Extracurricular activities are designed to extend the child's learning to other areas of her development and growth apart from academics. She will learn teamwork and leadership from sports, and in clubs and societies, she will explore her interests. A debate or oratory club is the best place for a student who wants to speak up and join a group that makes itself heard. For the leader as well as the shy one, speech making helps bring out that voice!
Researching a topic for a speech gives the child an opportunity to track down information independently, which fosters a genuine curiosity and leads to further reading and knowledge. Looking up a topic in the library or online also teaches the child to sift through information and find the right points to use in the argument or debate. Since the purpose is to persuade opposition or listeners, the child will organize information -- learning organization skills in the process.
If the persuasive speech is part of a debate, child will learn to listen closely to the other person's point of view while making her own. This teaches a child to become more empathic -- it helps him see things from a different perspective. When making a speech of his own, he will take all that he has heard into account and then present his case. When the purpose is to persuade an audience, the child will learn to do it while keeping a cool temper and remaining composed.
Making a persuasive speech is both an art and a skill. The skills are acquired through practice -- the art comes through presenting a strong persuasive case. Standing up straight, making eye contact, holding an audience's interest and convincing them can be unnerving for a child at first, but once a child learns to use that voice, it becomes natural. As part of an extracurricular activity, persuasive speech goes a long way toward helping the child become a "whole individual."