Teachers at all grade levels in all subjects have speaking assignments for students, but many teachers believe they don't know how to teach speaking, and many even fear speaking to groups themselves.
In Well Spoken veteran teacher and education consultant Erik Palmer shares the art of teaching speaking in any classroom. Teachers will find thoughtful and engaging strategies, lessons, and tips for integrating speaking skills throughout the curriculum. Palmer stresses the essential elements of all effective oral communication used in one-to-one, small group, large group, formal, informal, in-person, and digital situations including:
● Building a Speech: Audience, Content, Organization, Visual Aids, and Appearance
● Performing a Speech: Poise, Voice, Life, Eye Contact, Gestures, and Speed
● Evaluating a Speech: Creating Effective Rubrics, Guiding Students to Excellence
In this updated second edition, Palmer builds on his tried and true framework, with the addition of practical steps and lesson ideas for teaching speaking in a variety of digital contexts. With new chapters focusing on digital speaking contexts including podcasts, webinars, and video/audio apps, Palmer demonstrates how to adjust and enhance the teaching of speaking to include both in-person and digital contexts.
Discover why, year after year, students returned to Palmer's classroom to thank him for teaching them how to be well spoken. You may find, after reading this book, that you have become a better speaker, too.
Part 1: The Art of Speaking 1. Can We Talk? 2. Effective Communication Part 2: Building a Speech 3. Audience: Understanding the Listeners 4. Content: Making the Message Valuable 5. Organization: Making the Speech Easy to Follow 6. Visual Aids: Enhancing the Words 7. Appearance: Dressing for the Occasion Part 3: Performing a Speech 8. Poise: Appearing Calm and Confident 9. Voice: Making Every Word Heard 10. Life: Putting Passion into the Voice 11. Eye Contact: Engaging Each Listener 12. Gestures: Matching Motions to Words 13. Speed: Pacing for a Powerful Performance Part 4: Putting Theory into Practice 14. Every Day Through the End of the Year 15. Evaluating Speeches 16. Speaking Activities Across the Curriculum Part 5: Speaking Digitally 17. Building Digital Talks 18. Performing for Digital Audiences 19. Evaluating Digital Talks 20. Digital Speaking Activities Across the Curriculum
Biography
Erik Palmer, a consultant and author from Denver, Colorado, spent twenty-one years in the classroom teaching English, math, science, and civics. Before teaching, he was the national sales leader for a prominent brokerage firm. Now, he frequently presents at educational conferences, and has led workshops for teachers and school leaders across the United States and around the world.
"There is not a better book on teaching speaking than this one. I’ve been using PVLEGS for over a decade and it never gets old. Get this book."
—Dave Stuart Jr., high school teacher and author of The Will to Learn
"Well Spoken is an essential guide for educators aiming to cultivate confident and capable speakers. Erik demonstrates that speaking skills can and should be taught. The second edition brings his ideas alive in the new digital age where these skills are even more valuable."
—Russell Findlay, CEO of Speakers Trust, the UK's largest dedicated public speaking charity.
"Erik Palmer’s PVLEGS should be the cornerstone to every school’s curriculum. Students in today’s world need specific and guided coaching on how to look up and connect with the world around them, so they can present themselves for success.
I have been integrating Erik’s books into my ELA & Drama curriculum for over twelve years, and I have seen measurable and meaningful success in thousands of middle school and high school students. Whether it be with an elbow partner or an assembly, Palmer’s books provide concrete scaffolding on how we should speak aloud. When students apply the PVLEGS, they face the common fear of public speaking and say, ‘Let’s dance.’"
—Alyssa Brumbaugh, middle school and drama teacher
