A speech writing and public speaking practice tool for Years 7 to 12. Students draft a speech, check it against a checklist for the kind of speech it is, then rehearse it out loud on a working teleprompter and find out how long it really runs. One HTML file that opens in a browser: nothing to install, no login, and it works offline.
WHAT IT SOLVES
Students are often asked to give a speech with no way to practise it. They don't know how long it runs until they are in front of the class, and the first time they read it aloud is the time that counts.
DRAFT
- A calm writing space with a live word count and a speaking-time estimate at three paces (Measured, Normal and Brisk)
- Set a target length in minutes and it says how far over or under the draft is, and roughly how many words to cut or add
- Choose what you are writing: a persuasive speech, an informative talk, a debate speech or a class presentation. The Before You Rehearse checklist changes to suit it.
- Students tick the checklist themselves. Nothing is marked automatically: the list is the standard, not the score.
REHEARSE
- The script becomes a teleprompter that scrolls by itself
- Students set the speed to their own pace and the text size to read from where they will stand
- An elapsed clock shows how long the run took. Nothing is recorded and no microphone is used, so a nervous student can rehearse as many times as they like.
ALSO INSIDE
- Present to Class: puts the checklist up full screen on the projector
- A learning intention and success criteria
- UK/AU or US spelling for the whole tool, and three text sizes
- Brain Break: five short word games (a bug hunt, categories, a five-letter word guess, fill in the blank, and spelling and synonyms) for a break between drafting and rehearsing
- Copy My Work and Print, so students keep their script
WHO IT SUITS
Any speaking task in any subject, from Years 7 to 12. It works on a speech written somewhere else: students paste it in and rehearse.
SAVING
Work saves automatically in the browser on that device. Moving to another computer, or clearing the browser, starts fresh, so students press Copy My Work or Print before they close the tab. Nothing is uploaded and no student data is collected.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- The tool: one HTML file
- A START HERE read-me
There is no answer key: this is a drafting and rehearsal tool, not a worksheet.
TEACHING A PERSUASIVE WRITING UNIT?
The Persuasive Writing Teacher-Led Edition is 12 projector lessons that finish with students delivering their argument as a speech, with a Lesson Guide page for every lesson. For students on their own devices, the Persuasive Writing & Speech Unit, Student Game Edition, has the same draft-and-rehearse idea in its Podium. Both are in the Star Class Academy store.
Licensed for one teacher and their own classes.
Questions? starclassacademy.com/help?ref=sh or hello@starclassacademy.com
