7 Effective Techniques to Help Elementary Students Speak Loudly During Reading and Presentations

Make use of 15 minutes at the beginning of class for a speaking exercise where the teacher encourages students to stand up and say the letter "A" as loudly as possible. The louder, the better. Many teachers who have tried this method report that after just two weeks, students speak much more loudly when answering questions. This is a great technique that you should try with your class as well.

Everyone knows that "Confidence leads to speaking loudly," but why do children often lack this confidence? Perhaps they fear being judged or ridiculed by their peers or teacher if they speak too loudly, so they end up speaking softly. To help children gain the confidence to speak clearly and loudly, teachers should ensure that the students fully understand the lesson. Once they truly grasp the content, their confidence will naturally increase, and so will their volume.

During weekend activities, teachers can organize various games that encourage clear and correct speaking, rewarding the students who excel in these games. At the same time, the teacher should praise and motivate students to continue speaking clearly during class discussions or when reading aloud, ensuring that everyone can hear them clearly.

The simple truth is that if we want children to speak louder and read with clarity, teachers must lead by example. Therefore, during lessons, teachers should strive to speak loudly, clearly, and distinctly to set a model for the children. This practice, no matter how small, plays a part in encouraging students to speak louder as well.

Children, like all of us, love to receive praise. So, when a child speaks softly while reading or presenting, teachers should encourage them to speak louder by praising them every time they do so successfully.

For instance, if a child speaks too softly, the teacher might jokingly say, "You're speaking too softly, I can't hear you." Then, encourage the child to speak louder so both the teacher and classmates can hear them clearly. Afterward, offer praise and encourage them to keep improving.

In short: Praise those who speak loudly. For those who speak softly, motivate them to speak louder by saying, 'Can you speak up a little so I can hear you better?' Even if they just increase their volume a bit, praise them right away. Gradually, the child will be motivated and, as experience shows, each time they are praised, they will become more eager to speak louder.

For many students, the difficulty in speaking or reading clearly and loudly may arise from not understanding why it's important to do so. To resolve this, teachers should provide a clear explanation.

Teachers could say to the student, "Would you like to listen to someone else speak and not be able to hear them?" Of course, the student will respond negatively. Then, the teacher can continue, saying, "Well, I'll invite you to speak until the whole class can hear you clearly." Afterward, once the student speaks loudly enough, praise them, and remind the class to speak clearly next time so they don't need to be invited to speak again. The teacher can also demonstrate by speaking very softly and then ask the class, 'Do you enjoy listening to me speak so quietly?' 'Why not?' This allows the teacher to explain that speaking too softly makes it hard for others to hear, and people might not want to listen, which no one wants. So, encourage the children to speak loudly from now on."

Give the child a clear example where they need to speak loudly. For instance, ask them to imagine their mother is looking for them outside the schoolyard. Tell the child to shout 'Mom!' so that their mother can hear and come in. By practicing this repeatedly, the child will feel more confident speaking up, which will naturally help them when speaking in public or reading aloud.