Speaking to Children

You take your child to join Scouts or an other organization.  When you get there, they get the adults together and ask, "who will step forward and help?"  So, you volunteer.  After all, with your Toastmaster experience you should be able to handle it.  But ... these are children instead of adults like the Toastmasters you are used to.

That is where I was about three years ago.  I had finished my ATM.  I felt comfortable speaking to groups of adults.  When my daughter's Sunday School class needed a teacher, the old anxiety returned.  I had never lead a group of children before; could I do it?

I was able to do it by applying three principles from Toastmasters.  One, learning should be fun (for my self and the children).  Two, target the age level of the children.  Three, we must do in order to learn.

For children having fun includes something to do.  Dr.  Smedley - the founder of Toastmasters - said, "We learn best in times of enjoyment."  This is as true for children as adults.  Children expect an activity.  For example, I took my daughter to a Toastmasters contests.  After the contest, I ask her how she liked it.  She said, "it was ok, but there was nothing to do."

Incorporating an activity is the biggest difference between talking to adults and children.  It is a matter of finding or adapting an activity to compliment your speech.  For example, I told Mark Twain's story The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.  We folded frogs from business cards.  Then, we had our own frog jumping contest.

The following Chinese Proverb shows the importance of activates in educational presentations.

Games and activities can be used to reenforce what has just been taught and to review previous information.

For added interest, the games can be tied to a game show, upcoming holiday or event.  For example, we are currently in the football season.  You can build a board showing a football field and place a foot ball in it.  The object is for each team to move the ball toward the goal by answering the questions correctly.  The first team to get the ball across the goal line wins.

It is a good idea to have extra crafts because all the children won't be at the same level or work at the same rate.  When I was working with 3rd and 4th grade children, the boys would work though the crafts quickly.  While the girls worked more slowly and carefully.

With games, it is a good idea to have some easier questions to give a child who might be having some trouble.  The purpose is for the children to learn while having fun plus boots their self confidence.  The purpose isn't a final exam.

If the children are arriving one by one, games and activates are a good idea also.  Because, if you don't provide something for them to do, they will find something to do.  It can be something as simple as a game of bean bags.  Or, an activity can help focus them on the current subject.  Something like a word search built around the theme.  (A word search is a group of words hidden in a block of letters.)

Games and crafts aren't used in most of the presentations we make to adults.  They aren't covered in any of the manuals.  Where can we get ideas? Most libraries have a good selection of books and games and crafts.  The Cub Scouts have many books with activities for designed boys eight to twelve.

Don't overlook training programs as a source of ideas.  If there isn't a training program available, ask if one can be started.  When, our church started a training program for Sunday School teachers, they discovered teachers, former Sunday School teachers and a child psychologist who could provide training.  They also discovered the number of volunteers went up.

Children aren't short adults.  When telling a story, children like more action and plot while adults enjoy more humor and interaction between characters.  This applies to your gestures too.  Children like more dynamic gestures than adults.  If you are talking about canoeing, climb into the canoe, push off, kneel down and paddle.

Many of us, as a member of our club said, start off talking to children as if they were adults.  Targeting your audience may be the hardest part about speaking to children because they are always changing.  So, how are children different?

Four to five year olds tire easily and like creativity, so your presentation needs to be organized in small sections.  A speech followed by a project and a discussion for example.

They learn though their senses.  It is important to have something they can see, hear and touch.  If you are telling a story, bring props.  If the story is from a book bring the book and show them the pictures.

They like to participate and feel involved, but they also like to feel independent.  If you are doing a craft, don't have everything cut out and ready to assemble.  There needs to be parts where they can show their own individuality.

The six to eight year olds want to know why.  So, you need to be prepared to handle questions.  They can come up with some unusual questions, so don't be afraid of an occasional "I don't know."

They take things literally.  For example, a friend had a minor accident.  He started to get out of the car.  His daughter asked him where he was going.  He said he was going to exchange names.  When he got back, his daughter was worried and ask, "what's your name now?"

They don't like to sit still.  If you have a long period for them to sit and listen, they will tend to fidget.  Have an assistant help handle the fidgeting before it becomes a problem.  This way you don't have to stop your presentation to deal with the problem.  Often, standing near the child will solve the problem.

They like working in a group.  They like to feel included.  They like to imitate.

Nine to eleven year olds like to read and write.  With younger children you need to read in a group because several children may need help, but nine to eleven year olds can read on their own.  This opens up a new set of possibilities.  If you are working with a group for several weeks, you are always looking for something different you can try.

They can think and reason so they can draw conclusions.  But, they don't understand symbolism yet.

They like heros.  These heros can be incorporated into games and crafts.  For example, this month's theme in Cub Scout's is Living in the 21st Century.  I am planning an astronaut relay.  One boy from each team runs to the other end and does several skill activities (bouncing a ball, tieing knots ...).  Then, he runs back and tags the next team member.  The title ties in both the theme and heros.

We learn by doing.  We have our clubs where we can practice speeches to adults.  I have practiced speeches I was going to give to children in our club.  It is very helpful, but it isn't the same as speaking to children.

The best way of getting experience, speaking to children, is by speaking to children.  Fortunately, children don't demand perfection like adults.  They are happy you are willing to spend time with them, and you will get better with practice.

When you take your child to join an organization and they ask "who will help", take the courage you used when you first joined Toastmasters, remember the principles you have leaned and raise your hand and say, "I will".

This the draft of an article that was written by Rick Clements and was published in March 1992 in The Toastmaster.