How to give a presentation

Learn how to give a presentation that gives information or persuades the audience about a topic.

In this article you can learn:

• How to plan and design a presentation
• Tips for giving a good presentation

This resource is suitable for Listening and Talking for primary school learners.

Watch this video to learn how to give a great presentation.

Presentations can:

• convince or persuade people
• give them information

Planning

• The key to public speaking or a good presentation is preparation.
• Planning is crucial. You should prepare your key points, slides and any props in advance so that your message is clear.

Audience

Understanding your audience will inform the content and design of your presentation.

Introduction

Try to make your information short and punchy without too much text.

Design

• Play about with the design until you find something that will appeal to your audience.
• Avoid unnecessary transitions as they can be distracting.
• You might want to use charts, graphs or quotes to support your ideas.
• You might want to use some research to support your points.

Ending

Have a strong message to end on.

Here are some tips to help with your presentation:

• Have confident body language.
• Make eye contact with the audience.
• Deliver the opening message confidently.
• Speak clearly and project your voice.
• Don’t rush. The audience need time to read your slides.
• Only use the key points.
• Try not to turn your back on the audience.
• Try not to read from the screen.
• Repeat the main points at the end.
• Round off with a memorable phrase.
• At the end, thank the audience and make time for questions.

• convince – To cause someone to believe something. For example: 'The family were convinced that the dog had eaten the sausages.'
• persuade – To try to get someone to do or think something. For example: 'Can I persuade you to come along with me to watch the football team?'
• crucial – Something which is extremely important. For example: 'It is crucial that we arrive at school before the morning bell.'
• inform – To give someone the facts or information about something. For example: 'The letter arrived to inform them that they had won the jackpot.'
• appeal – To make an urgent or serious request. For example: 'After the storm, the mayor made an appeal to the people for warm blankets and water.'
• transitions – The process of changing from one thing to another. For example: 'Slide transitions are effective when moving from one slide to the next.'
• memorable – Something that is easy to remember. For example: 'It had been a memorable visit to the theme park.'

Give a presentation

Choose a topic and research lots of interesting information you can share in a presentation.

Here are some topic ideas:

• endangered animals
• space
• your favourite book or film
• a holiday
• a pet

Start your planning and prepare your slides and any props you might want to use. This will take a while until you have all the information and key points clear in your mind.

Have a practice run through with your slides. Don't worry if you feel nervous. It can take time to feel confident speaking in front of other people.

Practice makes perfect!