Giving presentations - how to help ds plan.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

DS's half term homework (year 2) is to plan a talk that will be presented to the rest of the class about his pets.

Unfortunately we don't have any but we have looked after a friends hamster while they were on holiday so he can base his presentation on that.

I never did anything like this at school, and really dislike giving presentations at work so am struggling with knowing how to help him to prepare for this.

How do your dc plan these things? Do they have crib sheets like a nervous best man at a wedding or do they manage to remember everything and the order that they want to say it in?

[sunnyday123]

Sorry no practical help but wanted to say I am shocked a child in year 2 is expected to do this!!! Dds in year 2 and one if the oldest and now way could give a presentation!

Are you sure it's not just a little talk?- presentation sounds very formal and not sure I'd be happy at this age! They're only 6!

[sundew]

Take some photos of the pet and maybe the food / house they live in? He can then show the photos and talk about what he had to do to look after the hamster.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Well, it's a talk to the rest of their class.

The homework sheet does call it a presentation, but I guess a talk in front of class/a presentation are both the same thing really.

I'm not unhappy about it, if it helps them to feel happier than I do about doing this kind of thing as an adult then that has to be a good thing.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Thanks Sundew.

I guess if we blew the photos up and had them printed on card and he had them in a set order, that should be enough for him to base his talk on providing that he prepares well at home and is happy to ad-lib to a certain extent!

[ExitPursuedByAaaaaarGhoul]

Presentation! I would have the A3 flipchart out - with a picture of hamster stuck on it and lines out to speech bubbles with all the things he wanted to say.

Stick it on the wall and talk the class through it.

Tell 'em what you are going to say
Tell 'em
Tell 'em what you have told em.

[Ferguson]

Sorry, TravelinColour - they ARE nocturnal, but they WAKE UP at night - and can go hurtling round their wheel all night long, so make sure it doesn't rattle too much!

We used to have one that got up inside the sofa, and another that got to the top of a three storey house by climbing up inside a cavity wall!

[AwsomeMrsFox]

DD had to to this in y2 too. Presenting forms part of my job so I took it a bit seriously

My tip would be to prepare!

1. Jot down key points/headings in some sort of sequence and write the on flash cards for DS
   
2. Do some nice pictures or add in some facts for him to show (visuals really enhance it), or may be a funny story about the hamster
   
3. Run though it several times so DS has some idea what he will say (but don't over rehearse it!)
   
4. practice the beginning more, as if he starts off well he will be confident and engage his audience
   
5. help him find a back up plan for if he forgets what he was going to say - e.g. just laugh and move on to the next point
   

I think it can be quite hard for lots of people to get up and talk, but being prepared will help so much (sorry got carried away again

[LeeCoakley]

The other children will ask questions so you could prepare him by asking a few questions about the topic and helping his responses.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Marvellous!

Between us all (including DS!) I think we may have a plan!

The funny anecdote idea is a good one - the hamster wee'd on ds2's lap and they still laugh about it most days (it was 10 months ago!).