Many students find public speaking intimidating, embarrassing and threatening. In this practical and encouraging book, classroom teachers will discover a wonderful collection of ideas to help students overcome their fear of public speaking and flourish in front of an audience.

Rich in anecdotes and inspiration, Speaking Rules! is divided into two major sections. The first section focuses on oral communication with specific suggestions for imagining, listening actively, remembering, developing rapport with an audience, using body language, exploring voice, showing composure, improvising, and interpreting. The second section deals with performance, especially, developing content, coaching student performers, and assessing and evaluating oral communication.

Teachers will find a wealth of material to share with students, including:

- step-by-step suggestions for writing a captivating speech

- tips for selecting a great story to tell and learning to tell it well

- ideas for extending skills into other curriculum areas

- ready-to-copy sheets for teacher assessment and prompts for student reflection.