Let Your “Show & Tell” Stand Out! – 3 Ways on How to Make Your “Show and Tell” Interesting

Hello, everyone! I am Ms Sharifah and welcome to my first ever post for the Lil’ but Mighty page. I am eager to share with you several tips that can spice up your ‘Show and Tell’ presentations!

‘Show and Tell’ can be rather daunting at times, especially when you are shy or rather unsure of what to say. However, fret not! It is normal to have cold feet, or wonder if your audience will enjoy your presentation but there is always a solution to your worry. Keen to find out more? Here are three ways for you to make your ‘Show and Tell’ stand out and impress your classmates and teachers:

Tip #1: Be Magnetic!

Does it been you need to be made of metal? Definitely not! Being magnetic means to attract others. However, it can actually be quite a challenge. How can you make your presentation interesting? Take a look at the suggestions below:

a. Keep it simple: Make sure your presentation is clear and to the point. If you have long sentences or you take a very long time to make your point, your audience might start to daydream and not pay attention to you anymore!

In order to ensure that your presentation can be followed easily, consider having a simple structure that is made up of these 3 parts:

i. an Introduction, where you greet the audience, introduce yourself and tell them the topic of your presentation

ii. a Body, with two to three main ideas related to the topic with explanations and if possible, relevant examples

iii. and a Conclusion, where you sum up your main ideas and thank the audience for listening

b. Engage your audience: One way to do this is to pose questions. You can do this at the start of the presentation to capture their attention or at the end of an important point.

However, you do not need to get your audience to answer all the time. Sometimes, you can merely ask rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question ends with a question mark but its purpose is to create an effect, rather than to elicit an answer from the audience. For example, you can ask, “Why do you think I like this? Hmm… I’ll tell you why!” In this instance, the rhetorical question is asked to generate curiosity.

Rhetorical questions can also be asked to emphasise a point you are trying to make or to encourage the audience to think deeper about the topic. Asking questions is definitely a good way to hook your audience and ensure they pay attention as you proceed with your presentation.

Tip #2: Use props

You can also use props to make your ‘Show and Tell’ more interesting. Get a prop which is easy for you to hold but which enhances your presentation at the same time. When you use props, you can evoke curiosity in your audience as they might wonder what you would do with the prop. Not only that, props can sometimes help the audience connect with and understand your presentation better.

For example, let’s say you are presenting on your favourite movie, Finding Nemo. You can put on a headband which is orange and has white stripes (like the clownfish, Marlin)! This way, you can then explain why you are wearing such a headband and share with your audience a little about how a clownfish looks. Not only will your audience enjoy your presentation, but they will also learn something new!

The prop that you use does not have to be expensive. It can be an item that you can easily find at home or even be handmade using materials like cardboard and paper. To ensure that you are able to use it seamlessly in your presentation, remember to rehearse your speech with the prop! Ultimately, the prop that you choose to use should not only help to create a memorable impression on the audience but should also help to illustrate the main points of your presentation.

Tip #3: Be humorous

When you use humour, you will immediately capture your audience’s attention! You can retell a funny incident related to your topic or share a humorous observation you have made regarding yourself or the topic. When you include jokes, funny quotes or amusing anecdotes in your presentation, you will amuse your audience and perhaps, some of them can even relate to you! When this happens, they are more likely to want to continue listening and pay attention to what you have to say.

For example, say you are presenting on your favourite plushie. You can say that you are very attached to the plushie but sometimes, you are jealous of it too. Why? It is because your younger sibling seems to spend more time playing with that plushie than playing with you!

Just a word of caution when using humour: similar to using props, you need to plan for and rehearse it. This is so that the humour you use is appropriate to your audience and something that they can relate to. You definitely do not want to joke about something that might offend your classmates and teachers. Also, although it is a great way to keep your audience interested, use humour sparingly because it is not a stand-up routine!

Ta-da! Now that you are equipped with several tips on how to enliven your ‘Show not Tell’, try applying them in your next presentation. Remember to also smile, stand up straight and sound confident. Check out our other blog posts for various useful tips and trivia which you can apply in school and out of school!

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