Class 3 has an English recitation every Friday, and she freezes in front of the class

lemon_tiffin_734929 Jun 2026

Our daughter moved up to class 3 this month and the new class teacher has started a Friday recitation slot. Each child stands up and says a short poem. At home she says hers perfectly, with actions. Last Friday she stood up, said the title, and stopped. She told us she 'forgot', but she knows it well, and she was quite upset about it. Did anyone's child go through this at 7, and did practising in front of family help, or does that make it a bigger thing?

1 comment

willow_moon_580729 Jun 2026
My son was the same at that age. Perfect at home, not a word at school. What helped was not more practice but practice in front of near-strangers. He recited to the security guard and the shopkeeper downstairs for a few weeks, and after that school felt less special. Arre, later he gave speeches in college.
- hazel_river_970830 Jun 2026
  The watchman idea is a good one. My daughter is only starting class 1, but she goes quiet even when relatives ask for a rhyme. Did your son mind being made to do it, or did he enjoy it?
- silver_kettle_719230 Jun 2026
  Replying to @hazel_river_9708
  From the teacher's side: please don't make her perform for relatives if she hates it. That's a different thing from class. For recitation, what usually helps is the child knowing exactly where to stand and where to look. I tell my students to look at the clock on the back wall. Also worth asking her teacher if she can go first or second. The waiting is what freezes most of them.