Public Speaking: Essential Competence for Thriving Development

Public speaking skills, emotion management and self-confidence are closely related. The more comfortable children become with public speaking, the more progress they will make in self-confidence, managing emotions, socializing skills and structuring ideas.

Reality shows us that, in a constantly changing world, we need to communicate effectively with those around us, react balancedly to challenges and show perseverance, and these skills must be formed early and developed throughout life . Practicing public speaking helps children see themselves in a different light, develops planning, organizing and leadership skills, improves pronunciation, enriches vocabulary and helps them be more relaxed.

In shy children in particular, the development of communication skills is an absolute necessity, as it supports them in the process of gaining confidence and helps them create a positive self-image that will facilitate their later relationships with those around them. They need a safe environment that facilitates their development, an environment in which they feel comfortable.

Public speaking involves overcoming barriers and fears. 

The process of expressing ideas, presenting topics and themes, and setting the wheels of critical and reflective thinking in motion can be energy-consuming and challenging stages for children. However, they are essential for balanced development and are certainly indispensable in the portfolio of skills that anyone should possess.

Preparing to speak in public requires a lot of skills – from planning your speech, delivering it in front of an audience (whether we're talking about school contexts, in front of colleagues, a committee or at work), but also organizational skills time efficiency and leadership. Therefore, public speaking makes children more responsible and autonomous. Also, practicing public speaking boosts children's leadership skills, they will begin to feel comfortable speaking for themselves and/or representing others. Through speeches, presentations, participation in workshops and seminars, children can find people with similar interests and expand their social circle, share thoughts and build discussions on topics of interest.

Another benefit that public speaking brings to children's development concerns vocabulary and diction. The more children practice their speeches, the more coherent and correct the expression will become, the pronunciation will be perfected and the vocabulary will be enriched. Confidence allows children to speak clearly. When they are calm and focused, they will be better able to manage their thoughts and make themselves understood by the audience

Here at KEN Academy, we like to constantly challenge and grow; therefore, in addition to acquiring knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship and financial education, children have the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone, speak in public, support their point of view with solid arguments, negotiate and think about their actions in advance. We believe it is important to cultivate all of these Super powers and it is precisely for this reason that we try, both in classes and in camps, to guide each child to find his own voice and use it. We are looking forward to the mountain camp "Find your voice" (Sold Out), a camp full of super challenges and learning moments where each child will have the opportunity to learn how to organize their ideas, build their speech, speak in a charismatic way in front of an audience and how to identify and control their emotions .

Stay with us both here on the blog and on social media to follow the stories from the camps and enjoy the smiles of the children at KEN. Here and here two resources about public speaking that might interest you.

*Article written by Veronica Dunga, KEN Academy trainer.