Help your child overcome their fear of oral presentations

Does your child quake and tremble the moment they’re assigned an oral presentation? If so, here’s how you can help them overcome their apprehension.

Teach them breath control
Nervousness can cause breathing to become shallow and rapid, which consequently tells the brain that something’s wrong and leads to further nervousness.

It’s a good idea to teach your child basic breath control techniques. One such method involves taking a deep breath through the nose, holding it for three seconds, then exhaling slowly through the mouth. Repeating this technique a few times is an effective way to reduce nervousness.

Teach them how to prepare
The best way to prepare for an oral presentation is to practice it often and become thoroughly familiar with the material.

Have your child rehearse the presentation on their own, then in front of increasingly larger groups. Suggest that they evaluate their performance and identify what worked well and what can be improved upon.

Make sure they understand that mistakes are opportunities to learn and get better.

Additionally, it may be a good idea to talk to their teacher. They might have other suggestions as to how your child can overcome their fear of oral presentations.