The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
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The Importance of Public Speaking in School
Country School students learn to be comfortable in front of an audience early on and build upon these skills as they rise through each grade.
American schools largely place emphasis on students excelling in literacy and math, as these skills are most commonly tested and considered the building blocks of learning. Unfortunately, this focus often overlooks the value of communications skills. It is critical that students learn to communicate their thoughts and ideas to others, as this skill set will serve them well throughout not just school but life. Yet communications strategies are rarely taught with the same structure and regularity as other aspects of a curriculum.
At The Country School, students begin their public speaking journey in first grade. Each year, every grade performs in a class play and every student has a speaking role. Teachers have creative license to design the play to coincide with a unit they might be working on to further reinforce the lesson. The children learn to work together as a whole and ultimately see their hard work appreciated by their audience: the whole school. Plays have ranged in topic from being kind to the environment, to science fiction, to holiday-themed productions, and they never disappoint.
Lower and Upper School students may participate in our fall and spring talent shows to demonstrate their skills in front of their peers, parents, and teachers. Some children perform in groups with dance routines or gymnastics, while solo artists belt out their favorite tunes or showcase acting or martial arts skills. The talent shows, in addition to class plays and in-class presentations, offers students myriad opportunities to practice and fine-tune their communications skills.
Lower and Upper School students may participate in our fall and spring talent shows to demonstrate their skills in front of their peers, parents, and teachers. Some children perform in groups with dance routines or gymnastics, while solo artists belt out their favorite tunes or showcase acting or martial arts skills. The talent shows, in addition to class plays and in-class presentations, offers students myriad opportunities to practice and fine-tune their communications skills.
Students also participate in a great deal of group work within their classes, which are small enough that everybody gets to know everybody else, and the teachers are well versed in the personalities and strengths of their students. Consistently reinforcing the importance of cooperation, teamwork, and presenting themselves with poise is a theme at The Country School and prepares children for challenges ahead.
Date Posted 
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Harshita Arora7/23/2018 @ 7:45 AMNice Blog! I think more schools should take such initiatives of teaching public speaking and provide other co-curricular activities for children to participate in.
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Sukhman Kaur7/23/2018 @ 7:26 AMGreat, its really important to include public speaking as a part of education.
Recent News
List of 5 news stories.
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Summer Trips for Upper School Students in 2025
It is with great excitement that The Country School announces the addition of 2025 summer trips for our Upper School students!Read More -
The Country School Celebrates 90 Years and Installs Jay Parker
Read MoreThe Country School is proud to be celebrating its 90th school year. This milestone year also marks the beginning of a new chapter with the appointment of Jay Parker as the 7th Head of School. -
Conversation & Homecoming - Saturday, February 24, 2024
Read MoreThe Country School, Talbot County Free Library, and the Avalon Foundation, sponsors, join with fourteen other community organizations to present Conversation & Homecoming with Carole Boston Weatherford and her son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, a program free and open to all. -
TCS Upper School presents 'Matilda, Jr.!'
Read MoreThe Country School will present Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. on March 1st & 2nd at 7pm and on March 3rd at 2pm in the school’s auditorium. Tickets are $10. Click here to purchase tickets. -
Renowned Scholar Celeste-Marie Bernier visits The Country School
This week, The Country School was honored to welcome a distinguished visitor to its campus, Professor Celeste-Marie Bernier, Chair of United States and Atlantic Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.Read More
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