Show and tell is a great way to boost your child’s confidence.
My 4-year-old pre-schooler has show and tell once a fortnight and he really enjoys it. Until recently, I thought show and tell was confined to pre-school education.
However, primary schools in Singapore that don’t conduct exams for Primary 1 students have implemented show and tell and written expression as formative assessments.
Show and tell has some great benefits for little ones, including:
- Speech development: show and tell provides an opportunity for your child to use language, conceptual thinking and story-telling skills that will then develop into effective communication skills.
- Emotional skills development: Having an opportunity to share things like his interests, his home life, his family, his joys and struggles will help your child to nurture his emotional skills.
- Listening skills development: By being placed within the show and tell structure, kids learn to be respectful and listen when someone else is speaking.
Your kid will love sharing details about things he likes with his school friends during show and tell.
Topics for show and tell in Singaporean primary schools are usually given around 3-4 weeks in advance.
Children will usually not be allowed to read from any notes or cue cards that may have been prepared from home. In other words, the session has to be done spontaneously… which means last-minute preparation is a no-no.
Since parents are encouraged to help their kids prepare for show and tell, we give you some great tips that will help your little one cruise through his session!
Guide your child… but don’t write her show and tell session for her. Encourage her to use her imagination and creativity!
Helping your child prepare for show and tell
- Encourage your little one to decide what he wants to talk about in relation to the topic and then help him put the session together. For example, if his topic is ‘My Family,’ encourage your child to select a nice picture of your family, and then you could blow up the picture for him and even laminate it.
- Get your child involved in preparing the material. This will encourage him to learn how to research a topic from a very young age — a skill that will see him through primary, secondary and tertiary education.
- Teach your child how to do a mind map. For example, if he is talking about his family, help him get started by noting down points like how many people are in the family, the roles and responsibilities of each family member, favourite hobbies, etc. Next, brainstorm about these areas with more details.
- Encourage your child to write down his thoughts on the topic and use his own words as much as possible. You may guide him when needed.
Don’t forget to encourage and praise your child for a job well done, regardless of the outcome!
- Show your child how to use appropriate hand gestures so that his session looks and sounds natural.
- Closer to the date of the actual session, get him to practice in front of a mirror. You could even record him talking, play it back for him and ask him to evaluate himself.
- Help your child prepare for questions from other kids by asking him your own questions, and getting him to answer them.
- If your child has limited communication skills or is very shy, discuss with the teacher whether he could do his presentation in a different way, such as through a power point or slide show display, or even a short video he could record at home.
Parents, do remember to encourage your child at all times, especially if he is shy talking in front of others. Don’t forget to ask him how the actual session went and congratulate him on a job well done!
Does your child have show and tell in school? Do share your own tips on how you help your child prepare for show and tell by leaving a comment below.