Does a student you know have trouble presenting their ideas to their class? Never fear There's a new resource available for pupils in years 7 and 8 that will greatly boost their confidence and have them orating with the best of them Speech Matters is a practical lesson-based resource for teachers, directed at students, in which all aspects of public speaking are explicitly explained and illustrated, each one with one or more engaging activities. The teaching of oral skills is broken down into logical and clear chapters, making it very easy to teach important aspects of planning, writing and presenting speeches. The textbooks include the three Cross-curriculum Priorities and seven General Capabilities as required by the emerging Australian Curriculum. These are represented in the speech topics, quotes, examples and extracts used throughout the books. Some of the activities also use collaborative teaching methodologies. The books are appropriate for use in State, Catholic and Independent schools. These workshops have proven the effectiveness of the activities and structures that constitute the text. Features of the text These books meet a need that is not met by any other text. Combines theory (quick and clear) and practice (lots) Broken down into manageable bites and chapters Concepts and language are accessible, and the meta-language of oral skills is gradually introduced Activities are appropriate and differentiated according to age levels The activities are ready to go and easy for teachers to copy and use All chapters follow a structure, which naturally and logically builds the skills of public speaking Both students and teachers will find the book easy to use The book does not make assumptions about teachers' knowledge and experience of public speaking The book covers a huge range of topics and types of speeches, from basics at Years 7/8 to the curriculum demands of Year 9 and 10 Some activities are directed at specific audiences both inside and outside a school context There is a whole section on purpose and audience, and the concepts are built into every activity Assessment criteria and rubrics are included at the end of each book Every book has a chapter on Listening Skills Suitable to be used as a class set