Input
- What went in
- Prepared slides with speaking prompts and examples, screen, microphone, speaker, small sheets of paper and pens.
- Time
- 1 hour
Activity
This week at Curiosity Club, we explored a question: What helps us share our ideas when we feel nervous?
We began with Champa from Stage Fright, a story about a child who loves singing but is afraid to perform. Her worries helped children talk about their own feelings when facing an audience. We prepared slides with prompts and examples, and set up a microphone for practice.
We started by inviting each child to introduce themselves with an action. Afterwards, we asked how it felt to stand up and speak. Children described shaking hands, trembling legs and sweaty palms, connecting their experience to Champa’s. This led us to practise breathing to calm our bodies and shaking out our arms and legs to release tension. We then warmed up our voices with tongue twisters and tried changing our volume and expressing different emotions.
A facilitator demonstrated different speaking styles, and children noticed the difference posture, voice and energy made. They then chose topics for short talks in Malayalam or English. We introduced PREP — point, reason, example, point — to help organise their thoughts, with paper available for notes. They then came to the front and used the microphone to share their ideas with the group. We closed by reflecting on how it felt to speak and what had changed after trying.
Output
- 10 Short talks presented
Outcome
Children reported feeling a little more confident about speaking by the end, although some nervousness remained. After the session, they continued picking up the microphone and trying to speak, showing willingness to practise further.
(Participants told us)
Learnings
The microphone sparked excitement, but several children were worried about being laughed at. Next time, we will agree on how to be a supportive audience before speaking and offer partner practice or paired presentations as a first step.
PREP needed more time and explanation. Children had ideas but struggled to fit them into the structure. Next time, we will model it step by step using a familiar topic and allow more time for support.
Free play ran into the planned session time, leaving the final activities rushed. We will make the transition clearer and leave more time for speaking practice and individual feedback, so quieter children’s experiences are heard too.
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