Posts Tagged road map to mastery of speaking skills

My three homeschool curriculum road maps for mastery of reading, thinking, and speaking skills are meant to provide a framework for assessing mastery of the three skills of the classical trivium.  The following checklist represents my personal homeschool curriculum goals for helping my children master writing and speaking skills.  Use this road map to assess your child’s communication abilities as you plan your own personalized strategic plan for the semester.  This road map will really help when it comes to creating your homeschool curriculum!

I believe there are five primary communication abilities, both oral and written, that every literate homeschool child needs to master: (1) how to maintain a conversation, (2) how to write a paragraph, (3) how to take notes, (4) how to write advanced compositions, and (5) how to give a speech.

Under each “how to,” I have listed some basic homeschool curriculum ideas, but the list is certainly not all-inclusive. Homeschooling gives you the freedom to customize the content and methods to your own child’s needs. Here is my complete Home School Curriculum Road Map to Mastery of Speaking Skills:

How to Maintain a Conversation

• Look at people when conversing
• Shake hands firmly and repeat their name
• Listen intently
• Answer the telephone and take a message
• Draft personal, business, and email correspondence
• Follow manners, etiquette, and protocol in social situations

How to Write a Paragraph

• Write a topic sentence
• Support the topic in remaining sentences
• Vary sentence structure
• Add stylistic elements
• Incorporate transitions
• Clinch the title from the final sentence
• Imitate classic authors by substituting words
• Practice using thesaurus

How to Take Notes

• Outline main points of text and lecture
• Annotate in book margins
• Construct an abstract or summary from notes
• Narrate understanding
• Reduce notes to main ideas

How to Write Advanced Compositions

• Develop a hook to gain attention
• Draft introductions and conclusions
• Vary paragraph style
• Learn basic three point essay
• Develop a thesis statement
• Research and gather evidence to support thesis
• Cite authorities via footnotes
• Create bibliography
• Present and defend oral dissertation
• Proofread and edit every composition

How to Give a Speech

• Memorize, recall, and recite stories, scripts, and speeches
• Punctuate points with eye contact and body language
• Gain platform experience (expository, persuasive)
• Gain interpretive experience (dramatic, humorous, duo)
• Gain limited prep experience (impromptu, apologetics, extemporaneous)
• Acquire team policy debate experience
• Analyze famous historical speeches for form and style

Please feel free to tailor my speaking skills road map to the needs of your own homeschool child. Add or subtract according to your personal homeschool curriculum objectives.  Teach out of a position of rest instead of anxiety by keeping your communication goals simple.  Remember your vision for raising excellent communicators!

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Check out my other checklists for teaching the three skills of the classical Christian trivium:

Homeschool Curriculum Road Map to Mastery of Reading Skills

Homeschool Curriculum Road Map to Mastery of Thinking Skills