Better Your
4 H Public Speaking

Getting butterflies at the thought of 4 H public speaking? Well, don't. We have some tips and ideas that will make getting up in front of people enjoyable! Check out what others have done!

My homschool children had never experienced public speaking of any kind until they joined a 4 H Club. This was the girls' first time giving a speech. It was at our club's harvest party which is why they are dressed as Indians.

Laura is reading a quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder who spoke for the Indians in an Indian-Negro Debate. Emily (9) is reciting a poem.

Poems are easy to recite because they have a natural beat to them. Find a poem book with a wide variety of poems to suit your personality or occasion. We especially like Favorite Poems Old and New.

4-H Speech Topics

The best advice I can give is to do a speech about something you like, otherwise it won't be fun! Your audience will know if you're having fun, believe me. Here is an outline to help you write your speech or demonstration.

1. Pick a Topic - one you like and will enjoy talking about!

2. Plan the Body and Make an Outline

3. Use these Important Parts of a Speech:

• Introduction-Make that first sentence interesting. Ask a question or state a startling fact. Tell the purpose of your speech and know this by heart.
  
• Body-Talk about 3 main points and support each one. Outlining your keywords on a note card helps you remember everything.
  
• Conclusion-Summarize your main points and end interestingly. Memorize this also. Writing it word for word helps you to do that.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice! Talk s-l-o-w-l-y, loudly, clearly, adding some flair!

5. Use a visual aid, especially if you're doing 4-H Demonstrations.

Ideas For A
4 H Demonstration

4-H Demonstrations are much more fun (and less scary!) if you do them with a friend or sibling. Topics can be found anywhere, even your chemistry textbook! Here are a few "How To" ideas we did to get you started:

• Fold a Gift Box or
  Paper Airplane
  (This was Garrett's
  1st solo speech.)
• Woodburn
• Magic Tricks
• Foil Art
• Eat an Ice Cream Cone
• Dog Tricks
• Cultural Dancing
• Ballroom Dancing
• Drawing Techniques
• Science Experiment

  
  
  
  

  Laura and Emily practiced and practiced (as you can see
  from our home video below) earning them a Blue and
  Top Room Award at our 4 H Public Speaking Contest.

  Click here to view Part 2 of 2.

  
  

  Emily and Laura at County Level doing their humorous Science/Chemistry Demonstration. Emily, Laura, Rachel, Anna-Tinikling and Christina and Laura-ChaCha A 4 H Program can be done alone (without the nervousness) if you pick a topic you like and know well. Garrett (10) Folding Paper Airplanes and Emily (10) Drawing in 3-D Your child will gain confidence the more he speaks. Be patient and one day he may be asked to talk about his 4 H experience, too! Emily (12) and Laura (14) being interviewed about our 4 H Club on a local radio station. Speak To Us! Have you given a funny speech or ended up being funny without even trying? Share it. We'd love to hear about the Speeches and Demonstrations you've done, whether they're funny or not! Enter Your Speech Title Tell Us How Your Speech or Demo Went! [ ? ] Close Help Entering your story is easy to do. Just type!... Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story. TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph. Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional)[ ? ] Close Help Do you have a picture to add? Great! Click the button and find it on your computer. Then select it. Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)   Click here to upload more images (optional) Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)   Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)   Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)   Author Information (optional) To receive credit as the author, enter your information below. Your Name (first or full name) Your Location (e.g., City, State, Country) Submit Your Contribution Check box to agree to these  submission guidelines. I am at least 16 years of age. I understand and accept the privacy policy. I understand that you will display my submission on your website. (You can preview and edit on the next page) Click here to see the rest of the form and add your speech details. Return from 4 H Public Speaking to 4 H Info. Return from 4 H Public Speaking to Homeschool Rewards Home Page Copyright 2007-2016 Homeschool-Rewards.com A Division of Whyms, LLC Our Privacy Policy SBI!