How to Raise a Confident Public Speaker

No Risk, No Reward

My daughter Kennedy just performed in her high school musical “Grease.” I’m so proud that this well-rounded teen stepped out of her comfort zone to try something new. She had a blast! (She’s still dancing around the house singing: “We go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.”)

I loved watching Kennedy grow—developing new skills, making new friends and exploring new facets of herself. When you enroll in a Dardis class, you get a similar experience—the chance to try something new, an opportunity for personal growth and the feeling of being a student again, full of promise and potential. Give it a try! I think you’ll have fun.

How to Raise a Confident Public Speaker

Do your children a favor and cultivate their public speaking skills early on. Seize small opportunities to do so. Encourage young kids to speak for themselves rather than answer a question for them. Invite your kids to order for themselves at a restaurant.

In these early exchanges, emphasize two goals: volume and eye contact. Remind your child to speak loudly enough to be heard and to make eye contact with the person being addressed.

Once your child is school-aged, introduce two more sophisticated goals: pacing and messaging. A child who speaks at a relaxed pace and allows for the occasional pause will stand out from peers who race through their remarks. Pacing is a mark of maturity among speakers of all ages.

Messaging is a great concept to introduce to your kids. Encourage them to identify one central message before they give a speech. What do they want to say? Boil it down. Once they have landed on a key message, they can expand a bit by thinking of a related fact or a story to share. That’s it! Keep it simple.

A young speaker who speaks loudly enough, makes eye contact, paces him/herself and has a clear message will impress everyone in the room.

Now it’s time to put those skills into practice! Help your child recognize the many opportunities for giving a speech:

• Make a toast at a family gathering
• Give a pep talk before a game
• Thank a coach after a game
• Lead a prayer at a family reunion
• Speak at a city council meeting to share an opinion on a local issue
• Present a school project to grandparents
• Address their class at a morning meeting
• Make a pitch during door-to-door fundraising

Your job is to not interrupt! This is their speech—not yours.

Praise them afterward, focusing less on their performance and more on their effort. “It showed that you had planned your message in advance.” “It takes courage to do that!” “You kept your cool after forgetting a line! That’s amazing!” “I noticed you took your time with your pacing. That made such a difference.” (Child-development experts urge parents to praise effort rather than ability. Here’s why.)

As your children get older, there will be more opportunities for public speaking—from campaigning for student council to participating in 4-H, not to mention debate, science fair, drama club and improv. Thanks to those early lessons, you’re likely to see growing interest and confidence in them. Success!

Recommended Reading

There’s a reason more than 1 million copies of Greg McKeown’s book “Essentialism” have sold. It speaks to the heart of anyone feeling overworked or over-committed. McKeown offers up not just a time-management tool but a discipline to develop a laser focus on the most important elements—and scale back on all the rest.

“Essentialists see trade-offs as an inherent part of life, not as an inherently negative part of life,” he writes. “Instead of asking, ‘What do I have to give up?’ they ask, ‘What do I want to go big on?’”

Learn More Here >

Client Testimonial

“I loved it! I know I will have more confidence in presenting and in approaching leaders of our company.”

–Dardis graduate

2023 Public Schedule

IN-PERSON

Leadership Presentation & Image Skills 

April 18 & 19 – Cedar Rapids

June 7 & 8 – Des Moines

August 16 & 17 – Des Moines

October 10 & 11 – Des Moines

November 28 & 29 – Des Moines

VIRTUAL

Virtual Communication Solutions

May 15–18

October 23–26