CLAYPOOL — Claypool Elementary School sixth grade students recently began developing their public speaking skills through giving speeches in front of their teachers and peers. The purpose of doing these speeches is to help students prepare to confidently speak before others throughout the rest of their education and later into their careers.

When giving speeches, Claypool students speak before their classmates on a topic for 30 seconds to one minute.

Topics include discussing a person the student admires, a place he or she would like to go and an instructional speech where they teach the class how to perform a task.

Students utilize a podium and microphone during their speeches to allow for a realistic experience for other group-speaking events they may encounter in their lives.

Though at first students were nervous, throughout the course of these speeches students became more relaxed and confident when addressing their class. By the final day of speeches, students were able to comfortably speak before their peers and teachers.

Former students have commented that practicing public speaking in sixth grade was one of the most beneficial things they did all year.

They claim that they felt more prepared for middle school and high school and had a newfound sense of confidence when asked to speak in front of their peers.