Speaking Speed for Adults and Children
Couple of factoids for you. I can’t cite this, so my bibliography would fail, but it’s certainly anecdotally true (and I recall it came off a scientific study – but you’ll have to look that up).
- Here’s the first one: Adults can speak at 160 to 170 words per minute.
That doesn’t sound too bad. That’s three words a second. Of course, none of us go around measuring ourselves speak, so it has no real impact.
Just to give you some perspective – as a public speaker, it was made very clear to me that I should speak no faster than 150 words per minute. This slight-looking change allowed everyone to figure out what I said before I kept going (speaking speed was, sadly, a struggle that I had for many years).
- Here’s the second one: Children, from 5 to 7 years of age, can only handle 124 words per minute.
Let’s make sure we understand that one – that’s two words per second. Again, not that much. The proportion brings that home better – children when they begin primary school can only handle adults talking at about 67% of their normal speed.
What’s the moral of the story?
The moral is clear if you’re a primary school teacher (or want to be): speak slowly. Use a stopwatch, if necessary.
For everyone else, it’s a little bigger: make sure that what you’re saying is comprehensible. Sometimes there will be students who will need you to speak slowly – particularly if you’re in the younger grades. Sometimes, though, you just need to make sure that everyone can understand you.
Children aren’t adults. Educators slowly mold them into adults, yes; but until they are, we educators must accept that they are not, and adjust accordingly.
The speed at which we speak is the first step.
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I have the same speed problem of speaking too fast. At work I have to consciously remember to slow down, especially when I am training people or explaining something to someone.
Are there any methods that you’ve found to be helpful in remembering to slow down?
Yep: the look on their face when I can tell they have no idea what i’m talking about (or they ask me to slow down)