Book report presentation template
A book report presentation for primary and middle school: title, author, setting, main characters, plot without spoilers, favourite part, themes and a recommendation.
Presentation9 cardsAbout 6 min to speakBeginnerSchool
PowerPoint presentation speaker notes for school
Speaker note cards that match a school slide presentation one slide per card: what to say, what to point at, when to click, and how to recover if the tech fails.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Slide 1 — Title
Say: Hello, I am [name] and today I am presenting on [topic].
Do: Stand to the side of the screen, not in front of the projector.
- 2
Slide 2 — Hook
Say: [question or surprising fact shown as one image or a few words on the slide].
Do: Pause and let the class look at the image for two seconds.
- 3
Slide 3 — Overview
Say: I will cover three things: [point one], [point two] and [point three].
Do not read the bullet points; summarise them in one sentence.
- 4
Slide 4 — Point one
- Slide shows: [picture, chart or keyword]
- Say: [main idea in your own words]
- Add: [detail or example that is not on the slide]
- 5
Slide 5 — Point two
- Slide shows: [picture, chart or keyword]
- Say: [main idea]
- Point at: [part of the image or chart to highlight]
- 6
Slide 6 — Point three
- Slide shows: [picture, chart or keyword]
- Say: [main idea]
- Link: This brings together [points one and two]
- 7
Slide 7 — Summary
Say: So the three key things to remember are [one], [two] and [three].
Do: Step back towards the centre and face the class.
- 8
Slide 8 — Sources and questions
Say: My sources are listed here. Does anyone have any questions?
Do: Leave this slide up during questions.
- 9
If the tech fails
- Stay calm: Let us keep going while that loads.
- Carry on from these cards; they make sense without the slides.
- Describe the image in a sentence: This slide shows [description].
- Bring a copy on a USB stick or in your email as a backup.
How to use this template
Most school presentations now come with slides made in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote or Canva. The most common mistake is putting everything on the slides and then reading them aloud with your back to the class. This template splits the job: the slides carry images and a few keywords, and your cue cards carry what you actually say. There is one card per slide, each with what the slide shows, what to say and what to do, such as pointing at a chart or pausing. The final card is a back-up plan in case the projector or laptop fails. Renumber the cards to match your own slide deck; the eight-slide plan suits a six-minute class presentation.
Tips
- Follow a simple slide rule: one idea per slide, a picture or chart, and no more than a handful of words. Your cards hold the rest.
- Write the slide number in large writing at the top of every card so you always know where you are.
- Use a clicker or ask a friend to change slides so you can stand facing the class rather than hunched over the laptop.
- Turn off animations and transitions you do not need; they slow you down and can distract from what you are saying.
- Check your presentation on the classroom computer before the day, because fonts and videos sometimes behave differently.
- Rehearse with the slides at least once, practising the moment you click so it happens at the end of a sentence, not in the middle.
- Print the cards in the same order as your slides and bind them with a ring or clip, so they cannot get out of order when you click.
Make it fit
- For a longer presentation, add one card per extra slide using the same Slide shows, Say, Do pattern.
- For an online class, share only the slide window, keep the cards beside the camera, and give the class a moment after each click.
- For a poster instead of slides, change each card to a section of the poster and point to it as you talk.
- If your teacher wants speaker notes in the file itself, copy the Say lines into the notes pane and print the cards too.
- For a group slide presentation, put the speaker's name on each card next to the slide number, so everyone knows when to step forward.
- If your school uses A4 or US Letter handouts, print the slides as a small handout for your teacher with your cards matching the numbers.
Updated October 28, 2026