| p>Homeschool speeches require lots of work | | | | the first three sentences from memory. Continue |
| from coming up with the debatable idea to | | | | this repetitive layering technique until he's got the |
| organizing the thoughts to memorizing the entire | | | | entire paragraph memorized. When memorized, |
| piece to delivering it with style. In the ancient | | | | start on paragraph number two. Follow the same |
| Greco-Roman world, classical rhetoric was | | | | procedure and recite both paragraphs from |
| comprised of five principles which provided a | | | | memory. Encourage him to keep plugging away |
| template for developing and critiquing speeches | | | | by using all of his senses until he's got the whole |
| and written compositions. In principle one, | | | | homeschool speech memorized. |
| invention, the speaker determined the debatable | | | | "Imagine the Room" |
| idea, discovered the logical arguments, and | | | | Ancient orators used to "place" certain portions of |
| developed the thesis for his speech. Principle two, | | | | the speech in the room where they would give |
| arrangement, divided the speech into an | | | | the speech. For instance, if Caesar was preparing |
| introduction, a statement of facts, an outline, the | | | | a speech for the assembly gathering in the |
| proof, the refutation, and the conclusion. Style, | | | | Roman Forum, he might go to the Forum and |
| principle three, involved determining purpose | | | | walk around looking for distinct images which he |
| (instruction, persuasion, or entertainment) and | | | | could then tag as he memorized his speech. He |
| selecting words for greatest effect. The fifth | | | | decided in advance where he would physically |
| principle, delivery, comes from the Greek word | | | | deliver or geographically "place" each component |
| "hypokrisos" which means acting, so it's not | | | | of the speech: the intro to the center steps, point |
| surprising that voice and gestures are an | | | | number one to the marble column on the left, |
| important component of delivery. | | | | point number two to the statuary on the right, |
| Principle four, memory, involved the ability to recall | | | | and the conclusion to the entrance. As the speech |
| the elements of the speech. Every great orator | | | | unfolds, each section is recalled as the images are |
| was expected to recite his speech from memory, | | | | viewed. This technique involves tagging by |
| but for the ancients, memory was more than | | | | association; when you want to recall a certain |
| simply memorizing a speech. One author, perhaps | | | | portion of the speech, think of the tag, and you'll |
| Cicero, called memory the "treasury of things | | | | remember the content associated with that tag. |
| invented" meaning that memory was the place | | | | So what does your homeschool child do when he |
| where all the components of the debatable idea | | | | isn't able to visualize or visit the room where he'll |
| were stored. Additionally, memory had to do with | | | | give the speech in advance? Show him how to |
| structuring the speech so that the audience would | | | | use a room from your home for tagging his |
| retain the content, too, through use of | | | | speech. He can place point one at the sofa, point |
| enumeration and vivid descriptions. Memorizing | | | | two at the coffee table, and the conclusion at the |
| speeches always seems to give homeschool kids | | | | piano. Or he might want to use a familiar traveling |
| grief, so here are two memory techniques that I | | | | route for his tags...from the garage to the mailbox |
| have found especially helpful in our homeschool. | | | | to the entrance to the subdivision to the traffic |
| "See, Say, Hear, Write, Move" | | | | light to the grocery store. Do you see how this |
| Once your homeschooler has written the speech, | | | | works? Learning experts say that your brain |
| it's time for him to start memorizing. Show him | | | | forms associations between your environment |
| how to partition the speech into natural divisions | | | | and circumstances. An example of this is the |
| (actors call these "beats" of character motivation), | | | | bombing of the World Trade Center; you probably |
| and tackle one section at a time. Have him start | | | | remember exactly where you were and what |
| with the introduction and learn each subsequent | | | | you were doing when you heard the tragic news |
| paragraph, or you might want to tell him to start | | | | even though it's been years since the event. Your |
| with the conclusion and work his way backward | | | | brain uses spatial and otherwise meaningful clues |
| to the beginning of the speech. Both methods | | | | to store and retrieve information. |
| work. | | | | Our brains have an amazing capacity to memorize |
| When he selects a segment to memorize, have | | | | large portions of scripts and speeches. As a |
| him read the entire section out loud. Not only are | | | | speech coach and frequent judge at the |
| his eyes storing the content, but his ears are | | | | homeschool National Christian Forensics |
| storing the data, too. Ask him to experiment with | | | | Communication Association speech and debate |
| pronunciation, intonation, and pacing as he reads | | | | tournaments, I always prefer a memorized |
| the text. Help him decide which words or phrases | | | | speech over a script that is read word for word. |
| are important enough to punctuate verbally with | | | | The homeschool student who commits the |
| pauses, rising volume, or crisp consonants. Tell him | | | | speech or debate constructive to memory is free |
| to carefully listen to himself speak. After he's read | | | | to make eye contact, tailor the text to the needs |
| through the section, he should copy the text | | | | of the audience, and receive nonverbal feedback |
| word for word, reading aloud as he writes. | | | | as a result. These two techniques are not limited |
| Now have him stand up and go back to the first | | | | to formal speeches given by high school |
| sentence. Tell him to read it out loud while moving | | | | homeschool teens. Use these two techniques now |
| until he can recite it the homeschool speech from | | | | to help younger homeschooler memorize short |
| memory. He might try an outstretched arm at an | | | | poems, Bible passages, and even foreign |
| appropriate moment, or he might walk to the | | | | languages. If your younger child is not yet reading, |
| right and place his hands on his hips. Tell him to do | | | | you can read the poem or passage into a |
| the same with the second sentence, but this | | | | cassette recorder or mp3 player for the "hear it" |
| time, to recite sentences one and two. Then have | | | | portion of the memory technique. |
| him add sentence three so that now he recites | | | | |