentioned China, the world's second-largest economy, and reiterated U.S. policy, which is to "responsibly manage the competition with China ...
Biden uses final UN speech to note 'some things are more important than
President Joe Biden on Tuesday used his last speech in front of the United Nations General Assembly to herald the virtues of democracy as he aimed to burnish both his own legacy and US leadership ...
Who is Pakistan's new ISI chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik? Why is the
Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed the chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. Malik, currently serving as an Adjutant General at the general headquarters in Rawalpindi, graduated from Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. He also received a Sword of Honor - an award bestowed on the best student ...

5 Reasons Public Speaking Skills Are Important

Table of Contents

The Impact of Public Speaking on Leadership and Career Advancement

Developing Strong Communication Skills

Career Benefits

Thinking on Your Feet

Becoming an Influential Figure Who Inspires

Everyday Public Speaking and Its Benefits

FAQs About the Importance of Public Speaking

What are the 5 benefits of public speaking?

Why is public speaking important for students?

About The Speaker Lab

Get Started

1.1 Why Is Public Speaking Important?

Everyday Public Speaking

Informative Speaking

Persuasive Speaking

Entertaining Speaking

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Benefits of Public Speaking Courses

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Fine-Tuning Verbal and Nonverbal Skills

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

Benefits of Engaging in Public Speaking

Influencing the World around You

Developing Leadership Skills

Becoming a Thought Leader

Key Takeaways

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Why Is Public Speaking Important? Because It’s Useful

Public Speaking Definition

Everyday Public Speaking

1. Informative Speaking:

2. Persuasive Speaking:

3. Entertaining Speaking:

Why is Public Speaking Important?

2. Motivate Others

3. Inform People

Benefits of Public Speaking In Your Life

Make New Social Connections

Developing Leadership Skills

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

2. Personal Satisfaction

3. Critical Thinking

4. Improve Communication Skills

5. Learn to Argue

6. Be a Better Listener

Public Speaking Helps You Drive Change

How to Get Better at Public Speaking

Overcoming Your Stage Fright

Things To Remember As You’re Giving The Speech

2. Move your view:

3. Talk, don’t read:

4. Your voice is a tool:

5. Body language:

Understanding the Importance of Speech Education in High School

The Benefits of Speech Education in High School

Incorporating Speech Curriculum in High Schools

Public Speaking Techniques and Strategies

Speech Writing and Organization

Non-Verbal Communication and Body Language

Debate and Argumentation Skills

Integrating Speech Education Across Subjects

Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Speech Education

Limited Resources and Funding

Addressing Student Anxiety and Fear

Professional Development for Teachers

Where Can I Find More Resources on Understanding the Importance of Speech Education in High School?

Related Blog Posts:

Exploring the Importance of Social Communication in Grade 12: Insights for Educators

How Everyday Speech Empowers Students: In Their Own Words

Notice About Our SEL Curriculum

The Importance of Public Speaking Skills for Students

Why Is Public Speaking Important for Students?

1. Speaking is the number one way we communicate.

2. Classroom activities improve when students speak better.

3. We make students talk—but don’t teach them how to talk well.

4. Many digital tools showcase speaking.

5. Social and professional success increasingly depend upon oral communication.

The Bottom Line