Developing public speaking skills is important, and a list of interesting speech topics will make the experience more enjoyable for children.
A List of Interesting Speech Topics and Ideas
Informative or Descriptive Speech
The informative or descriptive speech is a common speech style, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring.
- Biographical speech presented as the famous figure - Children may also be interested in creating an appropriate costume or props to evoke the time period of the subject and his or her accomplishments.
- Description of a career you might be interested in pursuing
- Memorable moments and favorite memories make interesting speech topics, because they draw on a child's own experiences. Some ideas include:
-
- Most embarrassing moment
- Favorite birthday memory
- Best holiday celebration
- Most inspiring moment
- Most challenging moment
- Describe a favorite place, such as:
-
- Favorite place to vacation
- Favorite place to study
- Favorite place to play
- Favorite place to escape from the world
- A day in the life of a kid/teenager in ________. - The speaker should choose a country or a time period and describe a typical day for someone his or her age. Like the biographical speech, this topic offers the opportunity to use costumes and other visual aids to enhance the presentation.
Persuasive Speech
Persuasive speeches can provide some of the most interesting ideas because they focus on important topics and evoke strong opinions. A child who is tuned in to current events may enjoy creating a persuasive speech based on the hot button issues of the day. Look to the news for inspiration and research material on topics such as "Should the government provide universal health care?" However, issues of importance to kids and teenagers may actually be a better fit on a list of interesting speech topics. A ten-year-old is more likely to enjoy preparing a speech on, "Should children receive an allowance?" than he or she is to be engaged when expressing opinions on an upcoming election.
Demonstration Speech
A demonstration speech can allow the speaker to show off a bit. It offers a chance to share a hobby or skill with others, making the assignment more enjoyable. A demonstration speech can also be the impetus for learning something new. Have you always wondered how to make an origami crane or properly tie a necktie? Learn how and then demonstrate the steps in your speech. Experiments may also provide fodder for demonstrations accompanied by an explanation of the science behind them. This will be especially interesting if the end results are impressive, such as with a volcano experiment.
Oral Interpretation
With oral interpretation, any text can become a speech, as the speaker dramatically presents a poem, essay, short story or selection from a larger piece of writing. Some may consider this type of speech similar to acting, but it is unique in that the speaker must convey the feeling of the piece through only his or her voice. Children's books are a good source for oral interpretation material, as they are meant to be read aloud. However, any text will do, and the choice should ideally be left up to the speaker. Although a Shakespearean sonnet may offer more dramatic potential, interpreting a passage from a favorite young adult novel may actually catch a teen's interest more and make the overall assignment more compelling.
What is considered interesting varies greatly from person to person. While one child might love to research Greek mythology, another might be bored to tears by stories of the gods and goddesses and would rather use personal experiences to craft a speech. However, with so many speech topic options available, you'll be sure to find something that will inspire your children to public speaking success..
