Whether your child is a little shy and wanting to break out of their shell, or full of confidence and looking to develop as a performer: Speech Arts public speaking classes for kids and teens will support them to achieve their goals.
Register for a 30 Minute Trial Class for FREE
This virtual trial class will include a short lesson to assess where your child is starting from so we can set some achievable public speaking goals together!
I’d Love to Celebrate about my Students for a Moment…
My students have won first place in speech competitions at their school, taken home medals (like ‘the outstanding acting award’ and the ‘outstanding monologue performance award’) at various festivals, and have received First Class Honours for their Speech Arts RCM Exams. Learn more about Christine, your teacher.
Why Enrol in Speech Arts Classes?
Learning Objectives
The study of Speech Arts and Public Speaking gives kids / teens an opportunity to:
- practice public speaking skills and learn tools for feeling comfortable on stage;
- develop confidence in themselves, their ideas, and imagination;
- discover how to use gesture and vocal variety to keep an audience engaged;
- strengthen their ability to memorize increasingly advanced poems, stories, and speeches;
- learn to understand and engage with poetic language;
- develop an appreciation for the rhythm and music of speech;
- learn to speak with volume, clarity, and emotional connection to the piece they’re performing.
What does class work include?
While practicing the above skills, students build a repertoire of poems, stories, speeches, and monologues that they can recite by heart! Students also create original mimes to practice body awareness, and create original speeches and stories based on their life experience and imagination. Additional studies include: improvisation, sight reading, and acting. Private classes are tailored to your child’s learning needs and interests.
Homework & At-Home Study
Each lesson is accompanied by 15 minutes to 1 hour of homework that will be added to their personalized homework database after each lesson (the length of time dedicated to homework depends on a student’s goals). Homework tasks include reading, writing, creative exploration, vocabulary, memorization, and rehearsal.
After they’ve completed their assignments, students can self-assess their work on a scale from 1-5.
Speech Arts Exams & Festivals
Speech Arts Exams and festivals provide students with a concrete performance goal to work towards and can offer them a valuable opportunity to practice the public speaking skills they’ve been learning in class.
Registering for an exam or festival may not be the right step for everyone, and that is perfectly okay. We can discuss your goals during our first class (and revisit those goals as your child progresses).
Exam Options include:
Festivals include (in BC):
Poetry-Focused Festivals & Contests
A wonderful opportunity for students 16+ to practice their public speaking skills and connect with other writers in their community.
For students in grade 6+. Students choose either a classic or contemporary poem to recite from memory, as part of one of their two annual recitation competitions open to individual students across Canada.
Testimonials
“I feel very lucky to have found Christine as my daughter’s public speaking teacher after having her try with several teachers for several years intermittently… She is obviously a spontaneous speaking lover, I felt this from her very natural and relaxed state when she interacts with my daughter during each lesson in such an effective, organized, methodical, yet simple way.
– Yew (parent)
Ms. Christine is a very kind and pure person. Every time I heard the laughter and conversation from her and my daughter in their class, I felt we are so blessed to have her as one of my daughter’s learning guides. Definitely she is the best choice as a public speaking/vocal performance teacher for children.“
About Christine Bissonnette (your teacher)
Christine Bissonnette is a public speaking coach and poetry educator from Vancouver, BC. She has worked with Viva Voce Speech Arts Studio, ArtStarts in Schools, Insight Global Education, Vancouver Biennale, Place des Arts, and more. She also had the great pleasure of adjudicating the Speech Arts segment of the Pacific Northwest Music Festival in 2019.
Program Costs
$95/ per hour + GST. For new students, there is a $50 Registration Fee. Returning students do not pay this fee.
Unless otherwise specified, all Speech Arts classes are 1 hour. Classes are currently held online, over Zoom.
30 MINUTE TRIAL CLASS
Price: FREE
This is you and your child’s chance to meet me, and see if my teaching style is the right fit for their learning needs. BOOK NOW
REGISTER FOR A TERM
New students are welcome to register for class mid-term!
- Winter Term: Jan 8th – March 15th 2024
- Spring Term: April 1st – June 28th 2024
Cancellation Policy
Please provide 12 hours notice for cancellations/rescheduling of private classes. Classes cancelled without adequate notice may be charged the class fee.