Tips for the New Year (2021) for Your Child!

The new year is here and with that, the start of a new school learning journey for your child! 2021 is more than just the start of a “new normal (post-COVID)”. For some children, it is a fresh slate ready to be filled with new friends and tougher topics to learn in school. For those who completed their PSLE last year, this year also marks the start of their first step into a new school, culture and environment. All these changes can be daunting for your child and even more challenging for parents.

As communicators ourselves, we believe that both written and verbal communication will remain an important part of your child’s learning experience. This is especially so in the new decade, with the rising significance of artificial intelligence and technology. Your child is not just preparing for the new year ahead; they need to be equipped with the relevant skills that will put them in good stead for the new decade! It is equally important to develop the twin aspects of written and verbal communications, in both informal (e.g. examinations) and informal (e.g. conversation) contexts.

To help your child navigate the new normal, we share our top three tips your child can use to start his/ her new year with energy and vigour!

Tip #1: Set Your Goals Early – Be Specific for Success

Early planning is key! It is uncontroversial that planning early is one of the keys to success. This, however, may not be as apparent to your child. You can help your child to instil the habit early, especially at the start of the new year. There are three aspects to consider when planning (be it planning for that key class presentation or preparing for your child’s important examination).

First, start the goal-setting with a brainstorming process to uncover your child’s passion or interest. The goal is more likely to be achievable if it involves something that your child enjoys doing or is passionate about. It is also a constructive first step to the entire new year. Second, break each goal into specific steps or check-in points to ensure that your child’s goal is divided into digestible portions. This ensures that your child does not judge themselves too harshly on one overall goal. Third, remember to instil a constant review process with your child. They should be able to appreciate the need for flexibility in their goals, especially if their interests or passion changes!

Tip #2: Set Deadlines – Plan Your Timetable

After setting their goals, it is important also to instil the sense of discipline through proper planning. Having a timetable or a to-do list is just a first step for your child. A top-down, rigid approach is unlikely to be fruitful as your child may find it a chore instead of something he/she enjoys doing. Beyond just creating a table and dividing each day into tasks for each hour, you can help your child uncover creative ways to plan their timetable.

One example is to adopt a tasks-based timetable with specified deadlines. For example, if your child is part of our classes at the Public Speaking Academy, having them practise key habit-building (such as body language, vocal variety) each week will help their growth as a communicator. Remember to have variety in the tasks allocated and check in with your child to ensure that the planned timetable is still manageable for them.

Tip #3: Set Your Mindset – Nurture a Healthy Mindset

Whether they are preparing their script for an in-class presentation or rushing for the last leg of their examination preparation, your child’s mindset is key. This is especially so since the start of the new year represents an opportunity for your child to readjust their mindset. Some of them may be transiting to a new class or school all together, and the various changes may be distracting or difficult to manage. You can help your child through this process by discussing their mindset and managing them accordingly as well. Building on this, it is important to engage your child in the various activities done, especially for both written and oral communication.

To a New Decade!

The new year and decade will surely be another exciting term ahead. For your child, there will be various paths they have to navigate as they are exposed to a new environment or content. This process should not be limited to a narrow discussion on goals and targets to achieve. Instead, remember to adopt an open channel with your child and follow their progress, be it in public speaking, written communication or even examinations. With your guidance, your child will start 2021 with a bright spark!

By The Way…

If you are keen to take your public speaking skills & presentation skills (either business/corporate presentation / training for presentation to clients / kids in-class presentation) to the next level so that you may communicate and deliver speeches with greater flair and charisma, feel free to check out our public speaking course for adults and public speaking course for kids below!

For more about our (weekly group classes) Public Speaking Courses for Adults :

https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/courses-and-programs/group-classes-for-adults/

If you are looking for a 2-day intensive public speaking/ presentation course for adults instead (for our adult learners who can’t do weekends), learn more about our Presentation Skills Training Course here: https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/presentation-skills-training-course-by-world-champion/

If you are looking for Public Speaking Course for Kids / Children:

https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/group-classes-students-age-9-18/

If you are a human resources manager/ business owner in your company…

We want to help you bring out the best in your team, organization, and company. Public speaking and communication skills for the workplace, such as persuasion, remain a priority for most corporate training out there. We believe in staying ahead of the curve in sharing the contemporary communication skills to help you and your team remain relevant, competitive and nimble. Through our customized corporate training programmes, your team will benefit from an in-depth, hands-on, and potential-maximising public speaking training programme!

Feel free to reach out to us to curate your own public speaking corporate training programme for your team, company, or organization! Let us help you develop them into highly effective public speakers at work, empowered with effective presentation skills & storytelling skills – them giving speeches with charisma, influence and impact is something you can look forward to!

For effective presentation skills & public speaking skills training for corporates/ employees: https://publicspeakingacademy.com.sg/corporate-public-speaking-training-workshop/