Speeches Part 3- Cue Cards and Recitation

Once students have completed their full drafts, it is time to time their speech. The guideline of between 600-700 words was given and students should aim to have their speeches be between 3-5 minutes long.

Students should be reciting their speeches between 2-4 times per day in order to prepare for the recitation. 

We would like to present our speeches the week of February 10-14. 

Students will be instructed on how to make cue cards and given enough to make one set. Some students may find that after a few days they may want to make another set that suits them better when they know their speech topic.

Here are some guidelines and tips we discussed in class. Students should NOT write their entire speech word for word on their cue cards and some students may end up making more than one set, as they become more and more familiar with their speech.

A good process is to have a full draft in front of them, and working through each section, cover portions of the speech to see what needs to be written as a "cue".   The first few words of each sentence is a good start. Numbers and details should be written as well if there are many in the speech to keep track of. 

Making Cue Cards TIPS

·         have ONE main heading or idea per card

·         write clearly using larger than usual font (so you can read them easily)

·         have plenty of white space around each word or phrase to help them stand out

·         use bullet points or numbers to itemize the supporting ideas under the main heading

·         write on one side of the card only

·         number your cards or tie them together so that the cards can be flipped.

·         color-code clearly showing your main idea, supporting ideas, examples and links