Are you getting reports from your child’s teacher saying that your child speaks too softly while at school but they are not at home?
If you are getting these types of reports, there are many reasons why your child speaks softly while in school. It could be because their personality influences them to remain quiet and watch the world around them silently. They may also be nervous in speaking out in public, or their self-confidence is lacking. In some instances, it may be because your child may have a problem with their vocal cords or they really have a naturally soft voice.
No matter which reason it may be, it could be a problem for your child’s performance in school and even in their emotional and social development.
So, what do you do to help them?
Here are the things parents can do to help their soft-spoken kids improve their performance in school:
Read aloud
A great way of helping your child speak out loud is by helping them develop a passion for reading and speaking out the story out loud. As they read their favorite story, they could practice the different voices of the characters they read and how loud or soft they should be. You can record your child’s reading and get your child to listen with you. Check how your child’s voice changes or when it fades and help them gently to correct their vocals.
Breathing exercises
One’s vocal volume may also be affected by their nerves. If your kid tends to get nervous when speaking to people or before a large crowd, help them by teaching them simple breathing exercises which they can do before speaking.
Proper posture
Confidence can go a long way for soft-spoken children, so it is great to help them by teaching them how to stand up properly. As they learn how to stand up properly, you can teach them how to lift their chin up so their voice flows out continuously. When they are able to do this seamlessly, you would notice their confidence growing and their voice no longer faltering in tone.
Practice
Speaking loudly before others can be difficult for kids if they are not exposed to situations that will allow them to practice. In this case, try getting them to get involved in discussions so they can practice speaking loudly to others and interact properly. You can even help them practice by asking them questions about their day.
Make it fun
Speaking may sometimes seem boring for some kids, especially for those who prefer to just observe people and do things silently. In order to get them to speak out, why don’t you make your approach fun for them to do?
You can make tin can telephones where they can play pretend calls with you and hear how your voices sound through the phones. Aside from a tin telephone, you can make them their own megaphone and let them hear themselves speak loudly.
You can also do role-playing with them as a bonding activity. As you role-play different characters with your child, your child gets to practice how to speak in different accents and volumes depending on the story you are trying to do and have fun at the same time.
If your child often sings out their favorite songs, why not sing out the first lines loudly and get them to sing the next lines loudly?
Take classes
You can also enroll your child in one of Singapore’s tuition schools offering speech or drama classes where they can practice speaking loudly. These classes will not just help your child learn to speak loudly, but it would also bolster their confidence and help them mingle with others easily. They may even develop a talent your child never knew they had.
Alternatively, you can seek one of the many tutors in Singapore offering special tuition classes that would get your child to practice their speech. These tutors can check up your child’s progress more closely and determine which speech practices and lessons would work perfectly to get your child to perform better and speak louder.
Encourage him or her
For some kids, it is hard to speak out loud because they would be compared to others. If they don’t speak well to other people, their peers may tease them for their failure and effectively be causing their self-confidence to crumble. It would also cause them to question themselves if they should speak out loudly or just stay silent.
As a parent, do not compare them to others or embarrass them in front of others because it will only make them reluctant to speak out. When they do speak out, wait for them to finish and praise them for their effort. You should also acknowledge your child when they speak out to let them know their voice and opinion is heard.
Seek professional help
If you think her voice is affected by a medical condition, you should bring them to a speech therapist. A speech therapist can determine if your child will need further medical assistance regarding their speech or if they do not, provide exercises for your child to follow to speak louder. If they do need medical assistance, seek the advice of a doctor immediately to determine how to proceed from there.
If you do not know any speech therapist to help your child, you can ask your child’s tutor or tuition school for advice or check online.
Final Remarks
Every child needs a guiding hand as they face the world where voices reign alongside their minds. In terms of their voice, it has to be honed in order for others to hear their thoughts.
If your child is soft-spoken, don’t be afraid to try out any one of the tips listed above to get you started. Your kids will need all the help they can get to grow and develop properly. With your support and dedication, your kids would realize how important their voices are in the world and start speaking out louder than ever before.
To effectively encourage your child, these are useful articles for you:
Is It Possible For Singaporean Parents To Teach Their Children EQ?
How to Teach Your Child the Value of Patience
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