Who loves winning prizes?! We all do right. Here is your chance to win big cash prizes just by sitting at home. What do you have to do? What is it about? Is it easy or hard? All of your questions will be answered shortly. The Real School Of Montessori is presenting you with the biggest contest of the year called the National public speaking competition. It is meant for all the young kids aged between 7-15. If you love to bake words and you do fall into this group you should definitely participate!
What is it Going to be all About?
The format is very simple. There will be three rounds. Round 1 is called the presidential speech. All you have to do is present a speech on any of the four topics given on the The Real School Of Montessori website. Choose a topic that interests you and enables you to give outstanding content.
Since there are two categories- The orators (Age 7-10), will have different topics from the Flamboyance which is the second category (Age 11-15).
Moving on to the second round which is the Panel discussion where only 20 people will take part in. Here, you will be judged on how well you can put your opinions across the audience. For that, you need to come prepared beforehand. Know your topic. Don’t go off-topic. Stay on time. Don’t repeat yourself as it gets boring to the audience. Support your argument with facts/ statistics, it will earn you more points! You have to make the audience believe in you so focus on that.
How Many People go in The Final Round?
The last round is the Final Debate round where only 4 participants will go ahead. A good debater should first have knowledge on the topic and most importantly, an opinion for the same. If you do know have enough information, you will be crushed by your opponent.
To help yourselves in the debate session, make cue cards, and write down the main points in an organized way so that you do not end up missing any valid points.
For any debate, it is always better to prepare for your opponent’s arguments. Prepare questions that they might have and have their answers ready so that you don’t sit silent during the debate. The most important skill needed here is listening, if you listen well only then can you challenge the opponent’s opinion. If you misunderstand their content as a result of poor listening, it will have a negative impact on your performance.
For registration, just click here.
When do We have to Submit Our Entry?
The entries are open from 1st December and close on 31st December for round 1. So you have the whole month to plan and prepare. No need to rush. Where do we have to submit? You can submit your entry directly on the The Real School Of Montessori website here.
How can You Win the First Round?
- Before you begin planning for a speech, you would obviously need to know the format of a speech. The style has to be formal with proper usage of vocabulary and grammar. So get yourself familiar with the format.
- The next thing is you need to gather material for your speech. You can jot down points from your own experience or watch other speeches for inspiration. Youtube can be your best friend here. Remember do not just copy other speeches as your entry will be disqualified. Keep it organic and real.
- Once you’re done with your speech, have your parents/ teachers listen to it so they can add some feedback to enhance your content. It’s always best to know multiple views so that you can make corrections and put the best material from your side.
More Tips for Acing Panel Discussions and Debate Round
- For the panel discussion, first, know your role. Why are you invited to this discussion? Who is your audience? What can you contribute from your side? Can you offer something new to the table?
- Include stories from your life to make the audience engaged. If you throw off too much info, they will not listen to you.
- For debates, remember one thing: speak with CONFIDENCE. There is a saying “act like you’re winning when you aren’t”.
- Lastly, for all the rounds keep your energy levels up and do not get motivated.
What Do Winners Get?
The winners get huge cash prizes starting with Rs. 1,000 and going up to 1 Lakh rupees! Isn’t it amazing? Sitting at home you can earn this hefty amount.
Conclusion
Not every year do we see big competitions like this one happening. Even most of the schools do not offer such grand contests. Plus you have the freedom of using resources and have plenty of time to think. If you are that kid with big dreams then this can be a great beginning for you to show your potential to the world. Encourage your friends to participate as well. If you are an aspiring writer, poet or author then this is your chance to shine and make it big.
