The ability to give an effective verbal presentation is an important skill that you can teach your students. To be able to give strong, organized oral presentations increases a person's chances of being regarded as knowledgeable, capable, and in command. This complete, developmental program prepares young people to become confident public speakers. It introduces techniques for writing and delivering interesting, animated speeches. General topics include making introductions, quick-pick speeches, writing a speech, and speaking techniques.

Fashioned after Toastmasters, the program includes complete lesson plans, worksheets and information sheets, and evaluation forms. The culminating activity is a program that allows each participant to make an oral presentation. In each lesson, practical ideas introduce and reinforce the need for preparation and attention to detail. The series of lessons begins with fun, low-anxiety activities and ends with a presentation for parents.

Once students become skillful and confident in public speaking, you will find many opportunities for them to use these skills. There are opportunities for oral presentations in all areas of the curriculum. Some activities that would reinforce public speaking skills are oral book reports, reader's theater, discussion groups, oral reports in content areas, poster talks, interviews, demonstrations or explanations of how to do something, brainstorming, debates, plays, teaching a lesson, dramatic or expressive reading, or role-playing.

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Barbara Juskow taught school for 27 years, 14 years exclusively with gifted students. She developed and wrote the program and materials for gifted students in her classroom, which ranged from archeology, to law, to ecology.