5 Ways Being Ready to Speak Will Help Your Student This School Year
[Updated 2026] For almost 30 years, The Institute for Cultural Communicators has been helping the next generation get ready to speak. With all the needs in the world, why is this the focus of this organization I lead? Being ready to speak in any situation is a foundational skill for success in education and in life. It prepares students for every stage, gives them tools for whatever comes their way. Here are five ways communication skills help your student at school and beyond. Your student is bully resilient. Johns Hopkins Medicine warns today’s parents and educators: “Bullying is a serious issue that affects up to 75% of kids at…
The Heart of the Matter – Why EQ is a Kingdom Skill
I had just finished speaking to a group of parent educators when a mom approached me, her brow furrowed. “I’m not as worried about my son’s public speaking skills,” she said. “I just want him to have good character. I want him to be a person who actually cares about others.” I smiled, because I hear this often. We tend to put “skills” (like speaking, leadership, or academics) in one bucket and “character” (like empathy, kindness, and self-control) in another. But in my years of coaching students to be ready to speak, I’ve discovered a vital truth: You only cultivate world-changing skills with Emotional Intelligence. What is EQ,…
Literacy in Motion: Why Speaking Is the Secret to Stronger Readers and Writers
At the start of eighth grade, thirteen-year-old Leo was drowning in a sea of disconnected ideas. His essays were often returned with notes about “fragmented organization.” At home, he would stare at blank documents for hours. His mother, Sarah, watched him struggle to untangle his thoughts and turn them into essays, unsure of how to help. The turning point came from a source Sarah didn’t expect: a communications club he started attending. To prepare for a mini-debate, Leo had to organize a two-minute speech with a clear beginning, middle, and end. He had to swap words like “stuff” for precise nouns and anticipate what his audience needed to hear.…
Connecting to Your Audience Through Pathos
There’s an old story often told in the United States that goes something like this: Once, a husband saw his wife preparing dinner and asked her: “Why are you cutting off the best part of the roast?!” His wife, a bit taken aback by the question, responded, “That’s how my mother always did it. I’m not sure why.” So they called up her mother and asked. Her response: “My mother always cut off the end of the roast – but I never asked why. Let’s call her.” So they did. When they questioned Grandma about it, she said: “Well, I don’t know why you cut it off, but my pan…
Sherbet, Speech, and Skills for Success
This story is an excerpt from my book Vital Signs: Five Essential Skills Every Student Needs for Success in Education and in Life. Enjoy! I remember my first time meeting Janai. The shy little girl was gripping her mother’s skirt, hiding behind her back as we chatted. She only peeked out to say a quick “Hi” when prompted. Then she was right back in her hiding spot. When I first announced that I was starting a public speaking class, Janai’s parents signed her right up — to their daughter’s horror. I coached the timid girl for a year, watching her grow and grow and grow as she learned the foundational…
