Empowering Kids to Speak Confidently + GIVEAWAY

Media Invite

Babies start developing communication skills as soon as they are born. Young babies cry to let their parents know they are hungry and indeed, a baby learns that he/she gets fed as a result of crying and therefore continues with this behaviour.

Of course crying for food becomes less acceptable the older the baby gets. Kids learn that using sentences including the word ‘please’ to ask for food is perhaps the best strategy for success. Their communication skills evolve and more so than ever, it is this set of skills that is increasingly becoming more important for our kids to stand out in the crowd.

Sure, great academic skills may get you that overseas scholarship but truly successful individuals somehow have that knack of building positive relationships by active listening and asking the right questions - which essentially boils down to possessing excellent communication skills.

And it is precisely because of this that both Ash and Ayd found themselves in a 2-day workshop. During the second week of the June School Holidays.

Yes, bummer for them I know as I suspect they would rather be playing video games at home.

But this was not the usual enrichment workshop or cramming class that seek to improve their academic performance. Rather, the Confident Speech workshop aims to impart critical skills for kids to converse more effectively and speak more impactfully... in a very fun and engaging way!

The workshop is designed for kids aged 7 to 12 and conducted by Trainium Academy, founded by Eugene Seah who had invested 12 years of his professional life managing strategic marketing and communications projects for large corporations in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The great thing about the workshop is everything is taught through fun-filled activities and role-plays. If the boys were dreading boring and monotonous lessons at the start of the workshop, they were proven wrong!

In order to gain self-confidence for public speaking, the kids were tasked to draft their own speech - where parents will be able to sit in for a 45-minute presentation and watch at the end of the 2-day workshop.

For obvious reasons, I cannot divulge the exact methodology that was imparted to the boys (in case Eugene slaughters me) BUT what I am able to share is the kids will be taught how to converse more effectively in the following aspects:

- Impress teachers during oral exams
- Improve listening skills and comprehension skills
- Ask the right questions at the right time
- Make a better connection with virtually anyone he/she meets

Also, the child will learn tips how to speak more impactfully when giving a presentation:

- Make strong impressions when speaking to an audience
- Master body language and facial expressions
- Employ voice control to increase interest
- Answer questions confidently and relevantly

And I guess their happy faces said it all when I picked them up after the end of Day 1 of the workshop.

In fact, they were looking forward to Day 2 so much that not even the usually dreaded speech to all the parents at the end of the day could put them off.

All of the kids performed admirably. Sure, there were instances when they looked worried that they would forget the script but I could see how they remembered to use various movements and gestures to keep the speech interesting.

But perhaps the most fitting testimonial came from the boys, who unanimously agreed the 2 days were well-spent and they never thought they they could enjoy and learn that much from the workshop!

A huge thanks to Eugene for helping the kids learn in a fun, enjoyable and relaxed environment because kids being kids, they learn best through having loads of fun!

There will be TWO more such workshops to be conducted this June School Holidays: 18/19 June and 23/24 June 2015. If you are interested to register your child or find out more, email priscilla@trainiumacademy.com. More details in the poster below.

[GIVEAWAY!]

Thanks to Trainium Academy, I have ONE slot to give away to a child for the 18/19 June workshop.

To participate, simply complete the following steps:

1. LIKE Trainium Academy's Facebook Page HERE.
2. Tell me why you will love to have your child speak more confidently. Leave your answer either in the comment section of this blog post OR on our Cheekiemonkies' Facebook corresponding post HERE.

*Important: You have to complete all two steps in order to be eligible for the draw.

Giveaway ends on 15 June 2015, 2359 hours.