Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Does the thought of speaking in front of a group cause your knees to knock? On today's Home School Heartbeat, HSLDA's president Mike Smith describes how you can start your children on a path toward better communication skills and confidence to speak in front of an audience.

Mike Smith:
If you're a homeschool parent, you've invested a great deal of time teaching your children to think from a biblical perspective. And although many children go into this world believing the truth, they're unable to spread that message because they have not been equipped with the ability to communicate their thoughts. In this day and age, public speaking is one of the most useful skills they can have.

According to The Book of Lists, public speaking is much scarier than death and even disease. But your children don't have to think this way. If you get them accustomed to speaking in front of an audience, their fears will be lessened as adults.

When do you start? Debbie Horn, the manager of education and club administration for Toastmasters International, says, "Parents can help when their children are just toddlers and learning to speak. Any time you encourage a child to speak, you are preparing them for later."

This week on Home School Heartbeat, we'll be discussing ways that you can integrate public speaking into your own homeschool curriculum. Please join me. I'm Mike Smith.