Co-ops Can Coax the Shiest Ones Out of Their Shells!

When we organize a co-op we allow children of all ages to attend (unless the subject is too mature for a younger audience). We insist the children not be disruptive, but we allow the parents to decide if their child has to give a presentation, or not. We encourage everyone to give presentations, but realize that sometimes it helps to let them observe for a few weeks. During this time they will realize that co-ops are a safe place, and that no-one is going to make fun of them or belittle them. They will be inspired by watching other children give presentations and, more-than-likely they will soon ask to give a presentation!

My youngest son was extremely shy when he was 4 years old. I called him my "clingon" ... not from Star Trek, but because he was always clinging to my leg. To be honest, I didn't expect him to show any desire to do a presentation at co-op, but after a few weeks he surprised all of us by his presentations. After he decided he wanted to participate, he readily memorized a report and then presented it with relish. His first report was about Galileo's law of falling bodies. He not only explained the principle, but he illustrated the law by standing on a chair and dropping items.

At another co-op we had a mom attend with her two young children to observe, but not participate. By the third co-op the young children had asked if they, too, could give a presentation and the next week they shared about their new kittens, showing photographs to the class.

The geography co-op we had one year was so large that in order to have everyone give presentations, we had the entire family give one presentation each week on a particular country. We found this worked out great for larger families. The youngest child, usually 2 or 3 years old, would hold up a flag of the country while the other children would share little bits of information about that country, oftentimes wearing costumes or bringing props to share with the class. I'll never forget the presentation given by one family on the Easter Islands. This was the first time that they participated in a co-op. As they got out of their chairs and headed to the stage they sang, "Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?" and then they proceeded to talk about the huge stone statues found on the islands, many of which had low hanging ears. It was great!

Statistics say that people are more afraid of speaking in public, than they are of dying. If you began encouraging your child to give presentations to groups at a young age, then they are less likely to be deathly afraid to speak in public when they are older. Not only do the young ones participate, they often do a better job than some of the older children who, until trained otherwise, stand in front of the group and read a written report in a monotone voice.

Don't be afraid to organize and/or participate in a co-op this fall! More-than-likely you'll be amazed and impressed by the presentations given each week and it won't take long before the shy ones are not-so-shy any more!