Q&A for How to Be Confident When Reading Out Loud in Class

First, it's important to acknowledge that this anxiety is totally normal and is something anyone can overcome with practice. The biggest key is finding a way to be comfortable and to be yourself. The best way to find this sense of comfort is to be prepared.

Do your best to loosen up. Whether through concentration on your breath, confidence exercises, or actual reading practice, you can ease your nerves by focusing on both the physical and mental aspects of speaking in front of an audience.

In a word: practice. The more you practice reading aloud, the more natural it will start to feel. Pay attention not only to your pronunciation and volume but also your posture, pace, and tone. You might supplement this actual reading practice with speaking exercises to keep yourself from getting tongue-tied.

As the article details, the best way to build confidence is to be prepared. That means not only doing the work for a presentation but also practicing the act of speaking aloud prior to giving that presentation.

Breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and breathe out for four seconds. Calm your mind, and focus on your breathing rather than any possible bad outcome of the situation.

Simply ignore them. A big part of being able to read out loud is to have confidence, and if you let critics shatter your confidence, your speaking skills will not improve. Keep on trying and be proud of yourself for your reading achievements.

Before you get on stage, find your friends in the audience. Then read as if you were practicing for them.

Stand up instantly without fear or trembling, take a deep breath, read slowly and calmly and read out loud.

Just breathe in and out for 4 seconds, and focus on your breathing. Remember that everyone gets nervous, and that one question, even if badly asked, will not dictate how anyone views you. Practice speaking at home in front of friends and family to help you feel better about it. Try speaking in front of strangers on the street, who don't know you well enough to judge you at all. Practice your material, whatever it is, until you feel more confident about your words.

It's hard, but try to stay as relaxed as possible! You may make mistakes, but if you can play them off with serenity and/or humor, then that's even more impressive than never making mistakes at all.

Practice reading out loud around your friends and family until you are more comfortable.

Take those comments and use them to get better. If it truly bothers you, tell your parents, who can arrange to meet with the teacher to discuss.

If you accidentally say a word wrong, try to cough it off and say the word again. If you don't know how to pronounce a word, just try your best. If you have time to prepare, go to Google and look up the word's definition, then click the volume icon. It should say it out loud -- listen to it and practice saying it over and over.

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Practicing slowly reading might help you a lot. You can also subtly use your finger as a guide, and slide it along the page under each word as you read.

If people make fun of your voice, then that's their problem. You weren't created to impress everyone, and who cares what the haters think? Always be confident that you can do this.

Try to slow down your voice. You can also subtly use your finger as a guide, and slide it along the page under each word as you read.

If you're too nervous to read in front of the class, check in with your teacher or guidance counselor for advice. They may be able to work with you to fins solutions.

Wikihow's article on controlling stuttering has some great tips.

Ignore them. Remember, if they were up there reading, they might be even worse. Who cares what they think? You weren't made to impress everyone. Just carry on reading and pretend you didn't notice them.

Just prepare before you read, and take deep breaths at intervals throughout your reading. Read slowly and clearly, and be loud enough for everyone to hear. Take your time.

Shaking is totally normal when reading out loud. There are different tips that some find helpful, so try them out and see which is best for you. Wiggling your toes in your shoes is one good way to release nervous energy. Steady breathing and relaxed posture is another way to calm your jitters. You might also shake less depending on how you hold your paper, index cards, textbook, whatever. Before presenting, practice finding a posture that minimizes shaking. That might be holding your paper lower, holding it with two hands, having one hand hanging by your side, etc.

Just try to read the word slowly at your pace and if you make a mistake just shake it off. Someone might correct you but that is okay.

Practice speaking loudly just by yourself in your room first. You can even try recording to see if you were actually speaking loudly, or imagining it. Once you master speaking loudly by yourself, ask your family to listen to you. Then ask some friends. Gain confidence. Then you are ready to speak loudly in class. Also, don't be disappointed if your voice still cracks a little. It will take practice to get really comfortable.

I used to do this too, it's a nervous habit. What I did was mentally prepare myself to speak in front of the class, whether it was practicing for a few days before, or just picturing myself speaking confidently and fluently. Once you imagine yourself succeeding, it is possible. Remember that it is okay to attempt and fail, because practice makes perfect.