9 year old wishes to enter verse speaking & prose reading at a local festiva

Question:

9 year old wishes to enter verse speaking & prose reading at a local festival. any top tips?

child did very well last year with little preparation but it became apparent that it wasn't a level playing field competition
virtually all the medal winners had undergone private coaching:-)
looking for tips/books/web sites on what examiners look for - not necessarily for child to win a medal but to provide them with more than a fair chance. thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

From what you've said, it sounds like your child will have to recite, and for that I would recommend some elocution and practice in projecting the voice. Get your child to read aloud for you and make sure that (s)he reads slowly, clearly and pronounces each syllable including the ends of words and putting the 't' in 'twenty' for example. If your child speaks with a strong regional accent, it might be an idea to try and encourage received pronunciation - depends how posh an event it is really.

Sit down with your child and read the verse with them. Encourage them to think about the meaning and how it makes them feel. Then try getting them to read it aloud putting expression into both face and voice, emphasising parts or changing the pitch on certain words.

Discuss how to stand - will they hold the book they're reading from, will they recite from memory or will the book be on a stand or table? This will affect posture. Encourage your child to stand up straight, shoulders back and if he's reading off something, to look up when speaking and look at the audience. A tip I was given was to pick out one person in the audience and keep eye contact with them. If holding the book, make sure (s)he holds it low down so that it doesn't cover child's face. If reciting from memory, make small flash cards for child to hold and give child small actions or hand signals to match the verse.

A smart appearance is always a good idea and make sure your child isn't chewing gum!

Hope that helps.