Expert Tips To Help Your Quiet Child Speak Up In School
We tell you how to identify the problem and find the solution
First, it’s important to establish why your child is speaking quietly, says veteran educator Helen Marjan, who used to head Lorna Whiston Schools.
"Is it due to a physical reason, such as having weak vocal cords or a naturally quiet voice; a social reason, such as a lack of self-confidence, nervousness, or perhaps even being in a family situation where it is better to be seen and not heard; or her personality, which may be naturally quiet and reserved?"
She offers some ideas to help overcome this problem.
Develop a love of books and enjoy reading aloud every day. Practise character voices – some loud, some soft. Have fun recording the reading and listening back to it together. Is your child’s voice projection consistent, or does it sometimes fade?
Show them how to breathe and speak from their abdomen, rather than their throat. Can they make their tummy go in and out?
Show your child how to lift up their chin slightly when they talk, so their voice doesn’t disappear into their chest.
Expose them to plenty of social situations where they can interact with others and practise using their voice.
Play with a set of telephones made from empty tin cans. This makes voice projection fun.
Enrol your child for speech and drama classes, where specific voice projection and confidence building are the programme’s key focus.
Never compare or shame them in front of others – this will only make the problem worse.
If their voice is really very soft and you suspect a physical issue, take them to see a speech therapist.
This article was first published in Young Parents.