Improving Public Speaking Skills in the Seventh Grade Compensatory Education Student through Enhanced Instruction and Opportunity for Practice.

This practicum addressed the problem of seventh grade compensatory education students' not having adequate instruction, opportunity, or experience to prepare for success in any level of eighth grade English. Overall goals for the practicum were to give instruction in public speaking, to provide opportunities for students to engage in public speaking, and to give students a foundation in oral expression so they might experience greater success in eighth grade. The practicum report contains five chapters as follows: Chapter 1: Introduction (describes the community in which the practicum took place and the researcher's work setting and role); chapter 2: Study of the Problem; chapter 3: Anticipated Outcomes and Evaluation Instruments; chapter 4: Solution Strategy; and chapter 5: Results, Conclusions, and Recommendations. The report's conclusions confirm that students did gain success and a foundation in oral expression through instruction and opportunities for practice. Ten tables of data are included, 13 references are listed, and 17 appendixes containing the seventh and eighth grade curricula in oral expression, 11 types of tests, a survey of English teachers, and a generic evaluation form are attached. (MG)