Confidence comes from the Latin word ‘fidere’ which means “to trust”; therefore, having self-confidence is having trust in one’s self. 

This week we are looking at different ways to build students’ confidence; enabling them to speak in front of an audience to the best of their capacity, trusting in their own ability to do so. This pairs well with oracy and storytelling, which we have written about recently. But today, here are five top tips to support you in developing your students’ confidence speaking in front of an audience.

Create a community of confidence in the classroom

The fear of public speaking is often linked to a fear of failure and embarrassment in front of others. Support your students to be able to constructively criticise each other and encourage patience and empathy among the group. Ensure that every student has the opportunity to present to their peers and that there is an expectation that they will be feeding back to one another. This will create a culture of support and help students feel confident presenting, knowing that their peers are not there to laugh at them but rather to support and develop their skills further.

Co-constructing success criteria will allow students to have ownership of their presentations, knowing and understanding what is expected of them. Teach students how to master the skills that will allow them to achieve against their criteria.

Gradually raise the stakes 

Speaking in front of a large audience can be a daunting prospect. By increasing the size of the audience from 1 to 5 to 30 and so on, the stakes are gradually raised, and the speaker is exposed to many opportunities to practise.

For example, using a Silent Summariser to feed back on a group discussion to the whole class is an effective way to introduce presentational skills to students. This type of presentation is relatively low stakes – the audience is familiar, and the content being delivered has already been discussed and summarised. The speaker is then repeating this summary to their audience. By repeating tasks such as this students will become more confident applying these skills to a larger audience.

Praise the specifics 

By praising specific oracy skills, you can positively reinforce the actions of the speaker and encourage them to do more of the same. Consider the four strands of the Oracy Framework and agree on the success criteria for a presentation that is appropriate for the students you teach, then use praise every time you see those skills being used effectively. For example:

“Well done for using such a clear voice and projecting so that everyone could hear you”. Here there is a specific focus on the volume and clarity of the speaker, focusing specifically on the physical strand of the Oracy Framework.

“I can tell that your ideas have a clear structure, it is easy to follow along”. The speaker now knows that their ideas make sense to an audience, focusing on the cognitive strand of the Oracy Framework.

“I like how you were aware of the audience, we all felt connected to you and your ideas”. Looking at the audience will demonstrate that you are confident to tell them what you want them to hear, focusing on the social and emotional strand of the Oracy Framework.

“You spoke very well on that topic, well done for using ambitious but appropriate vocabulary”. The speaker is considering the level of understanding of their audience through their vocabulary choices, focusing on the linguistic strand of the Oracy Framework.

Build a stage

Create an area within your provision with an elevated platform, a pallet, or simply a stage outline on the playground to give children the space and the opportunity to rehearse their presentational talk. Whilst some children will have had the real-life experience of an entertainer on stage or a trip to the theatre, many may not have and so staff could model how the stage area can be used. This will improve the effectiveness by which the children use it in their own exploration. Encourage the children and other staff members to be the audience to their peers.

Some useful ideas:

1. Telling jokes (an audience is definitely required!)
2. Use it as a soapbox to give a speech based on something they feel passionate about
3. Use a story sack to tell the story and act it out
4. Display pictures or key words from a story around the area for students to use to perform
5. Have an array of props and costumes to spark the imagination
6. Show and tell on stage!
7. Have familiar sentence-stems with visuals to support talk e.g.  Once upon a time…., I think that…

Provide your students with an authentic audience 

When planning for presentational talk, it is important to consider how you can provide your students with an ‘authentic audience’ i.e. people who have a vested and genuine interest in the topic at hand. For example, if you are planning a presentational talk outcome linked to a community issue, consider asking council officials to listen to your students speak and support your students to plan their presentation accordingly. 

Speaking to an audience other than their teacher or peers raises expectations and builds confidence, helping your students understand the value of their voice in the ‘real world’. In the current climate of meeting virtually, it is easier than ever to be ambitious with who you invite as an audience for student talk. 

Please let us know if you find these suggestions useful or if you have any strategies of your own that you’d like to share. To build on this, check out our post on oracy and performance poetry which can create an excellent space for students to discover the power of their voice.