How to hold palm cards when giving a speech

When giving an effective speech, it is common to use cue cards (or palm cards) as a reference to your key talking points. But how should you hold your palm cards?

Here are 5 tips to help you hold your palm cards appropriately when giving a speech:

1. Hold the cards in your non-dominant hand (the hand you do not write with or throw a ball with) so you can use your dominant hand to make hand gestures and to turn the cards over.
2. Hold the cards with one hand using you thumb & forefinger to hold them on the bottom corner; or have your cards flat against your palm.
3. Changing cards: use you dominant hand (the one not holding the cards) to move the top card to the back of the pile before letting go. Then your dominant hand can be used for hand gestures.
4. Hold your card with your arm extended just above chest height so you can easily look up at your audience as you speak and make more eye contact.
5. Don’t hold your palm cards in front of your face otherwise the audience wont be able to see your wonderful face expressions!

You may otherwise wish to use a lectern to rest your notes on, or memorise your speech and use images on PowerPoint slides to guide your key talking points. This will free up your hands to gesture while speaking and help make your speech more engaging.

It’s important to practice holding and flipping through your palm cards before giving your speech, so that you can do so smoothly and without drawing attention away from your message. Remember to speak clearly and confidently, and to make eye contact with your audience as much as possible.

At Super Speak, our award winning program teaches children aged 6-14 public speaking & presentation skills. We also teach kids how to hold palm cards effectively when giving a speech! Our fun learning program incorporates both public speaking & drama to ensure our students gain broader learning outcomes to help them in and out of the classroom. We have a teaching team with unmatched experienced and the most comprehensive curriculum in Australia. We teach our classes in a style that is fun, supportive & high energy! Our students learn to be more confident & capable public speakers & everyday communicators for life. Check out Super Speak Public Speaking Program and join over 65,000 other children who have trusted Super Speak since 2006.