Writing well is easily one of the most sought-after and useful skills in the business world. Ironically, it is one of the rarest and most undervalued skills among students, and few teachers have the time, resources, or skills to teach writing skills effectively. Here's how we can help. We have a handful of tips to make the process of writing more productive and less painful. Developing writing skills will not only improve your child's grades but will help develop your child's

Kids can have real worries about starting school. Attending school may be the first time your child experiences clear pressure to do well. As a parent, you can respond to signs of anxiety by talking to your child about school concerns and make time to listen when kids want to talk - review your child's worries one at a time and help them problem solve so they don't become overwhelmed. The following strategies help children overcome anxiety as they return to school. 1 Overcome

It’s time for some quality family time and what does that mean? Games! We’ve found simple family games that you can play anywhere. And, many of them are played using the supplies you have around you – or none at all! Some of these fun family games to play will make you laugh so hard your insides will hurt – in a good way! You’ll definitely want to read on to discover the fun. Board Games Family game night ideas don’t have to be complicated. You can create lasting memories sit

"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be a failure." - Confucius Getting the kids ready for school after the long holiday can prove to be a hassle. The transition can either be smooth or bumpy, depending on your kids' frame of mind during the break. Part of the success in getting your kids ready for school is the accomplishment of coaching them on the things that will need to do. In this article, you will learn tips and tric

Whether you want to be a teacher, a businessman, or a scientist, public speaking will help you or your child be successful. And yet, we don’t really learn public speaking formally in school. We spend so much time learning writing and grammar, but most of us don’t really invest time to become great verbal communicators. Occasionally there are parents who don’t think public speaking is important because students are not graded on it. However, that attitude is short-sighted. You

Somewhere along the way, most of us have been given advice about public speaking that goes something like this: Don't use your hands too much. Just keep gestures to a minimum so people can focus on your words. Yet research shows that it's actually effective for a presenter's hands to do plenty of "talking". They just need to be saying the right thing. The problem for most people, of course, is figuring out how to use the right gestures that reinforce their verbal message—all

"Something is happening. We are becoming a visually mediated society. For many, understanding of the world is being accomplished, not through words, but by reading images." - Paul Martin Lester Visual aids are an effective way of supporting and supplementing any speech or presentation. They can increase the audience's understanding of your topic, explain points, make an impact and create enthusiasm. There are many purposes for using visual aids, for instance, you may want to

How many times have you had an important message to share where right before you stand up to speak, your palms get sweaty, your stomach starts turning and then that dreaded dry mouth kicks in. It's not ideal but it means you care about your message. If you do, there will always be an underlying anxiety every time you present. Public speaking anxiety, also known as glossophobia, is one of the most commonly reported social fears. The number one cause of your speaking anxiety is

Do you know what your body is saying? Whatever your verbal content, a huge part of the influence you achieve with audiences is due to what you don't say. Or at least, what you don't say through words. If you have speech anxiety or other forms of stage fright, this is information you certainly need to know. We recognize poor stance when we see it formed as a result of bad habits carried out over years and evident in many adults. But only few people have a real grasp of the imp

When was the last time you thought about your facial expressions? You probably have control over the words you speak, do you have control over what you say with your facial expressions? We’ve all seen photos of ourselves when we are relaxed – and not knowing we are photographed. Even though we had a great time at an event, we look sad in the photo. Or stressed. Or simply weird. It just goes to show you that most of us aren’t aware of what we are saying with our facial express

Today, we are looking at hand gestures. Using gestures, when giving a public speech is a very important part of your public speaking. If you fail to use gestures properly and you do awkward gestures throughout your public speaking, you are probably going to distract your audience and you are not going to get the impact that you want when you are giving a speech. Visually, people would have a different perception of you in a matter of two or three seconds. Here is some of the

Let's be frank, writing is a difficult skill to learn, let alone master. Yet, it is important to help your children develop writing skills at an early age. Here are some reasons why writing is an important skill for people of all ages: Practicality Every day, we need to write in order to complete our tasks, whether we are filling out a form at the doctor's office or writing an important letter. These tasks require us to write clearly, and organize information effectively to a

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to listen back to your voice, whether on the phone or on camera? And you are thinking, do I really sound like that? Is that my voice? Here's how we can help you improve the aesthetic speaking quality of your voice. Athletes work for years in order to get to the top and win the Olympics. If they stop training, their standard or form will decline. It is the same with the muscles that make up your voice. If you are a speaker or som