How to help your child prepare for an oral presentation or class discussion

Many people believe that to be a good public speaker, you need to be a talented improviser. The truth is, especially in the context of a presentation, debate, or discussion, the key to public speaking is mastering the subject. Remind your child that the teacher will care most about the content of their presentation, and that understanding the subject matter is the best way to reduce their stress. Needless to say, an oral presentation is not just reading a research paper out loud to an audience. All the more reason to know the subject inside out.

The first step to putting together a presentation is to research the topic thoroughly. At the research stage, your child should do the following:

• Consider what they already know about the subject
• Determine whether that information is relevant and accurate
• Make sure they have access to enough research material
• Make sure they are using reliable sources (e.g., websites, non-fiction books, encyclopedias, periodicals, interviews with experts)

Making an outline is very important because it helps your child organize their ideas and structure their presentation in a logical way. Without an outline, they could get muddled up while speaking in front of the class. A good way for your child to check that their ideas are relevant is to see whether they have addressed the who, what, where, when, why, and how of their topic.

Here is how to make an outline for an informative or dialectical presentation.

The outline for an informative presentation should include:

• An introduction: The student explains why they chose the topic, what they want people to learn from their presentation, and what points they will be covering (ideally two to four). The introduction should not state their point of view.
  • Example: “My presentation on Canadian women in science has three parts. I’ll start by discussing Harriet Brooks, followed by Sophia Bethena Jones, and finally Roberta Bondar.”
• Point 1: For example, an overview of Harriet Brooks’s life, her achievements, her work method, etc.
• Point 2: Same structure as point 1, but for Sophia Bethena Jones.
• And so on.
• A conclusion: The student summarizes their points and their opinion on the topic. In this example, they might recap the three women’s main accomplishments along with their opinion on the discrimination the women experienced.
• A question period.

The outline for a dialectical presentation, which puts forward a thesis and an antithesis, should include:

• An introduction (same structure as the intro in an informative presentation).
• Arguments that support the student’s thesis.
• Counter-arguments (these should add nuance to the thesis, not completely contradict it).
• A synthesis, which requires creativity. The student should ask themself questions such as the following:
  • Is there a solution or compromise that would temper the contradiction between the arguments and counter-arguments?
  • Does the topic contain questionable assumptions?
  • Could the topic be viewed from a different angle?
• A conclusion.

Your child should be careful to avoid certain pitfalls when creating an outline for a dialectical presentation:

1. Using a “yes-no” structure. The thesis and antithesis should not directly contradict each other. Otherwise, the audience might feel like your child is asserting one thing, but also the opposite (e.g., 1. Yes, vegetarianism is a good thing. 2. No, vegetarianism is a bad thing.) The thesis and antithesis should consider different aspects of the issue (e.g., 1. Yes, there are benefits to vegetarianism. 2. However, there are situations where this practice is not very feasible.). Essentially, your child should not be presenting two opposing opinions, but rather a main opinion qualified by counter-arguments (1. Yes 2. But).
2. Framing the synthesis as a middle ground between the thesis and antithesis. The synthesis is not meant to be something everyone can agree on. Instead, it should help the audience see the issue in a new light (e.g., Given the various challenges faced by different people and populations, a vegetarian diet is not always the most eco-friendly choice. It depends on what country you live in, the availability of locally produced foods, the type of food you eat, etc.).
3. Additional things to avoid, especially in a debate:
   • Making false statements
   • Exaggerating
   • Appealing to pity
   • Generalizing
   • Attacking the character of anyone with a different opinion (ad hominem attacks)

There are various memorization and visualization techniques that can help your child prepare for an oral presentation. We recommend the following:

• Drawing mind maps to organize their ideas
• Using cue cards (most of the time, teachers allow them). Here are some tips on making good cue cards:
  • Number them to avoid mixing them up
  • Include the title of every subject the presentation will cover
  • Write out the main and secondary ideas using key words or very short sentences
  • Write an introductory and concluding sentence
  • Use colours and highlighters to make things easier to find
  • Practise delivering the presentation in a different order (this will help your child get back on track if they have a mind blank while presenting)
  • Include notes on where to slow down, pause, and look at the audience

Remind your child that the idea is not to memorize their presentation word for word, right down to the last comma. If they use that approach, one slip might completely throw them off! Rather than learning exact words by heart, they should focus on general ideas.

The best way to nail a presentation or oral exam is to practise, practise, practise. Your child can try using these strategies to perfect their presentation:

• Recording themself to evaluate their performance, check the length of their presentation, and look for areas to improve.
• Practising in front of you or their siblings to get used to having an audience and get constructive feedback. For example, if they keep stumbling over the same sentence, you can suggest they rewrite it.
• Being themself. Encourage your child to be as natural as possible and to use familiar words. If they have a sense of humour, a little wordplay or an opening quip can lighten the mood, though they should be careful not to overdo it (one joke will do).
• Practising answering questions from the audience. They should anticipate questions that their teacher or classmates might ask. If they are preparing for a discussion or debate, they can practise giving their arguments or counter-arguments with the help of a partner.

Children and adults alike can have a real fear of public speaking. This phobia can cause symptoms such as the following:

• Shaking
• Hot flashes
• Nausea
• Heart palpitations
• Stomach aches
• Clammy hands
• Dry mouth
• Fear of stuttering or drawing a blank
• Fear of making a mistake or being laughed at

Fortunately, there are ways to help your child feel less stressed and anxious about oral presentations and debates. Here are a few examples:

• They can focus on their body language. You can tell them not to be afraid of making facial expressions and have them try the following:
  • Using their hands when they speak to convey confidence and conviction. Again, they should try to act natural.
  • Walking around the space where they will be speaking. Some people find that this boosts their confidence.
  • Adopting a confident posture to convey a sense of power (standing up straight appears to help people relax and feel less insecure). To learn more, you can look up articles and videos related to confident body language online (especially power poses).
• They can do breathing exercises. For example, they can slow their breath, breathe in through their nose while making their belly expand, then slowly breathe out through their mouth while allowing their belly to deflate, focusing on loosening up areas of tension and repeating the word relax in their head. Tell your child to take a deep breath before beginning their presentation.
• They can keep a bottle of water on hand in case their mouth gets dry.
• They can look at who they are speaking to, even if they are shy. If your child finds it difficult to make eye contact with the audience, they can focus on an imaginary point just above the students’ heads or look occasionally at a friend.
• They can speak slowly during their presentation and briefly pause now and then. Taking the time to breathe and gather their thoughts is essential. It also helps the audience absorb the information better.
• They can practise positive affirmations and focus on building self-confidence. Here are some examples of affirmations your child can repeat to themself:
  • I know my stuff and am well prepared
  • My topic is interesting
  • Everything will be okay
  • Etc.
• They can remind themself to stay calm even if their voice trembles at first. Reassure your child that stuttering is not the end of the world, and that their nerves will subside as they get into their presentation.