“Ma’am, was I too fast?”
“Did I say it clearly?”
“Ma’am, I forgot what to say.”
“I want to try again – I can do better ma’am!”
Hearing these questions after a Grade 2 speaking activity made me pause and reflect. While students were eager to speak, they were unsure how to improve and depended heavily on teacher’s feedback.
I realised that they needed clearer guidance, individualised support, and a way to understand their own speaking strengths and areas for growth. This reflection led me to implement the Speaker Progress tool in Microsoft Teams as a structured support system during Class Teacher’s Period.
During CTP, students were assigned short speaking tasks linked to the monthly “Show and Tell” theme. Each child recorded their presentation using Speaker Progress, which automatically generated clear feedback on essential speaking elements such as pace, pronunciation, pitch variation, use of filler words, inclusiveness, and audience engagement. For young learners, this transformed speaking from a simple classroom activity into a guided learning experience with clear direction.
The results were clearly visible. Most students demonstrated an appropriate speaking pace (around 112 words per minute), used no filler words, and maintained good eye contact with suitable camera distance. The tool also highlighted specific areas for improvement, particularly pitch variation and pronunciation of selected words, allowing for focused practice and targeted teacher support. Feedback became specific, meaningful, and easy for students to understand.
This innovative strategy significantly improved student engagement and confidence. Learners were eager to view their individual speaker reports and took pride in their strengths. Over time, they became more aware of how they spoke and showed noticeable improvement in clarity, expression, and voice modulation. From a teacher’s perspective, Speaker Progress provided objective data that supported formative assessment and informed follow-up activities during CTP.
Most importantly, the use of this tool encouraged self-reflection at an early age. Students began setting simple personal goals such as speaking clearly, using expression, and improving pronunciation. Gradually, speaking became enjoyable, purposeful, and less intimidating for young learners.
Takeaway:
Using digital tools thoughtfully can meaningfully enhance communication skills. Short, low-pressure speaking tasks paired with clear feedback can build confidence, awareness, and steady progress in young speakers.
Sivakameswari Lakshmi Narasimhan, HOD – Grades 1 and 2.
