how do you write a 4th grade speech

How to Write a Speech for the Fourth Grade Student Council

Lori furgerson.

Having a speech that gives your fellow classmates a reason to vote for you is important when writing a speech for fourth grade student council. With some research on what fellow students want and some planning, you are on your way to writing a speech that may get you elected to student council. If you find yourself needing to write a speech, following a few simple steps may lead you to success.

Begin your speech by welcoming your fellow classmates. Tell the audience your name, grade and the position you are running for.

Share with the audience the reasons you are running, what you want to accomplish while you are in office and how you will do it. For example, maybe you want to convince the principal and teachers that fourth graders should have more independence lining up outside from recess and coming into the classroom.

Provide the reasons why you will do well in this position. Give information about your personal background. State your educational qualifications, such as if you are on the honor roll. Share what activities you have been involved with in fourth grade.

Conclude your speech by recapping what you said and why you are the candidate that should be in office. End your speech with a catchy, memorable slogan.

About the Author

Lori Furgerson began writing for an educational company in 2005. She was a classroom teacher for 12 years and became a national literacy consultant, traveling the country to work with state departments, school districts and at the school level to improve literacy instruction. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from California State University at Northridge.

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How to Write a Student Council Speech

Last Updated: April 24, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 127 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,048,126 times.

Being a member of the student council can help you help your school. However, it takes hard work to get into the student council . You need to craft a good speech that gives your classmates incentives to vote for you.

Your Student Council Speech

Use a strong, attention-grabbing opening. Discuss your qualifications briefly, then move on. Focus your speech on your passion and present a blueprint to achieve your goals. Close with a strong summary and call to vote for you.

Sample Speeches

Writing the Introduction

• Do not merely start by saying, "My name is ___ and I'm running for student council." Your classmates will already know as much and this is not really a unique statement. There will be time to state the basic information after you've got the class's attention. [1] X Research source
• You can open with a question. Something like, "If there was one thing you could change about this school, what would it be?" Or a question that adds some humor , like, "I know what you're thinking. Why should I listen to this person?" and then proceed to lay out your credentials. Quotes on leadership, power, and guidance would also make good openings. However, make sure to double-check your sources and especially if you're finding quotes online. Many online quote databases, like Quote Garden or Brainy Quote, sometimes attribute quotes to the wrong sources. [2] X Research source
• If you're stuck, look up and read famous speeches. You can find many speeches from presidents, world leaders, civil rights activists, and others online. Pay attention to how they opened their speeches and ask yourself, "Was this interesting? Do I want to keep reading/listening? Why?" [3] X Research source

• State your name and grade in school. This may feel somewhat unnecessary if you go to a small school, but it's considered a formality. If you're missing this part of the speech, you may end up looking sloppy in comparison to other students. [5] X Research source
• State what you want. That is, what you're running for. Do you want to be the president , vice president , treasurer, secretary? Even if you think most students are aware of what position you're running for, make sure you state it here to remind them. [6] X Research source
• Try to keep this section brief as it's not as important as your qualifications and plans to improve the school . Even one sentence would suffice. For example, "My name is Ramona Hart, I'm in the 11th grade, and I'm running for treasurer of the student council."

• Any accomplishments relevant to the position warrant mentioning here. If you're running for secretary, for example, talk about your summer job filing papers in your uncle's law firm. If you're running for student council president, talk about your leadership experience being captain of the swim team. [7] X Research source
• While this section is important, try to keep it minimal. A couple of sentences laying out your qualifications is enough as the body of your speech is where you should spend the most time. For example, let's go back to the above example. From there, we could say, "I am currently enrolled in advanced placement algebra and I have been an honor roll student for three years. This knowledge of numbers and diligence qualifies me to have responsibility for finances for our student council." [8] X Research source

Writing the Body of the Speech

• You should list your ideas and then expand on them later in the body. It might take a bit of research to figure out what you want to change. Ask around the school, talking to students and teachers, and see where there's room for improvement. What are the concerns of the students? What are people happy with regarding the school? What would they like to see change? Asking these questions can help you get a sense of your audience and community.
• Remember, you should not make promises you cannot keep. Do not say anything just to get elected. While many students might want gum-chewing policies eliminated or for the lunch period to run twice as long, this is probably not necessary or possible. Try to focus on areas that seem important to keep your school running safely and efficiently. Concerns about things like bullying , academic standards, and extracurricular activities should be your concern over fun and games. [10] X Research source
• A good opening statement for your body would state the causes important to you and what you plan to do about them. For example, if you were running for president, you could say something like, "I understand we need to improve how we handle bullying, increase interest in extracurricular activities, and expand access to AP courses throughout the school. As your president, I would work to bring in speakers to talk about sensitivity in the classroom, increase advertising for basketball games and quiz bowl tournaments, and start a tutoring program to help students struggling with certain subjects." [11] X Research source

• Using the school library or computers, figure out the best means to tackle certain problems many schools face. How have other schools dealt with bullying? Poor test scores? Low interest in extracurricular activities? What can you reasonably do as a student council member to address these problems? [12] X Research source
• You do not have to have a point-by-point plan laid out, but a few sentences on some preliminary ideas can help you stand out from your peers. People are more inclined to vote for someone who's thought about how to solve problems in addition to identifying problems. [13] X Research source

Ending with a Strong Conclusion

• Do summarize, briefly, your qualifications but do not put the main focus on them. This is where you should sincerely state your passion. Students should not just vote for you because you'd do a good job but because you genuinely care about the school. State your passion for your community and how much you want to see other students succeed. Lots of students have high qualifications. You can set yourself apart by being a candidate who really cares. [16] X Research source

• Research what other student council speeches are like on video websites. This could help give you ideas.

Expert Q&A

• Only promise to do things that you really can do. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 0
• Practice reading your speech a few times, as you'll likely be nervous before giving it. Thanks Helpful 10 Not Helpful 0

• Even if you write a great speech, understand you may lose. Be prepared to lose graciously and sincerely congratulate the winning candidate. Thanks Helpful 107 Not Helpful 17
• Unlike in a governmental election, student council candidates should not attack each other, previous leaders, or other students. Otherwise, you could get into trouble and leave a bad impression on voters. Thanks Helpful 81 Not Helpful 16

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.studentcouncilpro.com/student-council-speeches.html
• ↑ http://www.write-out-loud.com/student-council-speeches.html
• ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.

About This Article

To write a student council speech, start with an attention-grabbing statement such as a question or a powerful quote about leadership. Next, briefly explain who you are, what position you are running for, and why you are running. Then list any relevant qualifications, such as a summer job. In the body of the speech, discuss at least 3 ways to improve the school. For this section, make sure not to make any promises you can’t keep. Finally, end by briefly reiterating your main points and asking for the students’ vote. To learn more about how to support your ideas and research for your speech, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Student Council Speech

Student council speech generator.

So you feel that you have what it takes to be part of your student council in your school. You got the guts, responsibility, wit, and charm to grab the position you are vying for from other students who are as qualified as you. Even if you are sure of yourself, you need to convince every student in your school that will be an effective officer if you are elected. And one way to convince your fellow students to vote for you is through your speech .

What is Student Council Speech? A student council speech is a presentation given by a student who is running for a position on the student council, which is a group that represents the interests and ideas of the student body at a school. In this speech, the candidate shares their ideas, goals, and plans to improve the school and address student concerns. They aim to persuade their classmates to vote for them by highlighting their leadership qualities, past achievements, and specific proposals for making positive changes within the school community. This speech is an important opportunity for candidates to connect with their peers and show why they are the best choice for the position.

Download Sample Student Council Speech Bundle

When writing a student council speech, you must be able to persuade your schoolmates to trust in your abilities and your platforms. (If you need more tips on writing persuasive speeches , see this one). Remember, you are not running just for popularity votes or to earn yourself a good credential in your achievements. You are running for a certain position (whether you’ll be a president, treasurer, secretary, etc.) to serve the student body, to represent them when they want their needs to be attended to and to make better changes in your school. So first you need to make your speech sound persuasive, but not aggressive. Start writing your speech weeks ahead before you deliver your speech.

Student Council Speech Format

Introduction.

Greet the Audience: Start with a friendly greeting to capture the audience’s attention. Introduce Yourself: Briefly introduce yourself, including your name, grade, and any relevant personal background that relates to the position you’re running for.

Statement of Intent

Declare Your Candidacy: Clearly state the position you are running for on the Student Council. Motivation: Share why you decided to run for the student council, focusing on what motivates you and why the role is important to you.

Qualifications

Experience and Skills: Highlight your relevant experiences, skills, and achievements that make you a suitable candidate. This could include previous leadership roles, involvement in school activities, or specific talents that contribute to your ability to serve effectively.

Vision and Goals

Key Issues: Identify key issues or areas for improvement within the school that you plan to address. Proposed Initiatives: Outline your main goals or initiatives that you aim to implement if elected. Be specific about what changes or improvements you want to make and how you plan to achieve them.

Plan of Action

Strategies: Briefly describe the strategies or steps you will take to achieve your goals. This shows that you have thought about how to turn your ideas into action. Collaboration: Emphasize the importance of working together with fellow council members, students, and school staff to accomplish shared objectives.

Reiterate Key Points: Summarize the main reasons why you are the best candidate for the position, focusing on your vision, qualifications, and what sets you apart from other candidates. Call to Action: Encourage your classmates to vote for you, emphasizing the importance of their vote in making a positive change within the school. Thank You: Conclude by thanking the audience for their time and consideration.

Example of Student Council Speech

“Good morning, students and teachers of Springfield High! My name is Jamie Lee, a sophomore, and I’m excited to run for the position of Secretary on our Student Council. Why am I standing here today? Because I believe in change, in improvement, and most importantly, in us—as a student body—to make Springfield High not just a school, but a community where every voice is heard and valued. My experience as class representative last year taught me the importance of organization, communication, and dedication—qualities essential for the role of Secretary. My main goal is to enhance our school’s spirit and involvement through better-organized events, clearer communication between the student council and the student body, and by creating more opportunities for everyone to contribute their ideas and talents. I plan to introduce a monthly feedback session where you can share your thoughts and suggestions directly with the council. But that’s not all. I want to work on making our school events, including dances, fundraisers, and spirit weeks, more memorable and inclusive. How? By working closely with clubs and sports teams to ensure our activities reflect the diverse interests and talents within our school. I’m asking for your vote not just for me, but for the vision of a school where every student feels connected, involved, and proud to be a Springfield Hawk. Let’s make this year one of unity, fun, and achievement. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for considering me as your next Student Council Secretary. Let’s soar high, Hawks!” This example of a student council speech uses a structured approach to convey the candidate’s motivations, qualifications, goals, and plans in a clear and engaging manner, effectively persuading classmates to lend their support.

What is the Best Student Council Speech Example?

Title: Creating Unity, Inspiring Change Good morning, fellow students, teachers, and staff, I stand before you today not as a candidate, but as a passionate advocate for positive change in our school. My name is [Your Name], and I am committed to fostering a sense of unity and bringing about real, impactful change. Imagine a school where every student’s voice is heard, where diversity is celebrated, and where kindness and respect are the foundation of our interactions. This vision drives my candidacy. 1. Unity Through Diversity: I believe in celebrating our differences. Let’s embrace our diverse backgrounds, interests, and talents to create a rich tapestry that makes our school vibrant and unique. 2. Student-Led Initiatives: I propose student-led initiatives that reflect our passions. From cultural awareness events to environmental projects, let’s turn our ideas into actions that benefit our entire community. 3. Mental Health Support: Mental health is a priority. I will work to expand counseling services, create safe spaces for open discussions, and promote stress-relief activities, ensuring every student’s well-being. 4. Interactive Learning: Let’s enhance our learning experience through interactive methods. I will advocate for technology integration, peer-to-peer tutoring, and hands-on projects that make education engaging and enjoyable. 5. Community Engagement: Our school is not just a building; it’s a part of our community. I will initiate partnerships with local organizations, organizing volunteer opportunities and outreach programs to give back and make a difference. In closing, I am not just asking for your votes; I am asking for your trust. Together, let’s build a school where every student feels valued, heard, and supported. Join me in creating a future where unity inspires change. Thank you.

Examples of Speeches for Student Council Representative?

Empowering student voices.

“Hello, everyone, I’m [Your Name], and I’m here to talk about empowering student voices. Our school is not just a place of learning; it’s a community, and in a community, everyone’s voice should be heard. As your student council representative, my mission is to bridge the gap between the student body and the administration. I will establish regular open forums where students can voice their concerns, ideas, and suggestions. These forums will be a platform for change, where we can work together to make our school an even better place. I’ll also implement an online suggestion box for those who may not be comfortable speaking up in person. Every idea counts, and every voice matters. Let’s make our school a place where students play an active role in shaping their own education. I promise to be your dedicated advocate, listening, acting, and ensuring that every student’s voice is heard. Vote for change. Vote for me. Thank you.”

Bridging the Gap

“Dear friends and fellow students, I’m [Your Name], and I’m running to bridge the gap between students and the administration. It’s time to foster a closer relationship that benefits us all. I propose regular meetings with teachers, administrators, and students to discuss school policies and improvements. Our education should be a collaborative effort, with students having a say in decisions that affect us directly. In addition, I’ll work to create an inclusive school culture. Let’s celebrate our diversity through cultural events, and ensure that every student feels welcome and valued. I believe in transparency and open communication. Together, we can make our school experience better for everyone. Vote for a bridge to a brighter future. Vote for me. Thank you.”

Building a Greener School

“Hello, fellow students, Our environment is a priority, and I’m committed to making our school more eco-friendly. As your representative, I’ll initiate ‘Green School’ initiatives. We’ll start with recycling programs and energy-saving projects. I’ll work to establish a school garden, promoting sustainable practices. Let’s reduce waste and show that we care about the future. Your voice matters. Tell me your eco-friendly ideas, and together, we can create a greener, healthier school. Vote for a greener future. Vote for me. Thank you.”

Student Council Speech Samples to Edit & Download

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• Student Council Speech for 4th Grade
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• Student Council Speech for 5th Grade
• Student Council Speech for Class Representative
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• Student Council Speech for 3rd Grade
• Student Council Speech for Treasurer
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How to Write Student Council Speech

This is the most nerve-wracking part of your speech. So this part must be a good, no, great one. If for examples. you’re running for student council president don’t start just by merely introducing your name and telling them you are running for student council. You need to start your speech with a bang! Something that can catch the attention of your audience. Students are usually inattentive during these kinds of speeches so you need them to focus towards you. There are lots of creative ways to make a flashy opening. You can sing, rap, dance, act, do some comedy sketches, or anything that relates to the theme of your speech. However if you do not feel like performing live, you can still do some creative opening. You can use videos, power point presentation, music, or ask your friends to introduce you. You may also see introduction speech .

You can also open your speech by asking a question, whether if it is rhetorical or humorous. Here are some examples:

“So here is this person standing infront of you, asking you to for her. Why should you? You ask.” “If there’s anything you can do something for the school to make it loads better, what will it be?”

You can also add quotes from famous people that correlates with your speech. Make sure you cite your quotes properly. Here are some examples of quotes from well known people that you can cite:

“Leadership is not about the next election. It’s about the next generation.” Simon Sinek “I think leadership is service and there is power in that giving: to help people, to inspire, and motivate them to reach their fullest potential.” Denise Morrison “You need an attitude of service. You’re not just serving yourself. You’re helping others to grow up and grow with them.” David Green

After your awesome introduction, you then proceed to state all about yourself. Describe yourself, the position you are running for and the reason why you are running. Tell your name and your grade in your school. This is important if you go to a school with a big population. Don’t ever skip this part of speech as this will be what the audience should remember when it’s time to vote for you. You may also see thank you speech .

No need to elaborate in this part of speech. A brief 1-2 sentences are enough. Example:

“Hello. My name is John Cheese and I will be running for President! My vision is change for the betterment of our school. I fight for equality for all the students in this institution.”

Next is the part where you will sell yourself by mentioning your qualifications. This is one way to persuade your fellow students that you are responsible enough to be part of the student council. Mention any accomplishments that are related to the position your are running for.

If you’re running for president, don’t list your accomplishments in stamp collecting. The accomplishments that you should cite are your leadership skills, whether you are the team captain of your football team or you’re the major in your drum and lyre corp. You can also mention your honors and awards. You may also see speech templates .

“I am currently the team captain of our baseball team and I have also been a member of the Boy Scouts. Currently, I am the president of our drama club.  I have also been an honor roll student for the past five years. I have been exposed to a lot of leadership training skills and I believe I am most qualified to be an efficient president in the student council.”  

Writing the main point of your speech

Now that you have organize your introduction, it’s time to get to your ideas and how you should present them in front of the student body. This is the part where you will enumerate your platforms on how to improve the system in your school. Make sure that when you have laid out your platforms to the students you made some research. Ask the students, teachers, personnel on what areas that you should be improved.

Listen to what the students are concerned about. What are the changes that the students may want to see? What areas in your school you want to change to keep it running efficiently? You can also research ways on how to deal with school problems. Read books and ask some experts to help you. And find out how you, a member of the student council can address these problems. Once you already knew this, you will know what will be your platforms. A nice opening statement is to state out the causes that are important to you and what are your plans to make it better. You may also see special occasion speech .

“Bullying and discrimination has been more prevalent in this institution for the past year. As a student, I am disappointed that some of my fellow schoolmates has been the forerunners of this ugly way of treating people. And because of this, I would work out to invite speakers to talk about sensitivity in school, open more clubs for students to join, and start a tutorial program to aid students who are having a hard time in their classes.”

Keep in mind that you need to present your ideas briefly but persuasive enough to move your audience. If you need an inspiration, refer to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. His speech was short but full of key points that got his message across to his audience. You may also see self introduction speech .

End it with a memorable conclusion

1. Once you’ve stated your ideas effectively, it’s time for your conclusion. When you get there, go back to mention your plans as a president or a treasurer and relate it to your main points that you’ve mentioned a while ago. You may also see speech examples for students .

“With my experience in leadership training and in my service to my team members, I know I can be a great leader to each of you. I promise to do my best to stop discrimination and bullying and to increase the interest of the students to be more open to each other’s diversities.” 

2. Don’t forget to highlight your qualifications one last time. They key to this is to sincerely state that it is your passion to serve your students. You may also see tribute speech .

“I am a passionate advocate against discrimination. And to change that attitude starts here in our school. I want everyone to be accepting of everyone’s differences. I vision an institution with good relations between students and faculty members. I care about each of you and your right to be treated fairly…”

3. Of course, don’t forget to ask the audience to vote for you. Here is the part where you will beg your students to vote for you. Their vote is important for you to win the election. Ask with genuine humility for the students to vote for you. You may also see informative speech .

“I ask nothing but your votes. I would be deeply honored if you’ll vote for me on the election day.” 

Now that you completed your speech, see to it if it’s good enough for you to use. Ask a friend, a family member, or a teacher to read your speech. Ask them what areas you need to improve. Ask for a constructive criticism, even if it hurts.

It’s important for you to learn to improve your speech and to be open-minded towards critical suggestions. Remember you are running for the student council. Make yourself a best example of a responsible student that your fellow students can look up to. Additionally, debates may come up in before the election day, so make yourself familiarize with debate speeches .

What is a good speech for student council?

A good speech for a student council should be engaging, relatable, and persuasive. It should include:

• Introduction: Begin with a strong hook or personal anecdote to grab the audience’s attention.
• Your Vision: Clearly outline your goals and vision for the student council. Explain how you intend to make positive changes.
• Relevance: Address the specific needs and concerns of your fellow students. Show that you understand their issues and are committed to addressing them.
• Qualifications: Highlight your relevant skills, experience, and qualities that make you a suitable candidate.
• Ideas and Initiatives: Present concrete ideas and initiatives you plan to implement if elected. Be specific and practical in your proposals.
• Inspiration: Motivate your audience with an inspiring message that encourages unity and active participation.
• Closing: End with a strong call to action and a memorable closing statement.

Why do I want to run for student council?

• Leadership: Desire to take on a leadership role and make a positive impact on your school community.
• Advocacy: A commitment to representing and addressing the concerns and needs of fellow students.
• Service: A genuine interest in serving others and contributing to the betterment of your school.
• Initiative: Eagerness to implement positive changes, initiatives, and projects that benefit the student body.
• Voice: A belief in the importance of having a voice in the decision-making processes at your school.
• Personal Growth: Opportunity for personal growth, development of leadership skills, and networking.
• Passion: Passion for specific causes, clubs, or activities at your school and a desire to support them.
• Community Building: A goal to create a sense of community, unity, and school spirit among students.
• Inspiration: Being inspired by previous student council members or leaders who made a positive impact.
• Love for Your School: A deep affection for your school and a desire to contribute to its success and well-being.

What are the Good student council speech ideas?

• Mental Health Awareness: Discuss initiatives to promote mental health and well-being, such as counseling services, stress-reduction activities, or peer support programs.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Address the importance of diversity and inclusion, proposing events, clubs, or awareness campaigns to celebrate differences and foster unity.
• Student Engagement: Highlight the need for more student involvement in decision-making, suggesting forums, surveys, or open discussions for students to voice their concerns.
• Environmental Sustainability: Propose eco-friendly practices, like recycling programs, tree planting, or energy conservation efforts, to make your school more sustainable.
• Bullying Prevention: Talk about strategies to combat bullying and promote kindness and respect within the school community.
• Academic Support: Suggest peer tutoring programs, study groups, or additional resources to help students excel academically.
• Extracurricular Activities: Promote the creation of new clubs, sports, or arts programs to cater to a wider range of interests.
• Community Outreach: Encourage volunteer opportunities, partnerships with local organizations, and community service projects.
• School Safety: Address safety concerns and suggest measures to ensure a safe and welcoming school environment.
• Technology Integration: Propose the use of technology for educational enhancement, including virtual resources and tools for remote learning.
• Student Wellness: Advocate for initiatives like healthy eating options, exercise facilities, or mindfulness practices to support student well-being.
• Peer Mentorship: Discuss the benefits of mentorship programs, where older students can guide and support younger ones.

What are the Topics Included for Student Council Speech?

Student council speeches can cover a wide range of topics, depending on the issues that matter most to your school and peers. Here are some common topics and themes to consider:

• Leadership and Service: Discuss your commitment to serving and leading your fellow students.
• Unity and Inclusivity: Emphasize the importance of fostering an inclusive and welcoming school community.
• Student Voice: Highlight the need for students to have a say in school decisions and policies.
• Academic Excellence: Talk about ways to improve academic support, resources, and educational opportunities.
• Mental Health and Well-being: Address the importance of mental health support and stress reduction.
• Diversity and Cultural Awareness: Celebrate diversity and promote cultural awareness and understanding.
• Environmental Initiatives: Propose eco-friendly projects and sustainability efforts for the school.
• Bullying Prevention: Discuss strategies to combat bullying and create a safer, kinder school environment.
• Community Outreach: Advocate for volunteer opportunities and partnerships with local organizations.
• Technology Integration: Propose using technology for educational enhancement and virtual resources.
• School Safety: Address safety concerns and suggest measures to ensure a safe school environment.
• Peer Mentorship: Talk about the benefits of mentorship programs to support academic and personal growth.
• Student Well-being: Discuss initiatives like healthy eating options, exercise facilities, or mindfulness practices.

What are the Quotes to put in a student council speech?

• Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek
• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “In diversity, there is beauty and strength.” – Maya Angelou
• “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
• “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
• “Leadership is not a position or a title; it is action and example.” – Cory Booker
• “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
• “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
• “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
• “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
• “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
• “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
• “The best leaders are those most interested in surrounding themselves with assistants and associates smarter than they are.” – John C. Maxwell

How to start a student council speech?

Begin a student council speech with a compelling and attention-grabbing opening, like a quote, personal anecdote, or thought-provoking question, to engage and captivate your audience from the start.

What is the main idea of student council?

The main idea of a student council is to represent and serve the interests of the student body, fostering leadership, organizing events, and improving the school community.

How do I run a good student council?

To run a good student council, prioritize communication, listen to peers, set clear goals, organize effective events, and collaborate with the school administration to address students’ needs and concerns.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a Student Council Speech on improving school lunches.

Create a Student Council Speech about enhancing school spirit.

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Your Child's Communication: Fourth Grade

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• Form opinions based on what they hear.
• Listen for specific reasons, such as to learn, enjoy, or convince.
• Use words correctly in conversation.
• Use language for many reasons, like asking questions, arguing, and joking.
• Understand some figurative language. This is language that uses words in new or different ways. For example, "This classroom is a zoo!"
• Take part in group discussions.
• Give correct directions to others.
• Summarize ideas in their own words.
• Organize information so it is clear.
• Give clear speeches.
• Read for specific reasons.
• Read grade-level books smoothly and with few mistakes.
• Use what they know to understand new material.
• Follow written directions.
• Take brief notes.
• Link what they learn in one subject to other subjects.
• Learn meanings of new words by looking at word origins, synonyms, and other meanings.
• Use reference materials, like a dictionary.
• Talk about the author's reason for writing a story and about the writing style.
• Read and understand different types of writing, like fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
• Make inferences from texts. This means that they guess what a writer means when it is not stated clearly. They use clues in the story and what they know from their life to guess.
• Talk about what they read in their own words, called paraphrasing.
• Write stories and explanations. Write many paragraphs about the same topic.
• Develop a plan for writing that includes a beginning, a middle, and an end.
• Organize writing around a main idea.
• Edit final copies for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

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How to write a speech for kids

 create an engaging presentation for children .

By:  Susan Dugdale  | Last modified: 04-28-2021

Writing a speech for kids and then giving it is relatively straightforward. Truly! Once you've gained some experience you'll find it fun, as well as hugely rewarding.

You'll follow exactly the same steps as you would when preparing a speech for adults but with minor, yet crucial variations. 

You'll plan, make an outline, write up your notes, prepare cue cards if you need them, rehearse and finally, deliver your speech.

However because you are presenting to children you'll need to adapt some of the processes. Kids are a very different audience!

Use the on-page quick links below to follow my 3 part outline, and you'll be fine.

What's on this page

Part One : Background & audience research

Part Two: Techniques to gain & hold their attention

Part Three: Rehearsal

Whoops, that went down like the proverbial lead balloon:   Traps for the unwary

Part 1: Background & audience research

Your first step is to consider your audience. The questions you'll want answers to are:

- What age are these children?

- What backgrounds do they mostly come from?

- What background, if any, do they have in relation to your topic?

- What common experiences do they all share that you could use as stepping stones into your material?

- What level of vocabulary will they readily understand?

- what grabs and keeps their attention?

To get the answers, ask the person or people, who invited you to speak.

• How long you're expected to speak for. This is critical. A child's attention span is not the same as an adults, and there are big differences between a 6 year old and a 16 year old. Find out more: Normal attention span expectations by age
• What the purpose is behind inviting you to speak. Are you being asked to inform, to persuade, to entertain ...?
• If the group has members with special needs you should be aware of like children who are deaf, sight impaired or emotionally fragile

Once you've got that information you're ready to begin shaping your material.

Return to Top

Part 2: How to gain & hold attention

Bear in mind the following as you plan:

• Keep the structure simple and clear: introduction, body of speech, conclusion. Kids, just like adults, appreciate knowing what is going on and knowing why they're being asked to listen.
• Use conversational language rather than formal. In your mind choose a child to give your speech to. This will help you keep it 'real'.
• Limit the number of main points you wish to make about your topic to one or two. 
• Keep the formal or structured part of your speech brief.
• Allow time for, and encourage questions.
• Relate the topic back to themselves, their experience, from the beginning. This gives them an anchor, a place they know and understand as a starting point for the journey you're about to take them on. 

Kids love to laugh

Use humor and personal storytelling to get your message across.  

Children of all ages love stories, especially personal ones. A story told well, with humor, will grab their attention faster and hold it longer than any other technique I know. Make it relevant, add characterization, (voices and appropriate body language), and you'll have every child listening.

You can find out more about incorporating stories into your speeches on these pages:

• storytelling  - How to choose and tell a story
• storytelling set-ups  - How to integrate a story into your speech
• characterization techniques  - How to make your stories come alive through gesture and voice.

Vocabulary choices, questions & props

• Use specific words rather than general ones. 'I love being outdoors' is less evocative than 'I love puddle jumping, building a bonfire at the beach...'
• Use inclusive words: 'we' and 'our' as well as personal ones: 'yours', 'you'
• Vary your sentence length and your word choice to keep it interesting to listen to. Children, like adults, appreciate variation.

Questions, instructions and involvement

Use interactive questions, and instructions, to ensure they're following you throughout your speech. For example:  'Have you got that? Nod your heads if you have.'

Or, 'Wave your hand like this ( d emonstrate ) if you can see the picture I put on the board.'

Get them involved by asking for volunteers to help hand things around.

Play simple chorus answer and action games like, 'When I say, who has got a good thinking brain, you say ME and pat your head. Let's try it now. Ready? Who's got ...'

Or, 'When I get to a scary bit in the story you're going to go ooooooh,oooooh in a very frightened sort of way and make yourselves very small like this.' ( Demonstrate .) 'Now, let's try it together...That's fantastic. I've never seen a better bunch of scared kids.' 

Props or visual aids

Where possible incorporate 'showing' as well as 'telling'. Take along things children can see and if at all possible, handle. This gives your speech another dimension. And don't be afraid to break out your silly wig, or a clown's nose ...

Check this page on using props well in speeches .

Once you have the basic outline of your speech planned you're ready for the next step.

Now you're going to trial your work.

Rehearsal will help you identify what you've done well and where you need to fine tune.

If you can, practice in front of several children of the same age and background you're going to talk to.

If they're old enough to understand, ask them before you give the speech, if they can help you make it better and collect their feedback at the end.

If they're not old enough, look for cues like looking away, looking puzzled, talking through it, or wriggling. If it's too long and without relevance or connection to them they'll soon let you know.

Children don't have filters. They'll show and tell you like it is. They're not being deliberately rude. It's actually quite simple. They're not interested and haven't learned to pretend otherwise, yet. Don't make the mistake of taking their responses personally! 

Before you go on to finalize your speech incorporate your changes.

If you'd like pointers on how to rehearse you'll find them here:

• how to rehearse

Do try and give your speech without a word-for-word script. It might feel safer for you but for children, listening to you read is not as effective as you talking to, or interacting with them, directly.

Use cue cards if you can.  Rehearse until you know it fluently and the cue cards are merely a safety net should you need them.

And finally run through the checklist below.

These are the pitfalls I've either fallen into myself or watched others tumble down. Knowing will help you avoid them.

Whoops - traps for the unwary

Learning the hard way; when it doesn't go like you imagined it would and a great dark chasm opens beneath your feet and you find yourself rapidly disappearing down it, silly wig and all.

It's ghastly, and an experience I've had more than several times in my teaching career.

Here's what I've learned. Blaming your audience is letting yourself off the hook! When a presentation lurches sideways it's not the children's fault. The hell hole is generally of our own making. Any of these factors could have caused it:

• assuming that because a child is a child and you're an adult you automatically know more than they do
• patronizing your audience through using either over-simplified or baby language
• talking over their heads by using either non-explained jargon or a vocabulary beyond their experience
• not rehearsing and then finding that your speech doesn't flow logically. Or it's too long.  Or that it doesn't have enough relevance so the kids are bored. Or the props you brought don't work as you wished. They're too small to be seen from the stage. And the stories you planned fall flat.
• introducing inappropriate subject matter for the group or an individual in the group. Always check.
• trying to fit too much information into the time allotted.
• inadvertently making fun of a child's comments and concerns therefore shaming them in front of their peers.
• exploiting their trust and naivety by presenting material persuasively that is ultimately of no benefit to them and at worst destructive.
• getting flustered by bit of very ordinary spontaneous child behavior (talking while you are talking, wriggling ...) and not knowing how to handle it and move on with ease
• not having established the rules of engagement at the beginning for asking questions, handling props, or any activity involving interaction ...

There is a common sense remedy for all of them. Trial your speech in rehearsal! And if it helps get a trusted and experienced colleague in to give you feedback!

• Return to top of how to write a speech for kids

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Speech Writing Outline and Format for Students

Learning how to write a speech is a skill most students will need help refining. Guide your students through the speech writing process with the outline and descriptions below. All of the major components of a speech are included and explained in a format students can understand and apply. Once students understand the step-by-step method for crafting a successful speech, they will feel more confident speaking in front of an audience. 

I.  Introduction

The beginning of a speech is called the introduction. The introduction is important because it sets the tone for the entire presentation. The introduction can be broken into two parts: the attention grabber and the preview. 

A.  Attention Grabber: Capturing the attention of the audience is the first thing the speaker says or does. In order to do this, the speaker might tell a humorous story, ask a rhetorical question, describe a hypothetical situation, or share an interesting fact. 

B.  Preview: The second part of the introduction is when the speaker introduces himself or herself and the topic of the speech. The main points of the speech can also be presented at this time. 

II.  Body

After the introduction, the speaker transitions to the body of the speech. This is where the speaker will spend the most amount of time. The goal of the body of the speech is to clearly explain the topic. 

A. Main Points: To clearly explain the topic, the body of the speech is broken down into main points. The number of main points will vary from speech to speech. Regardless of the number, it is important to keep the main points organized in a purposeful way. Also, clear transitions between main points (and throughout the speech) are critical. Without them, the audience will have trouble following along. 

1. Supporting Details: Each main point needs supporting material to help the audience understand and remember that point. Examples, explanations, visual aids, and props can be used as supporting material.

III. Conclusion

The conclusion puts the finishing touches on the speech. It lets the audience know that the speech is about to end. Like the introduction, the conclusion can be broken into two parts: the review and the final statement. 

A.  Review: During the first part of the conclusion, the speaker restates the topic of the speech and each main point. 

B.  Final Statement: The speech ends with a strong final statement. The final statement addresses the topic one last time in a powerful and meaningful way. The purpose of the final statement is to round out the speech and provide the audience with a strong signal that the presentation is complete.

Click here to download everything you need to teach your students how to write an organized speech. The comprehensive lesson includes “How to Write a Speech” informational text, comprehension questions, example speech, speech outline template, speech writing rubric, and a list of 40 student-friendly speech topics.

Speech Writing Lesson Bundle 

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How to help your child write a speech (without doing it for them)

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It’s hard for parents to help kids with homework without doing it for them . It can be especially difficult to work out where to start when your child is preparing a speech for school.

You might find your child is procrastinating more about getting started with a speech than about other homework. This could be because they are anxious about it.

Having something that they want to say to their class can help to increase your child’s confidence and motivation when they deliver the speech. A positive speechmaking experience can increase confidence for next time, which is why some schools teach public speaking in a systematic way.

It’s important to keep in mind that public speaking has two parts to it: writing the speech, and delivering it.

Here are some tips for how to help your kid with both aspects of preparation.

Read more: What's the point of homework?

Writing the speech

First, help your child find something they want to say to their audience.

When a child is delivering a speech to the class, they are being listened to, observed, and watched by their peers. Most other classwork is only read by the teacher. In a speech, they are sharing their ideas with the whole class.

That’s why it is really important they own what they are saying, and say it in their own words.

It’s key they own the topic (if it is a free choice of topic) or that they own the stance they are taking (if the topic is set by the teacher).

As a parent, it’s tricky to support your child to find their own words to say – but it’s very important you don’t write the speech for them.

Help them to think about what they care about and what they think is important to share with their class.

Apart from the fact the teacher will spot a parent-written speech a mile away, if your child has no ownership of their speech, they will not care about communicating the ideas to the class.

Next, help your child to think about organising their ideas.

It’s good to have a hook or a catchy introduction into the main idea of the speech. That could be a rhetorical question, an anecdote or an amazing fact. They can then think of around three main points about the topic.

Ask your child questions that help them to think about some examples or evidence that support their ideas.

Finally, help them to finish their speech. Often, the ending might return to the beginning to round off the point being made – a kind of “I told you so”!

Delivering the speech – 4 tips for parents

1. Encourage your child to focus on communicating their idea to their audience.

If they focus on sharing their ideas, rather than worrying about themselves, everything will come together. Encourage them to think about looking at the audience and making sure everyone can hear them.

2. Practise the speed of delivery and time their speech.

One of the easiest things to practise that makes a big difference to the delivery of the speech is the pacing.

The big tip is to slow down. When speakers feel nervous they tend to speed up, sometimes just a little — but often students will deliver their speeches at breakneck speed, racing to just get it done so they can go and sit down.

I’ve listened to thousands of student speeches and have never heard one delivered too slowly. But I have heard many that sound like a horse-race call.

3. Be an affirmative audience to their speech.

Listen to your child practise when they feel ready to share with you, but don’t push them if they are resistant.

Focus on building their confidence by talking to them about the moments you felt they were connecting with you as an audience member. Be appreciative of their jokes or show you share their feelings about ideas they care about.

Your children seek your approval – don’t be stingy with it.

4. If they are feeling confident, suggest they work on nuancing their delivery.

Once they are feeling confident about delivering the speech, the child can add variety and texture.

For instance, they might slow down for emphasis on certain words, add a pause after asking a question, or think about some moments where they might speak more softly or loudly.

Variation will add interest to the delivery of the speech and help to grab and keep the audience’s attention. It also helps further convey your child’s ideas.

Good support takes time

It’s hard to get the balance right when supporting your child to prepare their speech. The trick is to understand that it will take more than one sitting.

So, plan for a few chunks of time, and work on building their ideas and enthusiasm.

Read more: Should parents help their kids with homework?

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Speech & Language Skills in 4th Grade: A Handy Checklist

• October 5, 2016

Do you know what speech and language skills your 4th grade students should be working on?  Odds are if you’re a seasoned SLP, then yes you probably do.  However, if you are a new SLP or perhaps have changed school settings and you’re working with different grade levels, you might need a refresher.  This information comes straight from  ASHA , I’ve just put it together in a pretty little printer-friendly checklist to help you out.  Click here to get it!   So, what skills should your 4th graders have or be acquiring?  Here’s the list of what they should be doing by the end of the school year:

Would you like this information in a black & white checklist that you can use with your students or send home to parents?  Sign up here  and I’ll send you checklists for K-5, straight to your inbox!

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Writing a speech can be a daunting process, and putting your thoughts into a fun, informative speech takes some practice. This collection is designed to teach and guide 4th grade students on how to write a speech, including tips and tricks from the pros. Additionally, there are resources for students on writing speeches for 4th grade student council. And videos of speeches by 4th graders offer more ideas on how to write a good speech.

Tips for 4th Grade Students on Writing a Speech

Writing Tips from the Pros  - A helpful source that offers speech writing tips from teachers for students of all ages. Some suggestions include writing your speech the same way you talk and simplifying your speech.

How to Write a Speech  - This site offers a handy outline that teaches students how to write a productive speech. Offers a 7-step guideline to follow so students can organize their thoughts.

Kid's Speech  - Time for Kids offers "silly" speechmakers guidelines for students to make a campaign speech, a victory speech, or a mudslinging speech. Students choose the speech they want to give, then answer the questions asked.

Speech Writing for Everyone  - A 10-step guide that will teach students how to write a well-rounded speech. Steps include creating an outline and prioritizing of ideas.

How to Write a Speech for Fourth Grade Student Council

Writing a Speech for Fourth Grade Student Council  - This source offers a four-step guide for students writing a speech to give before a student council. Tips include: topic, time constraints, main points, and supporting details.

4th Grade Student Council Speeches  - Watch these videos of fourth grade students giving actual council speeches to gain ideas and initiatives.

Writing a Speech - Tips for 4th Grade Students

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Tips for a Winning Student Council Speech for Treasurer

If you're running for student council treasurer, we've got everything you need to start your speech, organize it, and give it with confidence.

Lindsay is a healthcare writer who covers a number of topics including those that surround addiction and recovery, sleep disorders, and stress, among others.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Public speaking can be a little intimidating but don't worry. All it takes is some great planning to nail your student council speech for treasurer. It's actually really easy to put together once you know what elements make up a good speech.

If you need a little extra inspiration (who doesn't?), we've got a sample treasurer speech you can customize.

How to Write a Student Council Speech for Treasurer

Writing an effective student council speech means you need to connect with your audience and make a great impression. Chances are, these are people you already sort of know, so you need to convince them to vote for you with a well-organized and logical speech.

• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win
• Funny Student Council Speech Ideas to Help Everyone Relate to You

Unlike those standard oral reports or presentations you might give for a class, your student council speech for treasurer is more of a persuasive speech. To get the job done, you need to not only get your point across but also receive the votes that will get you elected.

Capture Their Attention With a Good Impression

With everything we all hear all the time these days, you need to work a little harder to get people's attention. Consider starting your speech with a humorous story or something your audience will relate to.

• Talk about your background with managing money. This could include funny stories, such as selling lemonade as a kid or how you've saved allowance money.
• Discuss the importance of creating a budget for student council . Talk about something you've wanted to buy and how you made this happen.
• Be sincere as you speak and don't try to change anyone's mind. Let your audience decide for themselves that you are the top choice.
• Funny Intro Ideas for Student Council Speeches

Organize the Speech

Make sure your speech has a beginning, middle, and end that flow together. It can work nicely to start and end your speech with the same points and then have everything in the middle help to prove your overall objective.

These tips can help you figure out what you want to say and organize it in a way that will make sense to people.

• Create a list of everything important you want to say. Sort these into sections that go together.
• Try picking topic headings for each part of your speech and then write a few paragraphs or sentences below each one.
• Experiment with writing the beginning of your speech last. That way, you'll know exactly how to start it with a bang.

Use Logic and Emotion

You need to establish your credibility, but be emotionally relatable at the same time. There are a few ways you can make this happen.

• Research real goals. Do some research about your school and what might be possible for you to achieve as treasurer.
• Present different perspectives. Consider interviewing teachers or staff, taking a poll to get student opinions, and even researching  teen spending habits .
• Point out how the winning treasurer for student council will affect students and the entire school. Present this in terms of possibilities of what could happen.
• Get students excited about the types of things that a good treasurer can do. Rather than talking about it just from your perspective, keep the focus on how other students will benefit from you winning this role.
• Arouse emotion in students, such as happiness, fear or excitement. Notice as you write your speech when you start to get excited and focus on those points.

Winning Treasurer Speech Example

An example speech can get you started with writing a personalized one. This free editable and printable speech for treasurer provides a great starting point. Click on the image to open the document then select the download icon. If you have trouble downloading or printing, check out this guide.

You'll always want to take a sample and make it yours, adding personalized details.

• Insert your name where you see "Jenny Johnson."
• Start with an anecdote from your own childhood. Choose one that reflects your ability or passion in money management.
• Add in personal information about achievements and memberships. Stick to those related to the Treasurer position or leadership roles.
• Change the goals section to include your ideas on how to improve things at your school.

More Tips for Treasurer Speeches

Be sure to write your speech ahead of time and practice it. Once you get it down on paper, the process becomes much less overwhelming. You may even find yourself getting excited to stand up and deliver it to classmates. In the end, whether you win or lose as treasurer, learning how to write and present speeches is a skill you can use your entire life.

Introductions & Conclusions in the 4th Grade

Read Time 2 mins | January 14, 2021 | Written by: Kylene Reed

Now that the fourth graders have learned how to take notes, they began their research in the social studies classroom. Each student picked an animal found in one of the regions of Texas and completed their research to fill in their pillars.

 Students then wrote their own introductions using the resources from Empowering Writers that are found in their writing journals and the modeled example as needed. 

Next, we modeled writing the conclusion using: a hypothetical anecdote, informative verbs and main ideas, and a definitive word or phrase. 

Here are a couple of students that I conferenced with today! I am extremely proud of their samples!

I cracked up almost the entire time I was working with this kiddo! His personality and humor came out in his writing. I loved the "razzle dazzle on over" that he used to get readers to want to read on!

This sample is from a student that is new to the district and Empowering Writers. While many of our students have had EW for the last couple of years, she just began instruction in the fall. While I conferenced with her, she new exactly what to do and what was needed each time I asked her a question! 

Kylene Reed

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How to Do Speech Therapy with 4th and 5th Graders (SLP Guide)

Are you a speech pathologist that works with 4th and 5th graders? Do you need tips on how to work best with your upper elementary students? This is the ultimate SLP Guide for working with 4th and 5th grade in a school setting!

In this blog post, I’m going to share some of my favorite speech therapy games, goals, resources, and intervention tips for this age group. I’ll explain what has worked for me after several years of experience- and what hasn’t.

I’m hoping this blog post will be like a casual conversation, from one school SLP to another! Make sure you bookmark this post if you are a school SLP!

This post contains affiliate links, which means we could receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

How to Write Speech Therapy Goals for 4th and 5th Graders

Goal bank of ideas.

If you’re a school speech pathologist, then you know you’re going to have a huge pile of paperwork!

SLPs often have several reports due at a time. Additionally, we usually are trying to write them in-between meetings and seeing students in a jam-packed schedule. Many times, we know what we need to write a goal for, but finding the right wording can be tricky.

Needless to say, it can be very helpful to have a goal bank that can provide a starting point of ideas . Please note, the goals in the goal bank are just that: ideas. We must always, of course, write goals that are individualized to our students . Which isn’t easy, and takes a lot of your SLP knowledge and expertise into account!

Gathering Information and Choosing Goals

So, where’s a good place to start when trying to figure out what goals to actually work on in speech therapy?

I often find it helpful to collaborate with my student’s teachers . The teacher can provide the SLP with work samples . The teacher can also relay areas that the child is struggling with within the classroom. SLPs may even find a classroom observation helpful.

I have used criterion-referenced assessments . One example of a published criterion-referenced assessment is the Functional Communication Profile- Revised .

SLPs can also use informal measures of specific speech or language skills, progress monitoring , and can reference state standards .

How to Write Measurable IEP Goals

It’s very helpful to learn the SMART framework for writing specific and measurable IEP goals . There are some CEU courses available for SLPs. This ceu course discusses writing SMARTer goals. Likewise, this course also discusses IEP goal writing.

SMART stands for:

Learn more about the SMART framework here .

Reference: Diehm, Emily. “Writing Measurable and Academically Relevant IEP Goals with 80% Accuracy over Three Consecutive Trials.” Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups , vol. 2, no. 16, 2017, pp. 34–44., https://doi.org/10.1044/persp2.sig16.34.

Reference: staff, n2y. “Tips for Writing and Understanding Smart Iep Goals: N2Y Blog.” n2y , 22 Feb. 2021, https://www.n2y.com/blog/smart-iep-goals/.

Speech Therapy Intervention Strategies for 4th and 5th Graders

Although I have worked with this age group for over 8 years, I spent 5 years exclusively working with 4th and 5th graders in an elementary school. It was a very unique experience because it allowed me to really hone in on specific areas of need for this population.

By this point, many of my upper elementary students had corrected most of their articulation errors. The remaining errors often involved vocalic r and lisps.

I also focused heavily on specific expressive language skills. We worked on vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and morphology. We worked on understanding semantic relationships and understanding the embedded vocabulary within complex directions.

Read on to gather some more information on how I specifically targeted these areas of speech and language with my fourth and fifth grade students.

How to Teach the R Sound

As Dwight Schrute from the Office once said, “R is among the most menacing of sounds.”

For many SLPs, that quote hits hard!

While I know that treating R can be frustrating, it can also be very rewarding!

First, I like to start by doing an informal assessment , so that I can see exactly which R sounds my student is having trouble with. This also gives me a starting percentage for therapy . One example of a great screening for R in all positions is the Entire World of R Screening Form.

Next, I spend a lot of time initially working to establish vocalic er in isolation . This is based off of the recommendation from Sandra Holtzmann’s R course . It doesn’t matter if I’m teaching a retroflex R or a bunched R : I start in the same place.

You can use all sorts of tools to establish the vocalic er sound in isolation, but the simplest one of all is using your arms! Clasp your hands together in front of you. You can lift your elbows, and this is the reminder to “lift” the sides of your tongue.

Finally, I use vocalic er to elicit other vocalic r sounds . It makes sense when you think about it. All of the other vocalic R sounds can be shaped from vocalic er. (For example, vocalic AR is really “ah” + “er”). You can take this R ceu course to learn more about this strategy.

Additional R Strategies

• Co-articulation : Can your student produce R in the initial position, but not in the final AR position? I had one student who was able to say the word “RAIN” with a high amount of success. I wrote the word “RAIN” on an index card, and he drew a picture of a raincloud. Then, I got out another card, and we wrote the word “CAR” on it. I placed the cards side by side, like this: “CAR-RAIN”. We started with the jaw open for “cahhhh”, then slowly closed it as we transitioned into the “R” for rain.
• Minimal Pairs: Sometimes, SEEING and HEARING the difference can be helpful. Understanding that I’m saying the wrong word, and it has a completely different meaning, can make a huge difference.
• Change How You Explain It : Explaining things differently can have a HUGE impact . Change the name of the sound, or change how you’re explaining the tongue movement or positioning. Although this is an example of a different sound, it still illustrates the point. I had one student who COULD NOT get the /k/ sound until I called it the “low T” sound. I told her the touch her bottom front teeth. I changed my wording, and that was what made the difference.
• Try the other R : Not having success with a bunched R? Try the retroflex R instead!
• Visual Feedback : Grab a mirror ! Use a typodont! This typodont is wonderful for showing lingual-placement and just providing awareness of articulators. This typodont doesn’t have a great dental arch, but it DOES help if you’re trying to extinguish “jaw shifting”. Just make the sure the mouth model you choose doesn’t encourage a tongue thrust ( see the lisp section !). Get creative and silly! Do whatever it takes to help your student actually SEE and FEEL tongue shape, movement, and positioning .

Learn More about Treating R

This blog post provides more of a “quick reference” for a variety of treatment areas and topics. Want to know a lot more about correcting R ? No worries! I’m here to help.

In this blog post, I shared 5 simple tips for treating R to get you started. You can also watch this Youtube video where I discuss my entire approach for treating R, from start to finish . I’ll also demonstrate that arm visual thing I just mentioned earlier in the video, so watch til the end !

Want to gain more confidence quickly? Make sure to download the Bunched R, Retroflex R 5 Minute Manual for SLPs .

How to Correct a Lisp

What’s the secret to correcting a lisp .

Want to know the secret to correcting a lisp ?

Well, I’ll tell you!

The secret is to consider orofacial myology basics.

When I’m correcting a lisp, I don’t start with speech .

The first thing I make sure my student understands is normal resting posture.

Step One: Establish Normal Resting Posture

What is normal resting posture? Normal resting posture means:

? the tongue is lightly suctioned to the roof of the mouth. It should “live” within the dental arch. It should NOT be flat.

? The front part/ tip of the tongue should be resting against the alveolar ridge- NOT against the insides of the front teeth. I call the alveolar ridge “home”

? The jaw is relaxed, and there is about 2-3 mm of space between the upper and lower teeth

? The lips are closed so we can breathe through the nose

Normal resting posture is the starting point for speech.

Step Two: Consider Lingual-Mandibular Differentation

I do want to make a quick note of the fact that I won’t be successful with correcting a lisp if my student can’t move the articulators separately. The fancy term for this is lingual-mandibular differentation.

I’ll say it in a different way.

My student must be able to move the tongue without moving the jaw or lips.

Try this little experiment : say the /s/ sound, and say it for awhile.

While you’re saying /s/, shift your chin from left to right. Now shift it forward.

Are you hearing the distortion?

Step 3: Teach The Whisper T

The whisper t.

The best way to elicit s in isolation is to use the whisper t !

Once your student understands normal resting posture, you have a much higher chance of success!

First, I tell my student to smile, then find “home” (the alveolar ridge).

Next, I put a mirror in front of my student, because I want him to focus on not moving his chin while we try to say our sounds.

After that, model a slow, coordinated, succession of “tapping /t/’s”. The focus is only on moving the tongue, and making sure the tongue keeps tapping home (instead of, say, going through the teeth).

Step 4: Teach the Long T

Spend a lot of time on the whisper t!

It takes focus and concentration.

But, once your student has that down, you can move on to the long t.

I like to have my student put their tongue on home (“just like you’re going to tap out a /t/”).

Then, we take a breath and carefully release the air, directing it in a forward manner.

Side note: this one often takes quite a long time to master. Don’t give up .

Frontal Lisp vs Lateral Lisp

When you’re working on s and z, you’ll want to make sure that you’re adequately explaining tongue movement and positioning . That means you’ll need to know exactly what type of lisp your student has. But, there are certain things I don’t recommend that you say or do when correcting a lisp. That’s because I’ve made mistakes along the way! Check out the biggest mistake I made in speech therapy when trying to correct a lisp .

Tips for Lateralized Sounds

There are a few other tricks in the bag if your student is still struggling! Remember, correcting a lisp takes a lot of time and patience .

What if I told you that there was a REALLY cool way to help your student actually visualize “forward” airflow? When lateralization occurs, it’s because airflow escapes into the cheeks and mixes with saliva. It can be helpful to have another way to really demonstrate this concept to your students. Luckily, I have just the trick! Learn how to use the straw technique for correcting a lateral lisp .

Finally, you might want some further ideas for correcting a lateralized sh sound . Read more ideas about correcting lateralized sounds .

How to Teach Grammar and Sentence Structure

I realize this area might make some SLPs cringe; however, grammar and syntax have an impact on reading comprehension . Therefore, it’s pretty necessary for SLPs to address grammar and sentence structure in therapy. Knowing where to start can be tricky, which is why I developed a systematic program designed to build grammar and syntax skills from the ground up.

In order to help students understand the background knowledge of sentence parts, and how words work together to form meaning within sentences, I utilize sentence diagramming . This is a powerful tool that really helps make grammar and syntax “click” for my students.

Start with Grammar and Syntax Foundational Skills

Initially, we spend a lot of time understanding subjects and verbs in simple sentences. You might be surprised to learn just how many of your 4th and 5th grade students can’t identify nouns or action verbs within sentences! Gather some informal data . Write these sentences on a piece of paper:

• The dog barks.
• A cat sleeps.
• The deer runs.
• An octopus swims.

First, ask your student to circle the verb. For example, in the first sentence, they would need to circle the word “barks”. After that, see if they can identify the noun (subject). In the first sentence, they would need to circle the word “dog”. Finally, see if your student can identify the modifier (in this case, the article). The article in the first sentence is the word “the”.

Of course, those are just the basics . If your student is struggling with those, there’s a high probability they’re going to struggle with embedded clauses and phrases .

My students really struggled with identifying grammatical parts of speech . It was no wonder they struggled to use them in expressive language tasks as well.

If your student is struggling to comprehend how words work together to form meaning within sentences, then they’ll also have trouble understanding how sentences work together in passages to form meaning. And that does not bode well for reading comprehension.

How to Work on Vocabulary in Speech Therapy

Teaching vocabulary in speech therapy can seem overwhelming at first, but luckily there are some guidelines to get you started. This research article (available to ASHA members) provides 5 recommendations for SLPs to follow . To summarize, it is recommended that SLPs carefully select vocabulary words to provide explicit instruction on. To get the most bang for your SLP buck, you’ll want to address tier 2 vocabulary words . This is a recommendation from the book Bringing Words to Life by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan. These are complex, high frequency words. They can be used across multiple contexts. An example might be the word ‘fortunate’.

Additional strategies linked to vocabulary intervention include increasing morphological awareness and knowledge . I will address this in the next section. The truth is, we need to give our students tools to learn vocabulary- because we simply can’t teach them every word there is to know!

Simply talking things over is also helpful. Have your students circle any words they don’t know in passages before reading. Then, go through and define those words using student-friendly wording.

Another idea is to use semantic feature analyisis .

Read this article for more ideas about vocabulary intervention in speech therapy with 4th and 5th graders.

References:

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002).  Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction . New York, NY: The Guilford.

Elleman, Amy M., et al. “A Review of Middle School Vocabulary Interventions: Five Research-Based Recommendations for Practice.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , vol. 50, no. 4, 2019, pp. 477–492., https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_lshss-voia-18-0145.

How to Work on Morphology in Speech Therapy

Why slps should work on morphology.

Morphological awareness – or perhaps better described as morphological knowledge- is very important for SLPs to address in speech therapy. Morphological knowledge has an impact on vocabulary knowledge and comprehension . While you may focus more on grammatical morphology with the younger elementary crowd, derivational morphology becomes very important for upper elementary students.

Morphological Terms for SLPs

Here is a quick list of morphological terminology to get SLPS started!

• morphology : the study of words and how they are formed
• morpheme : the smallest meaningful unit of language, cannot be further divided
• morphological awareness : understanding how words can be broken down into morphemes (which can include base, prefixes, suffixes)
• morphological knowledge : understanding, recognition, and USE of morphemes
• bound morpheme : cannot stand alone as a word (such as the -er ending)
• free morpheme : can stand alone as a word (such as the word ‘farm’)
• inflectional morpheme : suffixes that convey grammatical information, like number, tense, subject agreement, and case- there are 8 inflectional morphemes in English (examples: ‘s, -ed, -ing); doesn’t change the core meaning of the word (if you make the word ‘dog’ plural, you’re still talking about a dog)
• derivational morpheme : prefixes and suffixes added to a word to create a new word or change the meaning, may change the part of speech (example: changing the word ‘farm’ to ‘farmer’)
• prefix : a morpheme placed at the beginning of a word, such as ‘un’ (unlock)
• suffix : a morpheme placed at the end of a word, such as -ing
• affix: prefixes and suffixes are affixes
• base : a word that can stand alone after affixes (prefixes or suffixes) are removed (this can be a single free morpheme, but it may also be a combination of morphemes)
• root : what’s left after removing all affixes, the “core” of a word- sometimes stands alone (‘care’: carefully), sometimes does not stand alone (if it does not stand alone, it is usually Latin or Greek origin, such as ‘bio’ in biology)
• stem : what remains after you remove inflectional (grammatical) affixes (example: talk +s)

You can check out this article from Reading Rockets with lists of the most common root words, roots, and affixes .

Common Core Standards Linked to Morphology

Common core standards for 4th graders involve the ability to use prefixes and suffixes as clues for defining words and also using the combined knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read unfamiliar words . Additionally, there is a common core standard for fifth graders related to morphology .

Intervention Strategies for Morphology

For specific morphological intervention strategies, I find this research article (“ Using Morphological Awareness Instruction to Improve Written Language Skills “) very useful . It details some specific speech therapy intervention activities for morphology SLPs could use, including:

• segmenting tasks (i.e. breaking down words into morphological units: cats= cat + s)
• word building tasks (adding prefixes or suffixes to base words to create new words)
• word sorting tasks
• direct instruction of word roots
• use the word relatives strategy

Incorporating Morphology into Grammar and Sentence Structure Lessons

When teaching grammar and sentence structure, I like to take the time to incorporate morphological awareness . While diagramming a sentence, I can show on a sentence diagram how adding a suffix (-ly) can change what part of speech the word is.

For example, sentence 1 might be “The loud dog barks”. We diagram this and show that loud is an adjective modifying our subject ‘dog’. Next, I say, “let’s add the -ly suffix”. I write our new sentence, “The dog barks loudly”. Now, we created an adverb by adding a morphological unit to our base word, loud . In doing so, we created a new part of speech.

Kirk, Cecilia, and Gail T. Gillon. “Integrated Morphological Awareness Intervention as a Tool for Improving Literacy.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , vol. 40, no. 3, 2009, pp. 341–351., https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2008/08-0009).

Green, Laura. “Morphology and Literacy: Getting Our Heads in the Game.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , vol. 40, no. 3, 2009, pp. 283–285., https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2009/08-0091).

Moats, Louisa Cook, and Cheryl Smith. “Derivational Morphology.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , vol. 23, no. 4, 1992, pp. 312–319., https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461.2304.312.

Apel, Kenn, and Krystal Werfel. “Using Morphological Awareness Instruction to Improve Written Language Skills.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools , vol. 45, no. 4, Oct. 2014, pp. 251–260., https://doi.org/10.1044/2014_lshss-14-0039.

How to Teach Semantic Relationships in Speech Therapy

I like to teach semantic relationships in speech therapy. Over and over again, I kept seeing my upper elementary students struggle to comprehend time and spatial vocabulary. Since these terms are often embedded into complex sentences, I realized this was an area I had to address. Additionally, my students struggled with understanding comparative relationships and passive voice .

When teaching my students about time vocabulary (or time order words ), I like to make it very functional. Time order words can include terms like ‘earlier’, ‘prior to’, ‘before’, and ‘afterward’. We use the student’s daily school schedule, the days of the week, and the months of the year. I might ask a question like “What class comes before gym?”

You can easily see how understanding time vocabulary would also be very necessary other language tasks, like story retell.

Upper elementary students may understand basic positional words and terms (such as beneath, next to, behind). To make things more challenging, I include multiple modifiers while reviewing these concepts. For example, we might practice writing our names on the top left side of the page. We also practice terms like ‘to the right of’ or ‘on the left side of’.

Check out some grab ‘n go semantic relationship worksheets for this age group.

How to Work on Complex Following Directions in Speech Therapy

Many 4th and 5th graders need to work on complex following directions activities . I want to make these following directions activities as functional and meaningful as possible. I like to target directions that include spatial concepts, conditional concepts, temporal concepts, and sequential concepts.

Often, I will include multiple modifiers, and target more than one concept at a time. For example, I might include a direction that contains both time vocabulary (such as ‘after’) and spatial (location) vocabulary (such as ‘to the left of’).

As I mentioned previously, time (temporal) concepts can be very tricky for my students. We spend a lot of… time (no pun intended) in my speech room learning (or reviewing) vocabulary such as ‘before’ and ‘after’. An example of a higher level, complex direction involving embedded time vocabulary might include “After you raise your hand, write your name on the paper.” You could make that same direction a little more challenging by adding in some modifiers. “After you raise your left hand, write your first name on the paper.”

Spatial concepts are also challenging! An example of how I incorporate spatial concepts into complex directions (containing other embedded concepts) would be: “First, write your name in the top right corner of the page. Next, circle the first letter.”

If you wish, try out these complex following directions activities with your students.

The Best Games for Speech Therapy (Upper Elementary)

I love using games with my speech therapy students- even my older ones! It’s important to motivate my students. I want them to enjoy coming to speech, and there’s nothing wrong with brain breaks or choosing games that support speech and language objectives!

The first game I use non-stop with this age group is Disney Meme: The Game . My students have SO much fun with this one. We also use it to work on a variety of language goals. I give them a target word and they create a sentence about the picture. We’ve also used the pictures to work on comparing and contrasting and describing goals.

The next game I use all the time with my upper elementary students is Spot It . This game is fast, fun, and easy to use no matter what speech therapy goal you’re targeting.

Read the entire list of best games for 4th and 5th graders here .

The Best Materials for Upper Elementary Speech Therapy

Here a few of my favorite materials and activities for upper elementary students.

• Entire Year of Grammar and Sentence Structure (Grades 4-5)
• Lisp and R Bundle
• Story Champs Program (you can also learn more about this program on their website )
• Semantic Relationships Worksheets
• Prefix, Suffix, and Base Word Tile Kit
• Sentence Diagramming Beginning Workbook

Read more about challenging activities for 4th and 5th graders .

The Best Books for Speech Therapy (4th and 5th Grade)

There’s no doubt that books can be an effective way to work on speech and language objectives in speech therapy! Sometimes, we need books that are sound-loaded (contain specific speech sounds). Other times, we need books that allow us to address a variety of language skills, such as vocabulary, comprehension, and story retell.

I always love starting out the school year with The Name Jar . Graphic novels, such as Twins and the Dog Man series, are always a hit! Many 4th graders also still get a laugh out of Pig the Pug books, and Turkey Trouble is a staple in November.

Read my full list of favorite books for 4th and 5th graders in speech therapy , and make sure to grab your free Book Boost reference pages!

My Favorite Speech Therapy CEU Courses for Upper Elementary

There are a lot of great CEU courses for SLPs available. I’m going to share my top 4 favorite CEU speech therapy courses for this age level. These are courses I have personally taken and found beneficial. I hope you will too, if you decide to take them!

• R: Techniques And Interventions To Correct /r/ — Seven Steps, From Basics To Habituation
• The Informed SLP (www.theinformedslp.com)
• Do the Hard Things First? Treatment of Morphology and Syntax
• Natural Language Acquisition In Autism: Echolalia To Self-Generated Language

Items You Need In Your Speech Therapy Room (for Upper Elementary)

Here are some resources that you may find helpful to keep nearby in your speech room .

• Hanging File Folder Organizer : this is HUGE for trying to keep all of those random papers, worksheets, or lists organized!
• Dry Erase Pocket Sleeves : Believe me- you’ll use these ALL THE TIME with your upper elementary speech therapy students! You can reuse worksheets over and over again. They’re great to pull out during a busy day because you won’t need to continuously run to the copier!
• Art Caddy : The secret to grabbing what you need quick? The Art Caddy! I keep one on my therapy table at all times. Read this must-have materials post to see what I put in mine!
• Pen and Pencil Organizer : You will also want desktop storage for dry erase markers, pens, pencils, and crayons. This organizer belongs on your therapy desk or table and holds writing materials for your students to use.
• Pilot G-2 Pens : I know a lot of people prefer flair pens. But I’m in LOVE with these Pilot G-2 pens. You’re going to do a LOT of writing during the day- you might as well (kind of) enjoy it!
• Daubers : Bingo Daubers are really fun and motivating, even at this age level. They’re also easy to grasp if students have fine motor difficulties.
• Typdont : it’s really useful to have a typodont on hand for explaining lingual-palatal contact to your students!

How to Make Your Speech Therapy Schedule

Speech therapy scheduling is no joke- it’s like one MEGA game of tetris! To actually make your schedule, you will need specific information.

The Information SLPs Need to Create a Schedule

What you need to make your speech therapy schedule:

• your speech caseload list
• administrative homeroom list
• letter or emails to teachers
• as many sticky notes as you can find
• progress reports or IEP objectives at a glance
• any information you can gather from their previous SLP

To get started, you need a speech caseload list . Depending on where you work, this may be gathered in different ways. You absolutely need to know who you’re supposed to be working with. Sometimes, this may come from a special education secretary. It may also come from a Speech Pathologist in your district who works with younger grades and passes on this information to you. If you can’t find a speech caseload list, there should be a list of all students on IEPs in your building, which would at least give you a place to work from. It’s also possible that your school psychologist may have a list available.

You will also need an administrative homeroom list , so you can actually find your students. Alternatively, you may have access in whichever computer system your school uses to get homeroom information. I do like to have this information on paper, though. It’s much easier for scheduling purposes!

Next, Collaborate with Teachers

Sort students by teacher.

After you have identified the students on your caseload, you sort students by teachers or home rooms . Once you have this information, you can send a letter (or email) to teachers. I let the teachers know which students in their room receive speech therapy services (and it’s nice to explain what they’re working on as well).

FIGURING OUT THE BEST DAYS AND TIMES FOR SPEECH THERAPY

I also let them know how many minutes and blocks of times per week I will need available to work with the students so that I can meet monthly minutes. You may be writing quarterly minutes, etc, so just figure out what works for your situation.

Teachers can let you know the best- and worst – times to work with students, no matter what model of service delivery you plan on using. Tell your teachers WHEN you need to have this information so that you can begin the scheduling process . The beginning of the year is crazy for everyone, and deadlines are a necessity.

When you have all of the time availability information back from teachers, the fun (that’s a joke!) can begin.

Finally, You Can Create a Schedule

Now that you know the students on your caseload, their needs, their teacher, and the best times for therapy, you can begin scheduling.

I do this usually using about 600 sticky notes. Sigh.

On one big index card, I write grade level. Then, I break that further into teachers. Underneath that, I have individual sticky notes for each student. I write A, L, or A/L on the sticky notes to indicate if they receive services for articulation (A), language (L), or articulation and language (A/L).

After that, I figure out which students could be paired together based on days, times, and needs.

Read this blog post for more detailed information on how to schedule your speech therapy students .

Running Classroom Language Lessons

Sometimes, I went into the classroom and ran classroom language lessons. This usually occurred in our resource rooms.

There are several ways you can do this. Usually, I start with one main “hands on” activity (such as a craft , simple cooking / edible crafts , a story read aloud, a movement activity, or completing a simple science experiment ).

You can easily incorporate vocabulary , comprehension , and following directions into any activity.

We follow this up by describing a character or related item. You can make this fun and interactive. Try tossing a beach ball or large dice around, and students could take turns telling you one attribute (category, object function, parts, etc.) Alternatively, you also could turn this into a bean bag toss activity.

If you’re working with a smaller group, you might also enjoy pairing your story read aloud with a story retell yoga mat .

Finally, you could always finish up your lesson with a fun word-building game, like Wordical or Prefix and Suffix Bingo .

SLP Organization Tips

SLPs have a TON of paperwork, and often, lots of supplies! We work with a wide range of students. So, although you’re likely reading this post because you work with 4th and 5th graders, you probably have younger, or even older, students on your caseload as well.

How To Organize Your SLP Planner

There is no denying it: SLPs have a TON to keep track of. IEP due dates, evaluation due dates, meetings, therapy times, and more! It’s a LOT, and it took me quite a few years to figure out a system that worked. Want a sneak peek to how I organize my SLP planner ? In this video, I’ll walk you through the basics.

I have an organized system to keep track of:

• my weekly schedule
• data collection sheets
• attendance sheets
• my caseload
• upcoming meetings
• reports due

This SLP planner is available in my TpT store.

Need More Speech Therapy Ideas?

Well, I know that was a LOT of information! Hopefully, I gave you some fresh ideas and insight about how to do speech therapy with 4th and 5th graders. This blog is meant to inspire school SLPs, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me ([email protected]) if you have any questions, comments, or ideas!

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TWO. EXHAUSTING. MONTHS. It all started when I sat down and started thinking about how often I hear in IEP meetings: this student struggles with reading comprehension. Now, I WAS working on comprehension goals, but I felt like I needed to dig deeper. What SPECIFIC areas of language could I target that would best help…

Simple St. Patrick’s Day Speech Therapy Activities

Do you need St. Patrick’s Day speech therapy activities or ideas? Lucky you! This blog post has your speech therapy session planned. In this blog post, I’m going to share my absolute favorite St. Patrick’s Day speech therapy activities and ideas. I’m grouping this post by grade levels (preschool, elementary, and middle school), so that…

• Grades 6-12
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100 Last-Day-of-School Activities Your Students Will Love!

18 Examples of End-of-Year Letters to Students and Their Families (Plus Free Templates)

Tips and examples to craft letters for your students.

Saying goodbye to students can be so hard. After spending a whole year working together, it’s impossible to imagine our classrooms without them! One of the best ways to show them how much they mean to you is to write end-of-year letters to students. Take a look at some terrific examples from other teachers, and learn how to write your own. Plus be sure to fill out the form on this landing page to get a bundle of three printable end-of-year letters you can customize for your students.

How To Write End-of-Year Student Letters

Keep it short.

We make a lot of memories with our kids, but trying to create a highlight reel for everyone would be tough. It’s better to keep your end-of-year letters to students short and sweet. Even if it’s brief, it can be heartfelt.

Personalize

Even if you use a template, there are ways to customize your letters. Of course, you’ll want to address your notes to each student by name. Along with your signature at the bottom, though, you can mention one special thing you’ll remember about them so that it feels more personal.

Use a template

A template makes it easy to quickly customize letters for each of your students. Fill out the form on this page to get our free downloadable end-of-year letter templates!

End-of-Year Letter Examples and Ideas

Take a look at what other teachers have written to find more ideas for your own end-of-year letters to students and families.

FEATURED PICK

1. Personalized Heartfelt Letter

Use our free Google Docs template to easily customize letters for each of your students. You can personalize as much or as little as you’d like. Just fill out the form on this landing page to grab it along with two others featured below.

2. Goodbye Poem

Sometimes a poem can capture our feelings better than any letter ever could. This sweet letter is perfect for letting your students know how much they mean to you, while also reinforcing language skills. It’s a win-win!

Get it: Goodbye Letter

3. Letter With Picture

Including a photo of your student is an easy way to personalize your letter, plus it gives families a cute keepsake they’ll love to pull out and share years from now.

Get it: Easy End of Year Student Letter

4. ABC Farewell

This is an incredibly clever idea, and perfect for the early elementary grades. You could even personalize this by including the student’s name for the letter it starts with!

Get it: Clip Art and ABC Farewell

5. Poem With Colorable Picture

Pass these out on the last day of school and let kids color their pictures. The final result is a little bit of you and a little bit of them, all in one!

Get it: End of Year Poem

6. Personal Card

Choose some note cards you love and spend a few hours writing personal messages. This takes a little more time, but you only need a few short sentences to make students and their families feel really special.

Get it: Sending Letters Home

7. Great Expectations Poem

Here’s another sweet poem, with wonderful wishes for a student’s future. Jot a personal memory on the back to make it even more special.

8. Handwritten Note

You can use the same message over and over again, but handwriting it out makes it feel more personal. We love that these letters feature the students’ names in beautiful calligraphy at the top too.

Get it: Handwritten Letters

9. A Note for Older Kids

This end-of-year letter template has a design that works well for older students. Just fill out the form on this page to grab your free customizable Google Docs template.

10. Gold in Every Piece of Your Story

This collaborative letter is such a cool idea! Gather quotes, stories, and words of wisdom from various people who’ve interacted with your students over the last year, and gather them together into one sweet document they’ll cherish.

Get it: There Is Gold Letter

11. Mailbox Activity

Pair your end-of-year letters to students with this cute activity. Each student turns a paper bag into their own mailbox. Then, they write letters to each other to slip into the boxes, along with your own special deliveries.

Get it: Mailbox Activity

12. Family Letter

Parents and guardians will appreciate a letter at the end of the year too. Use it to sum up some of the great things that happened, and invite them to keep in touch in the future.

Get it: Good-Bye Letter

13. It’s Time To Say Goodbye Poem

Poems are popular for end-of-year letters, and this one by Debbie Clement is truly sweet. It’s perfect for preschool and early elementary, especially when you add your own short note to personalize it.

14. Preschool Days

Here’s another clever rhyme for young students, this one specific to preschool activities and learning. Personalize it with teacher names, and parents can tuck this into their child’s memory book as a keepsake.

Get it: Preschool Days Poem

15. AI Customized Letters or Poems

This is one of the ways ChatGPT can be a real time-saver for teachers! With just a few simple prompts, the program can write individualized letters for your students. One teacher even used it to write custom poems!

16. End-of-Year Bookmarks

When you turn your end-of-year letters into bookmarks, students can keep them close at hand for years to come.

Get it: Bookmarks

17. Free Printable Notes

Print simple notes on colorful paper, then flip them over and write a line or two on the back that’s customized for your student. Simple and so thoughtful!

Get it: Printable Notes

18. Short and Sweet Note

This end-of-year letter template’s design is perfect for a short and sweet message to elementary students. Get the free Google Doc template for this letter and two others when you fill out the form on this landing page.

Be sure to fill out the form on this page to get your free End-of-Year Student Letter templates!

Plus, 50 Free Printable End-of-Year Awards for Students .

Want more articles like this be sure to subscribe to our newsletters .

You Might Also Like

This Teacher Asked ChatGPT to Write a Personalized End-of-Year Poem for Each of His Students, and the Results Are Pretty Great

You can have personalized poems in minutes. Continue Reading

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• How to End a Speech: What You Need for a Bang

A good talk or public speech is like a good play, movie, or song.

It opens by arresting the listener’s attention, develops point by point, and then ends strongly, ensuring that the audience’s attention is maintained throughout.

The truth is, if you don’t know how to end a speech, the overall message won’t be persuasive and your key points may get lost.

The words you say at the beginning, and especially at the end of your talk, are usually the most persuasive parts of the speech and will be remembered longer than almost any other part of your speech. It’s crucial to leave a lasting impression with a powerful conclusion.

Some of the great speeches in history and some of the most memorable Ted talks have ended with powerful, stirring words that live on in memory.

How do you end a speech and get the standing ovation that you deserve?

Keep reading to discover how…

Here are 9 tips and examples for concluding a speech.

To ensure that your conclusion is as powerful as it can be, you must plan it word for word, including a strong closing statement.

Ask yourself,  “What is the purpose of this talk?”

Your answer should involve the actions that you want your listeners to take after hearing you speak on this subject.

When you are clear about the end result you desire, it becomes much easier to design a conclusion that asks your listeners to take that action. It is also crucial to restate a key idea to reinforce your message and leave a lasting impression.

The best strategy for ending with a BANG is to plan your close before you plan the rest of your speech.

You then go back and design your opening so that it sets the stage for your conclusion.

The body of your talk is where you present your ideas and make your case for what you want the audience to think, remember, and do after hearing you speak.

2) Always End A Speech With A Call To Action

It is especially important to tell the audience what you want it to do as a result of hearing you speak.

A call to action is the best way to wrap up your talk with strength and power. Reinforce your key points by summarizing the main message, ensuring it leaves a lasting impression. Closing the speech effectively can evoke emotions and make a significant impact on the audience.

Here’s a Speech Call To Action Example

“We have great challenges and great opportunities, and with your help, we will meet them and make this next year the best year in our history!”

Consider ending with a thought-provoking question to challenge the audience to think differently and inspire them to take action.

Whatever you say, imagine an exclamation point at the end. As you approach the conclusion, pick up your energy and tempo.  This is even more important if  the presentation you are giving is virtual .

Speak with strength and emphasis.

Drive the final point home.

Regardless of whether the audience participants agree with you or are willing to do what you ask, it should be perfectly clear to them what you are requesting.

3) End a Speech With a Summary

There is a simple formula for any talk:

• Tell them what you are going to tell them.
• Then, tell them what you told them.

As you approach the end of your talk, say something like,

“Let me briefly restate these main points…”

You then list your key points, one by one, and repeat them to the audience, showing how each of them links to the other points.

Audiences appreciate a linear repetition of what they have just heard. This repetition helps make your message memorable and ensures that your key points leave a lasting impression.

This makes it clear that you are coming to the end of your talk.

4) Close with a Story

As you reach the end of your talk, you can say,

“Let me tell you a story that illustrates what I have been talking about…”

You then tell a brief story with a moral and then tell the audience what the moral is. Using effective body language, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using open gestures, can make your story more impactful and leave a lasting impression.

Don’t leave it to them to figure out for themselves.

Often you can close with a story that illustrates your key points and then clearly links to the key message that you are making with your speech.

To learn more about storytelling in speaking, you can read my previous blog post  “8 Public Speaking Tips to Wow Your Audience.”

5) Make Them Laugh

You can close with humor.

You can tell a joke that loops back into your subject and repeats the lesson or main point you are making with a story that makes everyone laugh.

During my talks on planning and persistence, I discuss the biggest enemy that we have, which is the tendency to follow the path of least resistance. I then tell this story.

Ole and Sven are out hunting in Minnesota and they shoot a deer. They begin dragging the deer back to the truck by the tail, but they keep slipping and losing both their grip and their balance.

A farmer comes along and asks them, “What are you boys doing?”

They reply, “We’re dragging the deer back to the truck.”

The farmer tells them, “You are not supposed to drag a deer by the tail. You’re supposed to drag the deer by the handles. They’re called antlers. You’re supposed to drag a deer by the antlers.”

Ole and Sven say, “Thank you very much for the idea.”

They begin pulling the deer by the antlers. After about five minutes, they are making rapid progress. Ole says to Sven, “Sven, the farmer was right. It goes a lot easier by the antlers.”

Sven replies, “Yeah, but we’re getting farther and farther from the truck.”

After the laughter dies down, I say…

“The majority of people in life are pulling the easy way, but they are getting further and further from the ‘truck’ or their real goals and objectives.”

A memorable statement like this can make the humor more effective by condensing the core message into a crisp and authentic sound bite.

That’s just one example of closing using humor.

6) Make It Rhyme

You can close with a poem.

There are many fine poems that contain messages that summarize the key points you want to make. Here are some practical tips for selecting and delivering a poem: choose a poem that resonates with your message, practice your delivery to ensure it flows naturally, and use appropriate pauses to emphasize key lines.

You can select a poem that is moving, dramatic, or emotional.

For years I ended seminars with the poem,  “Don’t Quit,”  or  “Carry On!”  by Robert W. Service. It was always well received by the audience.

7) Close With Inspiration for A Lasting Impression

You can end a speech with something inspirational as well.

If you have given an uplifting talk, remember that hope is, and has always been, the main religion of mankind.

People love to be motivated and inspired to be or do something different and better in the future.

Here are a few of  my favorite inspirational quotes  that can be tied into most speeches.  You can also  read this collection of leadership quotes  for further inspiration.

Remember, everyone in your audience is dealing with problems, difficulties, challenges, disappointments, setbacks, and temporary failures.

For this reason, everyone appreciates a poem, quote, or story of encouragement that gives them strength and courage.

Here are 7 Tips to Tell an Inspiring Poem or Story to End Your Speech

• You have to slow down and add emotion and drama to your words.
• Raise your voice on a key line of the poem, and then drop it when you’re saying something that is intimate and emotional.
• Pick up the tempo occasionally as you go through the story or poem, but then slow down on the most memorable parts.
• Especially, double the number of pauses you normally use in a conversation.
• Use dramatic pauses at the end of a line to allow the audience to digest the words and catch up with you.
• Smile if the line is funny, and be serious if the line is more thought-provoking or emotional.
• When you come to the end of your talk, be sure to bring your voice up on the last line, rather than letting it drop. Remember the  “exclamation point”  at the end to reinforce your main message and leave a lasting impression.

Try practicing on this poem that I referenced above…

Read through  “Carry On!” by Robert Service

Identify the key lines, intimate parts, and memorable parts, and recite it.

8) Make it Clear That You’re Done

When you say your final words, it should be clear to everyone that you have ended. A strong closing statement is crucial in signaling the end of your speech, leaving a lasting impression, and ensuring that the audience remembers the key points. There should be no ambiguity or confusion in the mind of your audience. The audience members should know that this is the end.

Many speakers just allow their talks to wind down.

They say  something with filler words  like,  “Well, that just about covers it. Thank you.”

This isn’t a good idea…

It’s not powerful…

It’s not an authoritative ending and thus detracts from your credibility and influence.

When you have concluded, discipline yourself to stand perfectly still. Select a friendly face in the audience and look straight at that person.

If it is appropriate, smile warmly at that person to signal that your speech has come to an end.

Resist the temptation to:

• Shuffle papers.
• Fidget with your clothes or microphone.
• Move forward, backward, or sideways.
• Do anything else except stand solidly, like a tree.

9) Let Them Applaud

When you have finished your talk, the audience members will want to applaud. Using effective body language, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using open gestures, can signal to the audience that it is time to begin clapping.

What they need from you is a clear signal that now is the time to begin clapping.

How do you signal this?

Some people will recognize sooner than others that you have concluded your remarks.

In many cases, when you make your concluding comments and stop talking, the audience members will be completely silent.

They may be unsure whether you are finished.

They may be processing your final remarks and thinking them over. They may not know what to do until someone else does something.

In a few seconds, which will often feel like several minutes, people will applaud.

Then another…

Then the entire audience will begin clapping.

When someone begins to applaud, look directly at that person, smile, and mouth the words  thank you.

As more and more people applaud, sweep slowly from person to person, nodding, smiling and saying, “Thank You.”

Eventually, the whole room will be clapping.

There’s no better reward for overcoming your  fear of public speaking  than enjoying a round of applause.

BONUS TIP: How to Handle a Standing Ovation

If you’ve given a moving talk and really connected with your audience, someone will stand up and applaud. To encourage a standing ovation, make your message memorable by using repetition of your keyword or phrase and incorporating relevant visuals or metaphors to leave a lasting impression on the audience. When this happens, encourage others by looking directly at the clapper and saying,  “Thank you.”

This will often prompt other members of the audience to stand.

As people see others standing, they will stand as well, applauding the whole time.

It is not uncommon for a speaker to conclude his or her remarks, stand silently, and have the entire audience sit silently in response.

Stand Comfortably And Shake Hands

But as the speaker stands there comfortably, waiting for the audience to realize the talk is over, one by one people will begin to applaud and often stand up one by one. Using positive body language, such as maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using open gestures, can leave a lasting impression on the audience.

If the first row of audience members is close in front of you, step or lean forward and shake that person’s hand when one of them stands up to applaud.

When you shake hands with one person in the audience, many other people in the audience feel that you are shaking their hands and congratulating them as well.

They will then stand up and applaud.

Soon the whole room will be standing and applauding.

Whether you receive a standing ovation or not, if your introducer comes back on to thank you on behalf of the audience, smile and shake their hand warmly.

If it’s appropriate, give the introducer a hug of thanks, wave in a friendly way to the audience, and then move aside and give the introducer the stage.

Follow these tips to get that standing ovation every time.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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Jun 22, 2023

How to write a follow-up email with 8 samples and template

Learn how to write a follow-up email after no response with the help of our follow-up email samples and template.

Lawrie Jones

Table of contents

So you sent the perfect email hoping for a quick response, and 8 days later... still no reply. 😑

How to write a follow-up email

If your email has ever been ignored, a follow-up email can help get your conversation back on track.

As the name suggests, follow-up emails are reminders , prompts, and (very gentle) pushes to get a response. If the follow-up email does its job, you'll quickly find a reply ready and waiting in your inbox, and you can (quite literally) get back on with business!

In this ultimate guide on how to write follow-up emails, we delve into the format, breaking it down into sections. Then, we provide 8 follow-up email samples and finish with a 100% customizable template.

Let the email pros at Flowrite guide you through the process of creating fantastic follow-up responses that won't fail to get a reply!

Why send a follow-up email?

Consider the situation: You've emailed your boss with a question about a project.

Time is running out for you, but you're still waiting for a reply. What would you do?

It's easy to get frustrated and even angry if you feel ignored. But before you go nuclear, send a follow-up email. There are many reasons why you're email may have been unanswered, and you’ll never know if you don’t ask.

The hardest part of creating a follow-up email is to stay polite and professional, while pushing for an outcome. It's especially sensitive if you're pushing someone in power, like a boss, manager, director, or valued client.

The (not so secret) trick is to use the formal email structure and established follow-up email format. So let's get to it...

Follow-up email format

The follow-up email format is no mystery to anyone who creates messages for business. It uses the formal email format (you can read about that in our monster guide here!).

Follow-up emails are focused on getting an outcome.

Whether you're checking in after applying for a job or after sending your resume, it all starts with a strong subject line that grabs attention.

When they open the email, it's professional, personalized, and precise, focusing on your desired outcome. It ends with an outline of the next steps in the process and a suitable sign-off.

It sounds simple because it is! It's time to get into the details of how to draft a follow-up email, using a professional email format:

1. Follow-up email subject line

For every type of email, subject lines have to grab attention. They must express precisely what the message is about and encourage the reader to open it. Fulfilling these principles is a priority for follow-up emails, as your initial message was ignored. Don't make the same mistake again!

Keeping the subject line short, sweet, and simple is essential, advises Rebecca Zucker in the Harvard Business Review .

She suggests that 47% of all emails are discarded by having lousy subject lines. Don't make that mistake!

You can either be explicit about your request or not. Here are a few follow-up email subject line examples:

• Follow up: Email sent on XXX – This is a super formal subject line to a serious email
• Response required: Email sent XXX – Again, a serious subject line for a serious email
• Reminder to register for XXX – This is a polite email reminder for an event.
• Be great to hear from you – This is a relaxed and informal approach that you should only use with someone you knowNetwork event reminder (details) – Another polite follow-up about an event ‍
• Thanks for our meeting – This is a different way to follow up with someone you have already met. You're not demanding a response but creating a connection

In case you're wondering, here are some terrible follow-up email subject lines that you should never use in any situation!

• Why didn't you respond?
• Did you get my last email?
• I'm waiting for your reply…
• I know you're busy, but…
• Just checking in…
• Respond ASAP (I included your manager as CC )

Want to learn how to start an email professionally and adequately? Check out our feature  on how to start an email and how to introduce yourself effectively .

Let's start crafting a follow-up email together, starting with the subject line:

2. Follow-up email body

The follow-up email body is where we start asking for what we want: a reply.

Start with a personalized greeting that uses the person's name. A "Hi" or "Hello" is fine, along with their first name. (Don't forget any professional titles, too.)

Your email is about getting attention and encouraging a response, but try to avoid becoming emotional in your requests. The format outlined below is a great way to ensure you get the desired outcome without damaging your reputation or burning any bridges.

Restate your original request

Start with a warm greeting and remind the person of the previous email (request or correspondence). Keep things upbeat and friendly rather than ice-cold and overly formal.

Remember, there may be legitimate and fair reasons you've received no reply, so always give the person the benefit of the doubt (until proven otherwise).

Restate what's needed and possible deadline (call-to-action)

Your email opening is positive, friendly and continues to build your relationship. The door is still open – but let's push for some answers!

One tip we have is don't be overly apologetic and don't feel bad for bothering people again. This can lead to longer than necessary emails.

One crucial consideration is whether the email response is time-sensitive. Take, for example; you are inviting someone to an event . You may have a deadline for an answer. In this case, you may need to send a polite follow-up email quickly, which is acceptable. 

In this section, we state what's required and provide a deadline to drive action. You can offer them an opportunity to extend the deadline if there's a genuine reason why they've not been able to respond.

3. How to end follow-up email

To finish off your follow-up email, you can restate your overall aims of the message – and the outcome you want. Even if you're feeling frustrated, don't let that come across in your follow-up emails. Focus on staying 100% professional!

Before sending, don't forget to add your name, signature, and other details. Double check you've added the attachments, documents, and anything else the recipient may require!

Follow-up email examples

Now, in the classic Flowrite style, we stop telling and start showing.

We give you 8 examples on how to create a polite follow-up email, a gentle follow-up email, and a more formal response request email . We've provided the framework for how to follow up on an email below .

These samples are written to help you understand the format and find the right words . Use them as the basis for building your follow-up emails.

Or, if you're feeling lazy, copy and paste them. It's your choice!

1. Polite follow-up email sample

Here's a polite follow-up email sample you can send after not receiving a response. When deciding how to follow up on email politely, think about the person and understand why they may not have read your email.

In this polite follow-up email example, we've acknowledged why someone may not have responded to an email – "I understand that you are busy".

2. Follow up email sample after no response

Here is a sample of a follow-up email sent after getting no response. It doesn't beat around the bush but gets straight to the point. This email isn't to someone that you know but a generic email address or unnamed recipient.

3. Gentle follow up email sample

If you're looking for a gentle follow-up email sample, here's one. This is a lot less formal than the previous ones.  

4. Polite follow-up email sample for a request

We start with a polite follow-up email sample to make you sound like a pro. This sample is a basic – but effective – way to follow up.

We use the structure set out previously and leave the reader in no doubt about what we want, when, and why.

5. Politely follow up with your boss sample

Emailing your boss requires some tact. You'll naturally want to push for a response, but remember who has the power (they do!).

In this sample, we create a polite follow-up you can use with even the most fearsome boss.

Be bold and confident that you're doing the right thing for your career and the business.

6. Chaser email sample

Chasers aren't just soft drinks taken after hard liquor; they're also emails to accelerate a response. Chaser emails are often sent to get attendance at a meeting, confirmation of a booking, or dietary requirements.

Chaser emails are briefer than the other follow-ups and less formal – but don't be complacent. Check out our chaser email sample.

7. Following up on my previous email sample

How many times have you had to follow up on an email that's been ignored? For us, it's lots and lots of times, sadly.

Email follow-ups are formal and stick to the structure – but there is flexibility. If you're emailing a colleague, you can be friendlier. If you're emailing an existing customer or potential client, stay formal .

8. Waiting for a response email sample

Sometimes you can find yourself left waiting for a response. This can hold you up and stop you from progressing on projects or achieving your aims.

Don't delay ; send a follow-up email, and let's get you some answers!

This email sample provides an engaging way you can explain you're waiting for a response – and why you need one ASAP!

Follow-up email template

If the samples above don't suit your style, or fit your circumstances, here's a 100% customizable follow-up email template you can use.

This follow-up message follows the format and sticks rigidly to an approach we know works.

To use this template, work from top to bottom and fill in the gaps. You can delete any section you don't need or add more information where required.

By the end, you'll have a follow-up message that will get results!

Follow-up on how to write follow-ups

And so, the end is near, and by this stage, you should know how to write follow-up emails. We’ll say it again, but the key is to focus on the outcome and ignore any emotions.

Always remember there could be a legitimate reason your original email or request wasn't answered, so give the person a chance. When writing follow-up emails, use the standard format simple structure, keep things short, and include a CTA.

Never settle for anything less than an answer!

Follow-up email template using Flowrite

Flowrite is an AI writing tool that turns short instructions into ready-to-send emails and message. However, for emails such as follow-ups after no response it can write the whole email for you.

Try it yourself below to see how to follow up on an email with click of button thanks to our follow up email template.

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Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I returned Coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But 10 years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backward 10 years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents’ garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down — that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer animated feature film,  Toy Story , and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called  The Whole Earth Catalog , which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: It was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of  The Whole Earth Catalog , and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Best free text-to-speech software of 2024

Find the best free text-to-speech software for free text to voice conversion

• Best overall
• Best custom voice
• Best for beginners
• Best Microsoft extension
• Best website reader
• How we test

The best free text-to-speech software makes it simple and easy to improve accessibility and productivity in your workflows.

1. Best overall 2. Best custom voice 3. Best for beginners 4. Best Microsoft extension 5. Best website reader 6. FAQs 7. How we test

In the digital era, the need for effective communication tools has led to a surge in the popularity of text-to-speech (TTS) software, and finding the best free text-to-speech software is essential for a variety of users, regardless of budget constraints. 

Text-to-speech software skillfully converts written text into spoken words using advanced technology, though often without grasping the context of the content. The best text-to-speech software not only accomplishes this task but also offers a selection of natural-sounding voices, catering to different preferences and project needs.

This technology is invaluable for creating accessible content, enhancing workplace productivity, adding voice-overs to videos, or simply assisting in proofreading by vocalizing written work. While many of today’s best free word processors , such as Google Docs, include basic TTS features that are accurate and continually improving, they may not meet all needs.

Stand-alone, app-based TTS tools, which should not be confused with the best speech-to-text apps , often have limitations compared to more comprehensive, free text-to-speech software. For instance, some might not allow the downloading of audio files, a feature crucial for creating content for platforms like YouTube and social media.

In our quest to identify the best free text-to-speech software, we have meticulously tested various options, assessing them based on user experience, performance, and output quality. Our guide aims to help you find the right text-to-speech tool, whatever your specific needs might be.

The best free text-to-speech software of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The best free text-to-speech software overall

1. Natural Reader

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Natural Reader offers one of the best free text-to-speech software experiences, thanks to an easy-going interface and stellar results. It even features online and desktop versions. 

You'll find plenty of user options and customizations. The first is to load documents into its library and have them read aloud from there. This is a neat way to manage multiple files, and the number of supported file types is impressive, including eBook formats. There's also OCR, which enables you to load up a photo or scan of text, and have it spoken to you.

The second option takes the form of a floating toolbar. In this mode, you can highlight text in any application and use the toolbar controls to start and customize text-to-speech. This means you can very easily use the feature in your web browser, word processor and a range of other programs. There's also a browser extension to convert web content to speech more easily.

The TTS tool is available free, with three additional upgrades with more advanced features for power-users and professionals.

Read our full Natural Reader review .

• ^ Back to the top

The best free custom-voice text-to-speech software

2. Balabolka

There are a couple of ways to use Balabolka's top free text-to-speech software. You can either copy and paste text into the program, or you can open a number of supported file formats (including DOC, PDF, and HTML) in the program directly. 

In terms of output, you can use SAPI 4 complete with eight different voices to choose from, SAPI 5 with two, or the Microsoft Speech Platform. Whichever route you choose, you can adjust the speech, pitch and volume of playback to create a custom voice.

In addition to reading words aloud, this free text-to-speech software can also save narrations as audio files in a range of formats including MP3 and WAV. For lengthy documents, you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location and there are excellent tools on hand to help you to customize the pronunciation of words to your liking.

With all these features to make life easier when reading text on a screen isn't an option, Balabolka is the best free text-to-speech software around.

For more help using Balabolka, see out guide on how to convert text to speech using this free software.

The best free text-to-speech software for beginners

3. Panopreter Basic

Panopreter Basic is the best free text-to-speech software if you’re looking for something simple, streamlined, no-frills, and hassle-free. 

It accepts plain and rich text files, web pages and Microsoft Word documents as input, and exports the resulting sound in both WAV and MP3 format (the two files are saved in the same location, with the same name).

The default settings work well for quick tasks, but spend a little time exploring Panopreter Basic's Settings menu and you'll find options to change the language, destination of saved audio files, and set custom interface colors. The software can even play a piece of music once it's finished reading – a nice touch you won't find in other free text-to-speech software.

If you need something more advanced, a premium version of Panopreter is available. This edition offers several additional features including toolbars for Microsoft Word and Internet Explorer , the ability to highlight the section of text currently being read, and extra voices.

The best free text-to-speech extension of Microsoft Word

4. WordTalk

Developed by the University of Edinburgh, WordTalk is a toolbar add-on for Word that brings customizable text-to-speech to Microsoft Word. It works with all editions of Word and is accessible via the toolbar or ribbon, depending on which version you're using.

The toolbar itself is certainly not the most attractive you'll ever see, appearing to have been designed by a child. Nor are all of the buttons' functions very clear, but thankfully there's a help file on hand to help.

There's no getting away from the fact that WordTalk is fairly basic, but it does support SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices, and these can be tweaked to your liking. The ability to just read aloud individual words, sentences or paragraphs is a particularly nice touch. You also have the option of saving narrations, and there are a number of keyboard shortcuts that allow for quick and easy access to frequently used options.

The best free text-to-speech software for websites

5. Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader

Despite its basic looks, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader has more to offer than you might first think. You can open numerous file formats directly in the program, or just copy and paste text.

Alternatively, as long as you have the program running and the relevant option enables, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader can read aloud any text you copy to the clipboard – great if you want to convert words from websites to speech – as well as dialog boxes that pop up. One of the best free text-to-speech software right now, this can also convert text files to WAV format.

Unfortunately the selection of voices is limited, and the only settings you can customize are volume and speed unless you burrow deep into settings to fiddle with pronunciations. Additional voices are available for an additional fee which seems rather steep, holding it back from a higher place in our list.

The best free text-to-speech software: FAQs

What are the limitations of free tts software.

As you might expect, some free versions of TTS software do come with certain limitations. These include the amount of choices you get for the different amount of voices in some case. For instance, Zabaware gives you two for free, but you have to pay if you want more. 

However, the best free software on this list come with all the bells and whistles that will be more than enough for the average user.

What is SAPI?

SAPI stands for Speech Application Programming Interface. It was developed by Microsoft to generate synthetic speech to allow computer programs to read aloud text. First used in its own applications such as Office, it is also employed by third party TTS software such as those featured in this list. 

In the context of TTS software, there are more SAPI 4 voices to choose from, whereas SAPI 5 voices are generally of a higher quality. 

Should I output files to MP3 or WAV?

Many free TTS programs give you the option to download an audio file of the speech to save and transfer to different devices.

MP3 is the most common audio format, and compatible with pretty much any modern device capable of playing back audio. The WAV format is also highly compatible too.

The main difference between the two is quality. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning fidelity is preserved as best as possible, at the cost of being considerably larger in size than MP3 files, which do compress.

Ultimately, however, MP3 files with a bit rate of 256 kbps and above should more than suffice, and you'll struggle to tell the difference when it comes to speech audio between them and WAV files.

How to choose the best free text-to-speech software

When selecting the best free text-to-speech software is best for you depends on a range of factors (not to mention personal preference).

Despite how simple the concept of text-to-speech is, there are many different features and aspects to such apps to take into consideration. These include how many voice options and customizations are present, how and where they operate in your setup, what formats they are able to read aloud from and what formats the audio can be saved as.

With free versions, naturally you'll want to take into account how many advanced features you get without paying, and whether any sacrifices are made to performance or usability. 

Always try to keep in mind what is fair and reasonable for free services - and as we've shown with our number one choice, you can get plenty of features for free, so if other options seem bare in comparison, then you'll know you can do better.

How we test the best free text-to-speech software

Our testing process for the best free text-to-speech software is thorough, examining all of their respective features and trying to throw every conceivable syllable at them to see how they perform.

We also want to test the accessibility features of these tools to see how they work for every kind of user out there. We have highlighted, for instance, whether certain software offer dyslexic-friendly fonts, such as the number two on our list, Natural Reader.

We also bear in mind that these are free versions, so where possible we compare and contrast their feature sets with paid-for rivals.

Finally, we look at how well TTS tools meet the needs of their intended users - whether it's designed for personal use or professional deployment. 

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Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider '. His second book, ' 50 Years of Boss Fights ', came out in June 2024, and has a newsletter called ' Springboard '. He's usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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