August 2011 full issue

Relationships I Health I Nature I Culture I Learning I ActivitiesParent Circle

Parent CircleVolume 1 Issue 4 August 2011 Price ` 40

Early education in Preschools

Cover Story

Recipes, Travel, Leisure &

More...

ARE CHILDREN GETTING THE BEST?

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Parent Circle is published by Nalina Ramalakshmi, Shri Harini Media Pvt. Ltd. All editorial material including editorial comments, opinions and statement of facts appearing in this publication, represent the views of its respective authors and does not necessarily carry the endorsement of the publishers. Information carried in Parent Circle is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. The publication of any advertisements or listings is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or service offered.

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Today, as I am evaluating colleges for my son who will be completing his 12th standard next year, I cannot help reflecting on his educational journey that began 17 years ago as an infant with books and toys and explorations at home and outside. Yes, I was then an over enthusiastic

mom, wanting him to learn anything and everything. He went to his first parent-child playschool when he was just 1½ years old. By 2 ½ years I sent him to preschool five mornings a week. He cried his whole first week.

By 5 years he was not only sent to an all day school, but in my desire to expose him to various activi-ties, I enrolled him in several afterschool activities as well. I soon realised my folly when he would often come home complaining of headaches and throw tantrums.

I was wiser with my second one. My daughter went to preschool only 2 mornings a week and went to only half a day of kindergarten when she was 5 years old.

As any child expert would vouch, the first five years are the most formative and crucial years in the child’s intellectual, emotional and social development. It is important that during these crucial first years, the child develops strong bonds with his parents, secure in the comfort of having his mother or father around him as much as possible.

However, in today’s changing family environment, often with both parents working, it becomes neces-sary to look at alternative care for the child. Yes, and as parents we want to ensure that our children get a head start in their education. Under these circumstances, at what age should we send our children off to preschool? How do we choose the right preschool for our children? These are some of the topics Parent Circle explores in our special story on choosing preschools.

In celebration of Chennai week in August, our cover story gives you short takes on the various as-pects of Chennai’s heritage, fun facts, its culture and food.

In view of Indian Independence day on August 15th, we take time to reflect on the freedom and val-ues envisioned by our freedom fighters. How can we inculcate this spirit of independence in both our children and ourselves?

As I leave it to you to explore this issue further, remember that you as a parent are the child’s first and best teacher.

Nalina Ramalakshmi

For the Parent in youTo know, to understand, to connect

Find us on

editorial

Parent Circle / August 20112

IN FOCUS

MINDSET To Salute the Spirit of Independence Day

LEARNING Learning to Listen Write Away

DESTINATIONS Down ECR

TEEN CIRCLE Be a Parent, not a Friend

TECH TALK Academic Help on the Net

CIRCLE OF LIFE Pets and You

HEALTH CIRCLE Learning to Recognise and Prevent Dental Problems

ROOTS Understanding Lakshmi

REGULARS RESOURCES

FORUM

CHECK IT OUT Good Reads for All Ages

PARENT CHEF Tri-colour Delights!

HANDS ON Palm Frond Puppet

CLASSIFIEDS

EVENTS Chennai this Month

PARENT EXPRESS Making Moves in the Jigsaw Puzzle of Education

VIEWPOINT Learning Can Be Fun!

DISCUSSION POINT Reality Shows

LIGHTER VEIN I Can Wait

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56ON THE COVER TANVI KAMAT AT KAPALEESHWARAR TEMPLE TANK PHOTOGRAPH BY ARJUN DOGRA


Are children getting the

best?SPECIAL

COVER STORY

Celebrating ChennaiMadras Day Special

A few Chennai preschoolers

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How lucky I was to find your magazine in my friend’s house. I grabbed the same and went through every page. I missed Dr Pugazhendi's recent camp for senior citizens but his article came as a solace to me. Your magazine is full of information and guidance for young mothers. How I wish there was such a magazine when I was young. Then I was seeking help and guidance from my in laws, parents and friends to bring up my sons. Even now, as my grand daughters are growing, I would like to read your magazine and discuss subjects with my daughters-in-law.

KAMAKSHI SUNDARAM, Mother of two sons and grandmother of three girls

I find that in Parent Circle, from cover to cover, the content points to a fantastic effort. Though many of your readers ought to be parents like myself, we can relive our childhood and growing up years. It is important that your articles carry more of what goes on in the mind of children, so that parents can identify with them more closely.

TK SRINIVAS CHARI, father of a 14-year-old girl

What I like about Parent Circle is that it appeals to all the cross-sections of people. There are takeaways on Parenting, Health and Culture. I liked the ‘Sports’ recipes in the July issue, and I am a student of catering myself! The language is excellent. It can be appreciated by the erudite as well as the common man, who is not so high-brow.

The Sports article was greatly refreshing and different. There were no long passages on cricket! I feel that cricket is killing other sports and the time spent on other sports goes unrecognised. The focus on the Olympic sports is laudable.

THALAIVASAL VIJAY, father of two children

Letters to the Editor

Please send in your letter with the subject line “Letters to the Editor”, before August 15, 2011, to [email protected] or send them to PARENT CIRCLE, 3rd Floor Shri Renga Vihar, 8/14 First Cross St, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar, Chen-nai 600020, India.

your word

I am an avid reader of your magazine and I must congratulate

your team for coming up trumps, every issue. My only son is 22

years old, and actually I am done with parenting. But the point I

want to make is that there is enough intrigue in your content to

mesmerise anyone.

The first thing I look for is your cookery column. This issue's

centrespread, 4 week lunch menus is innovative. The articles

in Lighter Vein make for great reading. The Teen Lingo article,

threw a lot of light on the jargon around me. Scaling the

Himalayas was an eye opener and the success stories made

interesting reading too. The article on puppetry is also a must

read! The Tao of Vegetable gardening gave me a lot of pointers

for making my small balcony garden house-proud. In short, a

thoroughly enjoyable and refreshing July issue.

SUDHA RAJA, musician and home-maker

The sports article in the July issue was amazing. The concept,

the way it was designed, was totally different. The article

brings awareness to the layman on the importance of sports

and playing it for fun, health and competition. I liked the

holistic approach!

When we were young, we played games and sports for the fun

of it. Later, we grew into the competitive groove. But it is totally

different today. Parents ask of a coach the day they enroll the

child, “When will he (the child) get his medal?” Many still do

not know the hard work and commitment this involves, both

from their side and the child’s. I hope to see many such articles

in future. B GIRISH, father of a 9-year-old girl

I found the magazine quite interesting. The recipes were very

good. However, the 4 week lunch menus, though good in terms

of concept, were not practical in terms of bus snacks.

Children tend to get squeezed in buses; often their bags are

kept in a different place away from their seats. How can they

eat aaloo chat or rajma salad as a bus snack? Also, I doubt

if cut fruits will stay fresh till the end of a school day, given

Chennai’s weather conditions.

I would humbly suggest that the child eat a couple of biscuits,

or a little namkeen or chips (even if this is unhealthy) from a

convenient tear-off-pack that he can keep with him.

NISHA RAJASHEKAR, mother of an 8-year-old boy

BEST LETTERS


Chennai gets its first French schoolThe Ecole Franco Indienne Sishya has opened its doors to a group of eight expatriate students on the campus of the Sishya school in Adyar, beginning August 1. The school, set up with the involvement of Michelin India Tamil Nadu Tyres, will initially have only primary classes. Students can now learn French language, history, geography and a few other subjects but for core subjects like mathematics and science, they have to join regular students.

1. Don’t spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all that I ask for. I’m only testing you.

2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it. It makes me more secure.

3. Don’t let me form bad habits. I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.

4. Don’t make me feel my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values.

5. Don’t correct me in front of people, if you can help it. I’ll take much more notice, if you talk quietly with me in private.

6. Don’t protect me from consequences. I need to learn the painful way, sometimes.

7. Don’t take too much notice of my small ailments. Sometimes they get me the attention I need.

8. Don’t nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf.

9. Don’t forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I’m not always very accurate.

10. Don’t make rash promises, remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.

11. Don’t tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies.

12. Don’t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.

13. Don’t tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me, if you try to understand.

14. Don’t put me off when I ask questions. If you do you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.

15. Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock, when I discover that you are neither.

16. Don’t ever think it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me, an honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm

towards you.

17. Don’t forget I love experimenting. I couldn’t get on without it. So please put up with it.

18. Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without lots of understanding and love, but I don’t need to tell

you, do I?

SCHOOL CHANGE AFFECTS CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR

Constantly shifting a child from one school to another can cause severe behavioural problems especially in the current generation of children, according to a research by experts in child psychology. After a shift in the learning environment, it might take 1-2 years for a child to develop a bond or rapport with its teacher. It could also affect the child’s learning ability for children between the age group of 5 -10 years.

These revelations were brought to the fore at an international conference on behavioural sciences hosted by CARE (Centre for Applied Research and Education) and Help Child Charitable Trust recently. The theme was ‘Managing Behavioural Problems in Children and Adolescents’.

The research also concluded that advances in technology, the Indian ranking system and a deviation from the traditional joint family system could also cause similar changes in the behaviour of children.

memos from child to parent18

Pedal power to spread environmental awareness

To spread environmental awareness, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board and Active Bicyclers Association have been organising a cycle yatra across India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Thirty students of Acharya Nagarjuna University are participating in the yatra, of which the second phase from Vijayawada to Kanyakumari concluded recently.

During the yatra, cyclists hold sign boards displaying awareness slogans and issue pamphlets to passers-by on the road. They meet heads of various organisations to stress the importance of cycling and public transport; they also emphasise the importance of pollution control across the state and spread the message on clean environment. The third phase of the trip from Srinagar to New Delhi is scheduled for this month.

Source: Creskindia.com

in focus

A bout three years ago, thanks to the vagaries of my husband’s profession, I found myself living without him and left with the sole responsibility of my son and his schooling. He had just then completed his 9th grade in an American school and

was playing competitive sport.

I moved to Chennai. The American School in Chennai was not a viable option due to prohibitive costs. After much deliberation and realising the futility of attempting the CBSE Board in grade 10 at that stage, I decided to opt for an online American programme to complete his 10th grade. This entailed tuitions everyday and I had to reinvent the wheel of going through high school all over again in a new milieu. The challenge here was of time management and continuously motivating my son in a situation without peers. With some effort and struggle, the 10th grade was completed.

Then it was time for class 11 and I had to help him choose subject streams. Realising the importance of the sciences, and wanting to keep up with his sport, we arrived at an institute which imparted British education making it possible to appear for the well-acclaimed A level exams. With the father still in-absentia, I had to double up as a punching bag and mentor, all at once. In due course, it was time to apply for college and University. After considering various options, we finally decided to explore Engineering as the most appropriate course.

This signalled in a dizzying spell of sleepless nights. Here was a boy who had completed part of his high school in the American system, and the rest by way of the British. While all of these matched corresponding Indian standards, we had to break into acceptability standards of the Indian education system. Earlier, extensive research had convinced me that the boy’s academic background would get him extra credits in the best American colleges. Armed with this confidence, my son and I decided to cross every hurdle. There were no ready answers as this was an unprecedented case. We pushed tirelessly in every quarter as I had the confidence that his grades had been matching up to the required standards.

After a six month battle, my son finally got into a premier institution in the city. A new routine started for him – early rising, long bus rides, and becoming part of tens of students in one class from diverse backgrounds, vastly different methods of instruction, and emphasis on rote learning… things that he was not used to, not having gone to regular school for three years.

A certain sort of self-sympathy crept into him, for no fault of his. He could not accurately make out whether his efforts were enough, what more was required, where he stood in a class of 60, how much more he had to toil and where he could reach if he did so.

I have realised that this is something my son would have to discover for himself as much as I would like to hold his little finger through this expedition. The formula will just have to come from within. If he had been under his father’s watchful eyes, his transition into the real world would have been much easier. I realise that though I try to transform into a dad to meet the need of the hour, I am only perceived as a mom. As the poor boy is toiling and experimenting on his own to figure out his best course of action, I hope the missing pieces of the puzzle will soon fall in place to offer him a comfortable way ahead. n

Gowri Tirumurti is an Intellectual Property Attorney in Chennai and mother of teenagers playing

competitive International Tennis.

Gowri Tirumurti

parent express

Write to us on parenting experiences in 600 words, with the subject line ‘Parent Express’ to [email protected] or send them to PARENT CIRCLE, 3rd Floor Shri Renga Vihar, 8/14 First Cross St, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India.



Rabindranath Tagore dreamt of how independent India would be in this timeless poem, from his collection,

‘Gitanjali’

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake.

How patriotic are we?For us, Independence Day is just flag hoisting, some television specials and a holiday! Have we paused to think of the relevance of independence and its significance to us, as citizens of India? Have we imbibed the true spirit of freedom as expressed by Rabindranath Tagore in the poem above?

To salute

Yes, we all know that the country achieved independence after a hard struggle against British tyranny. Several freedom fighters fought selflessly against Colonial oppression and freed our country and its people. After 64 years of freedom, we do not feel the pain of that struggle.

Further, all that we are seeing and experiencing of the political climate of this country is just corruption and greed. Even the civic society – which is us – operates on selfish needs. How concerned are we about our nation? What can we pass on to our children?

Respect rules; do not try shortcuts. For instance, wait for your turn in a queue. Demolish the attitude – “if others don’t, why should I”.

Keep your city and country clean.It is not enough to keep our home spic and span and allow the public areas to be full of garbage.

Share civic resources. Take the aftermath of the Japanese Tsunami. The affected people in Japan behaved with complete responsibility and care towards others equally affected, unmindful of their own suffering. No looting, shoving, grabbing from the downtrodden!

What you can do everyday

Looking deep into the selfG Ramesh, father of a teenager, reflects on the modern Indian’s mindset, “Teachings of J Krishnamurti made me question the very idea of independence. To him, a man is truly independent only when he is completely free of self-centred activities. “He has thrown light on my hidden motives and my pretensions - on my desire for money, safety and power, and the desire to dominate others. The Britisher of pre-Independence is still very much within me; he is none other than me – even now,” he says.

the spirit of

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Sometimes a widely publicised dramatic act of an Anna Hazare or a Baba Ramdev stirs up nationalistic passions in our hearts. Or if AR Rahman receives an Oscar, we are proud of our country.

However, we need to do more. First, we need to have a clear sense of identity – of who we are and what we stand for. We can begin by being responsible for our own actions and be aware of how it impacts the society. We can participate enthusiastically in activities that do not necessarily bring us direct benefits. We can expose our children to our heritage in a way that is relevant to them.

Says Pradeep Chakavarthy, the author of ‘Thanjavur – A Cultural History’, “Our rich and ancient heritage is something that we should be proud of and teach our children its value. This would be an important step for children towards becoming upright citizens.” n

Working for an integrated community leads to national health. Here are some ideas:

z Take children to exhibitions on national and cultural heritage. The expo on wheels conducted by the Indian Railways is a very exciting tour for children. You could also take them to an ancient monument and weave a story around its architecture and history. INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) has various

resources on this, so does the Internet.

z Participate with your children in community-based events like walks for a cause – the ‘Chennai Half’ marathon is a fun-filled and proud city event.

z Hold learning sessions in your home for your children, their friends and other children from lower economic strata like the

flower seller’s daughter or your driver’s son. Let them learn from each other – a song, a skill or a language.

z Take up one community-based service every year on special occasions like birthdays – planting tree saplings, cleaning the street, painting the wall of a Government school.

z You could subscribe to a group or club that works for the greater good, like Greenpeace in India or Abdul Kalam’s Action 2020 group (contact Prime Point Foundation’s K Srinivasan at 91766 50273 in Chennai for details on Action 2020).

Building a sense of nationalism

• Work for the greater good.

• Be prepared to make

sacrifices.

• Be honest and transparent

in your dealings.

• Do not indulge in petty

politicking within any group.

• Be a good team player.

• Avoid paying bribes to

escape sticky situations or

to get things done.

• Treat everybody with

respect irrespective of their

social status or ability.

• Protest against injustices

happening before you.

Be your child’'s role model

ParentspeakAS A TEACHER in Hari Shree Vidyalaya, we plan interesting activities according to age levels, around Independence Day. For instance, the primary class children I handle, once noted down streets named after freedom fighters and presented this in class. Now they can relate better to stories on the freedom

struggle. As a family, we like to take part in city-based civic events like the Chennai marathon to support causes and for a sense of belonging.

My great grandfather was the Tamil Thatha Uve Swaminathan. My daughter, inspired by him, reads excerpts from great Tamil works like Silapathikaram. My husband converses with her on current affairs and she is quite aware of what is going on around her. Mala Raghunath, mother of Niveditha, 9 years.

“I AM INSPIRED by Subash Chandra

Bose”, says 13-year-old Aadithya.

“We should fight the ills of society with

strong measures; we cannot afford to

be saints, we need to be soldiers”.

Aadithya is a very responsible boy. He

values cleanliness and wants our city

to be like Singapore! We have taught

him to respect women.

Aparna Chandrashekar, Aadithya’s mother.

Learning to

At Shikshayatan, we were conducting a workshop for teachers where there was a prominent slot on the art of giving and interpreting instructions. We divided them into small groups and set a task: they had to find and categorise all the gadgets

used as teaching aids in their school. We gave them 15 minutes to present their work.

Find and categorise all the gadgets used as teaching aids.

At the end of their presentation we went over their analysis of the question. The key words are: gadgets used as teaching aids in the school, find, categorise. Even they were surprised at the number of instructions they heard that were never given:

nEager to make the longest list, they included gadgets that were not used as teaching aids

nTeaching aids that were not gadgets, were listed

nSome teams did not classify them

nOne team put the lot as just audio-visual aids

nThey thought it was some kind of competition and tried to be ‘the best’ team

nThey refused to help each other

By the time we finished there was a lot of laughter and the idea that went home was: when teachers give instructions in class, are they absolutely clear? After all, it is obvious we hear more than is asked or said.

When a mother asks her child, “Have you done your homework?” the answer is rarely a

direct no or yes. The answer ranges from ‘I went to Anil’s house’, ‘I will do it after dinner’,

‘I was going to, but you came early’. The question is always perceived as loaded and the

child gleefully sets to deflect it.

‘Why did you go to Anil’s house?’ in an angry voice will bring a smug: ‘We did the home

work together’. ‘Why after dinner?’ thunders the mother and the child says, ‘because I

called daddy and he said he would help me after dinner’.

Aruna Raghavan

learning


Here is another example of hearing something other than what

was said:

Mother: Why don’t you wear the t-shirt I bought you to dinner

this evening?

Son: I want to wear it tomorrow to school.

Mother: You did not like it.

Son: How does saying ‘I want to wear it to school tomorrow’ trans-

late as ‘I don’t like what you bought me?’

Here are a number of exercises that can be done in a class as part of a language study, teaching children to listen carefully and answer correctly without prejudice!

Simple exercisesn use an atlas to find 5 places that fall on 30 degrees latitude

nfind 5 places that fall on 40 degrees latitude from different continents

nfind 5 places that fall on 15 degrees longitude

nfind 5 places that fall on 25 degrees longitude and in different continents

nuse a dictionary to find the meaning of adventure

nfind different possible meanings of trick

nwrite a sentence using both the above words

nwrite five sentences about yourself; use one sentence to describe yourself

nwrite about yourself, say what game you enjoy most

nwrite five sentences on what interests you

Complex exercisesnFind a round stone and write 30 words about it. Include details of its colour, texture and approximate weight.

nPick a fallen leaf and describe it in 30 words. Give details of the holes and decoloured parts of the leaf.

nTake a picture of your favourite monument and describe its background in 40 words.

nTake a soft toy, describe it and ask the reader to guess what animal it is. Write in 15 words.

Sometimes we hear what we want to hear and our in-terpretations are based on earlier experiences. To hear what is said and to work on that, takes a quiet person. We could call it the Zen of listening.

An important aspect of listening is to ensure that one has understood what has been said. For example, ‘Please pass me that medicine’ is a request. There are several possible responses to this. A quick glance at the speaker would tell the listener:

where the person is pointing

whether the speaker intends to take it right away

whether he has water to swallow it

Now, he has choices: to do as asked and wait or to go and fetch the water. n

Complex exercises for young adults calls for the students to make notes of the key words as they are spoken, to ensure they follow the instructions carefully. Obviously, the ones who follow will have an essay that meets the questioner’s requirements. In such exercises, it is not so much the content that is evaluated as much as whether the student has covered the points raised.

nYou are a soldier in Alexander’s army. It is a month since you have returned to Macedonia minus a king. Write 120 words about the political situation, slaves who are part of everyday life and the changes in culture including greeting, visiting, bearing gifts, festivities.

nYou live in Ashoka’s time and everyone in the neighbourhood is converting to Buddhism. You are the only Hindu left and are wondering if you should convert too. Write in 250 words your ideas of religion, conversion and power of an emperor.

nYou are a satyagrahi who is in jail for participating in the Dandi march. You receive a telegram saying that your son is born. If you sign a letter that you will never work against the British you could go home and see your child. Pen down your thoughts in 150 words. Remember to weigh both sides of the coin before you come up with a decision.

Aruna Raghavan is an eminent educationist who runs a school in rural

India called Shikshayatan.

These exercises help one to listen to instructions carefully, make a mental note of the salient points, to comply with them and answer to the point. Answering a question actually involves language study, ability to interpret words, to use words to frame a thought and present it as precisely as possible.



Writing is a skill we all want our children to develop as they progress through school because we believe that as good writers they will have great opportunities in life. Good writing doesn’t just happen; it is learnt and is a carefully crafted process. Most of the writing we are called upon to do in life falls under two categories – creative writing and critical or analytical writing. In the previous issue, we looked at having Fun with Creative Writing. In this issue, we will talk about ways to encourage Critical or Analytical writing.

It’s all about the Journey: Focussing on Process rather than Product.

T oo often, in writing as in all other aspects of life, we are focussed on the end product, while the actual

learning happens in the process. They say that life is what happens while we are waiting or searching for our destination. Whether it is creative or critical writing, a lot happens during the process and knowing how to guide your child through it can enhance your role in the learning process.

What is the Writing Process?Writing involves brainstorming to figure out what you know about your topic, researching to learn more, focussing your thoughts to suit the purpose, organising your ideas, supporting your arguments

and drawing conclusions. It also involves finding the right tone and voice, and the most appropriate form of delivery. In going through these steps, your child learns to become a better writer.

Brainstorming: This is a ‘great fun’ activity because it is limited only by your imagination and that of your child. At this stage of writing, encourage your child to put down any ideas and thoughts, however remotely connected to the topic. The grain can be separated from the husk at a later stage. Here the idea is only to generate ideas. Encourage even funny or absurd ideas on the topic. Indulge in some free-writing – the process of writing nonstop for five minutes and putting down anything that comes to mind. At the end of the brainstorming process, your child should

have a clear idea of what he knows about the subject. This may or may not be what actually gets into the finished product; it is the starting point.

Research: This is the part when your child begins to find out more about the topic, because what is the point of writing only what you already know? Research can often take the simple form of finding out what other people know about the topic. Make this a fun activity by having other older members of the family, including parents, older siblings, grand parents, uncles and aunts act as resources. With older children, encourage them to read an article about the subject and assimilate one or two new ideas. Internet research is the norm in your child’s world. Use the opportunity to jointly figure out how to do8

Write AwayUsha Venkatesh

learning

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Usha Venkatesh is an English professor, social

worker and mother of a teenager.

this and what to look for – you have to discern the right sources to approach while doing this research.

Focussing and organising ideas: By now your child has generated a lot of ideas – most often more ideas than what can fit into the scope of the assignment. Help your child focus on the assignment and drop those ideas that do not fit in – not everything you know or have learned has to be said in that one assignment. This is hard to do because we feel that we should say everything we know about a topic. However, not everything we know may be appropriate for the assignment. Help your child distinguish between major and minor ideas among the many that he has learned about the topic. It is often more important to write convincingly about a few major ideas than to list a number of minor points.

Supporting arguments: Writing convincingly requires providing support, proof or examples. Help your child use the research materials appropriately.

Each child has his own way of learning. As a parent, it is important to recognise your child’s learning style. This will make it easier for the child to tackle his studies and for a

parent to guide him. The different styles are outlined below with pointers to tackle them.

VISUAL LEARNERS These learners visualise their subject material by thinking in pictures. They learn best from maps, charts, diagrams, board and memory games and picture books. As you read aloud from their books, give them colour pencils so that they can draw while listening.

AUDITORY/LANGUAGE LEARNERS These learners learn best as they listen to others. Auditory learners enjoy listening to the voice, tone and pitch and thus learn best from reading the text aloud. They can use a tape recorder to record their school work.

Revising, Editing and Proof-reading: No writing task is complete without these functions. In fact, writing is only half done before these steps of the process are accomplished. Revision, as my favourite composition teacher once told me, should be read as re-vision. It means to re-envision what one has written. This cannot be done as soon as one finishes writing. One must walk away from the piece and come back to it as if with new eyes and examine it as if someone else has written it. Surely, you can write it better! Peer review works well at this stage. If you can get your child to write with friends and if they can revise each other’s writing just for fun, it would make for a great exercise. Watch out for some fireworks!!

Editing can be more tedious and it involves shortening, making it more precise and correcting for consistency.

Proof reading, which actually should be the last activity your child should be engaging in as part of the writing

process, unfortunately becomes the first thing we pick on. As a parent, you have undoubtedly told your child countless times to check the grammar and spelling of the writing that she has completed. Even when we read the brainstorming pieces, our hands itch to correct the spelling. Desist! Proof reading, the last stage, is when these issues need to be addressed.

Addressing errors from the beginning makes your child view writing as a process of error finding. No one enjoys having their mistakes pointed out. Make it fun to write by making error analysis an activity. Give your child some passages with errors and the more errors that he can find, the greater the reward that he can have! Finding errors takes practice.

Writing is not the most natural activity your child will want to indulge in. It is up to you to make it interesting and rewarding! n

TACTILE LEARNERS Being highly tactile, these learners learn best through moving, doing things and touching. They communicate best through gestures. A good way to teach them is through hands-on activities and experiments. Allow such children to rock, swing legs or play with pencils even as they study. They cannot sit still for long.

LOGICAL AND ANALYTICAL LEARNERS These children enjoy puzzles and like to know how things work. They try to understand things by using patterns and by constantly asking questions. Mental math problems, strategy and computer games are easy for them. The best way to teach them is through science experiments, using computer learning tools and word puzzles. When reading fiction, discuss the story in

relation to real life situations and people. n

learning


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cul tura l her i tage

archi tectura l her i tage

South India has a rich repertoire of dance and music forms that seem to run in the blood of Chennaiites. Children, even before they can recite the alphabet, are sent to music and dance classes. Though Carnatic classical and folk songs are popular, Bharatanatyam, a south Indian classical dance, is very much alive even today as it depicts mythological stories in the form of graceful movements. Street theatre is popular in the villages and it has become a source of education and entertainment for people as they depict history and mythology.

structure surrounded by the cannons captured or used by the British during the wars.

Madras High Court (Egmore) One of the three High Courts in India sanctioned by Her Majesty Queen Victoria in a letter bearing the date 26th June 1862, is a very good example of an Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.

Chepauk Palace & Amir Mahal (Wal la jah Road) One of the earliest Mughal-style buildings in the city designed by the English engineer Paul Benfield

special

Nat ional Ar t Ga l ler y & Museum Theatre (Egmore) This is a repository of the traditional paintings of Tanjore, Rajput, Moghul, Kangra and Deccani schools as well as modern paintings in oil, tempera, water colour and acrylic mediums. The gallery has a wide collection of Raja Ravi Varma paintings, which are considered as National Treasures.

Next to the gallery is the Madras Museum Theatre opened in 1896. Built by the British in Indo-Saracenic style, the museum theatre is a grand

Madras H igh Court

na tura l her i tagePulicat Lake The second largest brackish water lagoon on the Indian sub-continent, Pulicat Lake covers a total area of 461 square kilometres. During the monsoon (August or September), Pulicat Lake is filled with phytoplankton and zooplankton. These microscopic organisms constitute essential food for invertebrates and fish. As a result, thousands of birds are attracted to the lake.

Adyar Estuary and Creek The portion of water where the river meets the ocean is low in salinity and has high plankton availability which serves as a good nursery for fish. The flow of tidal water in and out of the creek earlier facilitated boat rides.

Guindy Nat ional Park The smallest national park located in the heart of the city, the Guindy Park has over 350 species of plants and forms a natural destination for botanists.

Pal l ikarna i Marshland Declared as a reserve forest area and brought under the

Tambaram range of the Forest Department recently, this fresh water swamp adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, is situated about 20 kilometres south of Chennai. The swamp is helpful in charging the aquifers of the region. It is one of the last few remaining natural ecosystems in the city.

Vedanthangal B i rd Santuary Located in the Kancheepuram district about 75 kilometres from Chennai, Vedanthangal is home for migratory birds such as pintail, garganey, grey wagtail, blue-winged teal and common sandpiper. It is one of the oldest water bird sanctuaries in the country. Vedanthangal in Tamil means 'hamlet of the hunter'. This area was a favourite hunting spot for the local landlords 300 years ago. The region attracted a variety of birds because it was dotted with small lakes that acted as feeding grounds for the birds. The best time to visit this sanctuary is from November to March.

Pal l ikarna i Marshland

Music and masala, colour and splendour, elegance and beauty, simplicity and sincerity…that’s Chennai! This queen city of the South today is an amalgamation of

what is left of its colourful history coupled with the influx of modernity. Let us celebrate Chennai - then and now - with a list of things that makes us love this city even more.

m a d r a sher i t age

they specia l ise in t rad i t iona l food

Grand Sweets (Adyar, Annanagar, Spur tank Road) Kuzhi Paniyaram, Adai Aviyal

Sr ivar i Sweets (Annanagar ) Dhal powders, kozhakattai

Natra j Cof fee House (next to Ra ja Stores Nor th Mada St - Mylapore) Sevai, kozhakattai (sweet and savoury)

Suswaad (T Nagar ) Sevai and Thanjavur traditional packed lunches

Mami Kadai (near Kapaleeswar temple - Mylapore) Idli, Vada, Dosa, Pongal for breakfast, Mixed rice for lunch, Dosa varieties for dinner (Closed on Sundays)

in 1768, the palace was the residence of the Nawabs of Arcot, once the rulers of Tamil Nadu. Situated next to the Chepauk Palace is Amir Mahal built in 1789, which belonged to the Royal family of Arcot.

Fort Sa int George An architectural marvel, the fort was built by the British East India Company in 1640 AD. It

was erected as a trading post, and later evolved to be the origin of the modern Indian Army. Within its boundaries is St. Mary's Church, one of the oldest surviving churches built by the British in India. This beautiful building with its glass windows, wall frescos, teak plaques still shine with their old glory. Another fascinating structure here is the 150-ft tall flagstaff, made entirely of teakwood.

places of worshipSanthome Bas i l ica (Santhome High Road) The Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas was built over the tomb of St.Thomas, who is said to have come to India in 52 AD. This lovely Gothic Church is an architectural treasure, adorned with stained glass windows depicting St. Thomas and the other Apostles.

Wal la jah Mosque (Tr ip l icane High Road) Constructed in 1795 by the Wallajah Nawab, the mosque is a granite structure. But it is different from other Mughal structures because it bears only the four minarets without a dome.

Gujarat i Ja in temple (Mint St reet , Sowcarpet ) The 41 inches high idol of Sri Parswanath found in this temple is made from Green Quartz, the first ever made from this material the world over. The temple with three Gopurams of 67 ft from ground level, having the 23rd Jain Tirthankar Sri Parswanath as the

main deity, was built by the Shri Gujarati Swetamber Murtipujak Jain Sangh Trust.

Sr i Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha Gurudwara (GN Chet ty Road) Built in 1949 by Lieutenant Colonel Gill (former Director General of Prisons), Madras, this place of worship is for the Sikh community in Chennai. Devotees gather for prayers during the birth anniversaries of Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Arjun Dev. They also celebrate Baisakhi, a harvest festival.

Mahabodhi Sangam Buddhist Temple (Kenneth Lane, Egmore) This temple located opposite the Egmore railway station has a huge idol of Lord Buddha. The Maha Bodhi Society of India was founded by one Anagarika Dharmmapala in May 1891.

Sr i Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha Gurudwara

Kuzhi Paniyaram

Gemmarie Venkataramani


adventure zone

theme parks

special

Cotton (Pantheon Road) A variety of cotton from fabrics to ready-mades are available in every colour and price.

Electron ics (R i tch ie ’s St reet ) It is the second largest market for computer spares and peripherals in India with more than 900 shops.

Automobi les (Genera l Pat ters Road) From headlights to horns, bumpers to car seats, this is the place to go to satisfy the car lover in you.

Si lk and Jewel ler y (Nor th Usman Road) Shops have a wide range of beautiful silk sarees; the place is also the hub of jewellery retail - gold, diamonds and other gems.

L ights and f i t t ings Teynampet (Mount Road) The place offers a complete range of fanciful and utilitarian lights for the home and office.

Plant Nurser ies (ECR) Visit the ECR for the green thumb in you. Pick up pots and plants of all colours and sizes.

Aquar ium and Ornamenta l F ish (East Mada Street and South Mada Street , Ko lathur ) Experience nature in your homes though these beautiful aquariums in all shapes and sizes.

Bangles (Nor th Mada Street , Mylapore) These bangles come in silver, glass, wood and plastic, to adorn your outfit and add glitter to any occasion.

North Usman Road

street beat

Kishkinta (Tambaram) Phone: 044 22512001, 22512002, 22512003, 22512004, 22512005, 32910078 www.kishkinta.in

MGM Dizzee Wor ld (Mut tukadu, ECR) Phone: 044 27472129, 9500063716/9500063717 www.mgmdizzeeworld.com

Queensland Theme Park Bangalore Trunk Road, Palanjur, Chennai 602103 Phone: 26811124, 26811136, Weekly holiday: Monday

Dash ’N Splash (Chennai-Bangalore H ighway) Phone: 044 27156200/11, 98419 07322 www.dashnsplash.co.in

VGP Golden Beach ( In jambakkam, ECR) Phone: 044 24356900 www.vgpuniversalkingdom.in


Go-car t ing Kart Attack (OMR) - Ph: 044 28257744/ 24492386.

MRF Danny's Karting (ECR) - 044 25231512/13, 25231653

Kart Beat (Arcot Road) - 044 24836600

Paint-ba l l Planet Adventure (Kottivakam) - 96000 16350

Horseback r id ing Red Earth Riding School (Tindivanam-Pondicherry road) 96293 12071 e-mail: [email protected] Madras Riding School (Nichols Road, Chetpet) [email protected] Phone: 98400 90045, 044 28362481, www.madrasridingschool.com

Boat ing Tarsha Water Sports (ECR) Phone: 98410 24429, 8270154, 8253004Muttukadu Boat House (Mutukkadu, ECR) Phone: 99529 95827

I ce skat ing Pandora, Ampa Skywalk Mall (Nelson Manickam Road) Phone: 30249494

Dash ’N Splash

c o s m o p o l i t a n m a d r a splaces of interestCholamandal Ar t is ts ' V i l lage, ( In jambakkam, ECR) The largest artists' commune in India, Cholamandal was established in 1966. Twenty resident painters and sculptors pool their skills and run the Artists Handicrafts Association, a cooperative which manages the village and sale of works through the permanent exhibition at the complex. Phone: +44-24490092, 24494053, e-mail: [email protected]

DakshinaChi t ra (Mutukkadu, ECR) A project of the Madras Craft Foundation (MCF), a non-profit organisation, DakshinaChitra is a centre for the living traditions of art, folk performing arts, craft and architecture of India with an emphasis on the traditions of South India. Phone: +44-27472603, 27472783, e-mail: [email protected]

Touch and Smel l Garden (MS Swaminathan Research Foundat ion, Taramani ) A garden with a difference, trees and plants are arranged not based on casual selection or visual pleasure but to offer a pleasurable feel and aroma while learning about them. Tel: +91 (44) 22541229, +91 (44) 22541698, email: [email protected]

Semmozhi Poonga (Cathedra l Road-Anna Sala i junct ion) This consists of twenty acres; it houses more than 500 species of plants and trees, most of them have been there for over a century. The garden takes pride in hosting some of the most exotic flora and rare plant species, medicinal and aromatic herbs.

Adyar Poonga (Adyar ) This new park hosts several species of amphibians like the soft shell turtle, the Brahminy skink along with the white breasted kingfisher, plovers, crustaceans and rare insects. Its environment education centre conducts awareness programmes about the

wetland ecosystem.

Vivekanandar I l lam ( Ice House, Beach Road) This place, where Swami Vivekananda stayed for nine days when he visited Chennai (then Madras) in 1897, now houses a permanent exhibition set up by the Chennai branch of the Ramakrishna Math.

Semmozhi Poonga

street food At the beach Bajjis, sundal, cut mango, roasted corn, masala peanuts

Panagal Park (T Nagar outs ide Nal l i ) Cut fruits – pineapple, raw mango sprinkled with salt and chilli powder, papaya, cucumber

Mont ieth Road (outs ide A lsa Mal l ) Veg. sandwiches and bread omelette

Nungambakkam High Road (Outs ide Rangol i ) Chat and kulfi

Sowcarpet Sandwiches, Chat, juices

Chennai• Is called the Detroit of India due to its automobile industry producing over 40 percent of the country's auto parts and vehicles.

• Has the lowest pollution among major cities of India in spite of having more than 20 lakh vehicles.• Is India’s fourth largest city and ranks among the fifty most populous cities in the world (#35). • Shares the second position as the largest employment generator in India, along with Bombay. The first is Bangalore. • Has the largest bus stand in South Asia, the Mofussil bus stand at Koyambedu.• Has the second longest beach in the world, Marina Beach ranks next to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. • Has India’s first zoo, the Vandalur Zoo, built in 1855. It is also one of the largest in South Asia. • Has the Theosophical Society in Adyar, the only place that houses a Buddhist shrine, a temple and a church.


lesser known temples and libraries

Bodyguard Muneeswaran Temple, Pa l lavan House The Bodyguard Muneeswaran Temple is near Central Station. Scores of vehicles come here for puja and blessings for an accident-free ride. In 1919, a group of labourers from North Arcot district brought the idol here and installed it under a

neem tree adjoining military barracks. A commander of British troops took strong objection to this and ordered its removal. However, he changed his mind after he met with an accident the same day and allowed the idol to remain there.Pur i Jagannath temple, ECR A replica of Orissa’s Puri Jagannath temple was constructed in 2001 in Kannathur on ECR. The temple is located in a serene atmosphere and the main deities are Lord Jagannath (Krishna), Balram and Subhadra. The temple houses shrines for other deities too and celebrates Rath yatra in a grand manner. Orissa’s Pata Chitra paintings adorn the temple.

Roja Muth iah Research L ibrary at Taramani is a well-maintained resource centre. It is a tribute to Roja Muthiah Chettiar from Kottaiyur, a signboard artist who had collected about 1,00,000 books, periodicals and other resource material during his lifetime. The University of Chicago took this over in 1994. It is open from 9.30 a.m to 5 p.m and closed on second Saturdays and Sundays. Call 044 2254 2551 - 52, visit www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/southasia/rmrl. html.

The Anna Centenary L ibrary opposite the Kotturpuram police station inaugurated last September is considered to be South Asia's largest library. An impressive statue of CN Annadurai greets visitors. The library has an 'own book reading' room and a Braille section apart from the children's and periodicals sections. It is open from 9 a.m to 8 p.m on all days. For details, contact: 044 65515031. visit www.annacentenary library.blogspot.com

Connemara Publ ic L ibrary in Egmore is one of the four National Depository Libraries. Established in 1890, it houses centuries-old publications and includes some of India’s most respected works and collections. The new building, an addition to the Library in 1973, also has a Braille Library and an IAS study centre. Library timings: Monday to Saturday - 9 a.m to 7.30 p.m; Sundays - 9.30 a.m to 6 p.m

special

Rangashree Srinivas

Muddu Ti runarayana Temple, STD Pathasala , Ja l lad ianpet , Pa l l ikaranai Music and dance are integral aspects of the unified experience of Bhakti. Sri Nathamuni, 9th Century AD, developed a unique one-man theatre based on the compilation of Alvars called “Araiyar Sevai”, for performance before the Lord and for spiritual education. The Temple of Sri Muddu Tirunarayanaswami has been built specially to preserve and propagate this spiritual art. Twice every year, during January and June, the entire Divya Prabhandam is performed as Araiyar sevai for ten days. Children can attend special music camps.

Kal ikamba Temple, Thambu Chet ty St reet , Georgetown This temple enshrines Kalikambal (Kamakshi) and Kamateswarar and a host of parivara devatas. A hundred years ago, the great Maratha ruler Shivaji is said to have visited the Kalikambal shrine in Chennai, during his tour of southern India. The original temple was closer to the sea. Later the British relocated it.

The Madras L i terar y Soc iety L ibrary in the DPI Compound on College Road, Nungambakkam, is Chennai's oldest repository of books with its history dating to 1812. It is housed in a heritage building in Indo Sarcenic style and functions from 10 a.m to 5 p.m, Monday to Saturday. Contact the librarian at 044 28279666.



With a long weekend ahead and two restless children on hand, I had an urge to do something more

exciting than watch a movie or visit a mall. I stumbled upon a group that was traveling down the East Coast Road (ECR), on a fun-adventure-educational trip for two days and one night and decided to join them.

Our group comprised three more families with children aged 5 to 13 years. Two young eco-travel enthusiasts Sridhar and Arul had put this trail together. We boarded a tempo traveller and set off on our much-awaited trail even as the dark clouds emerged in the sky. Chennai’s busy traffic gave way to long, quiet stretches of the highway. Vegetation became denser as we crossed Mahabalipuram.

Sometime later, our van swung down

a side road leading to Auroville. It was

pitch dark and we almost lost our way to

the guest house we were to stay in that

night. As the dense woods closed in on

us from either side, we felt as if we were

miles away from civilisation! A few hits and misses later, we entered the gates of ‘Purity’, a campus that lived up to its name.

The next morning, the children were up and ready early and they played on the swings around the campus. After a sumptuous hot breakfast, we began our journey to visit a rejuvenated forest, mangroves, crumbling old forts, water sport sites, estuaries and beaches.

Sadhana Forest A rejuvenated forest

Deep inside Auroville, Puducherry, is the Sadhana Forest, a young but dense forest of 30 years. When Yorit and Aviram Rozin (Israelites who chose to settle down in Auroville) visited this erstwhile barren land in Auroville’s outskirts in the early ‘70s, a vision unfurled in their minds – of a land buzzing with insects, heady with the aroma of herbs and darkened with the thick foliage of indigenous trees.

As you enter the wilderness, waist-high

stone installations painted with exotic bird, insect and animal figures greet you. These stones attract insect communities, the first step in building and sustaining the bio-diversity of the region. This is an on-going afforestation project, open to visitor involvement. A winding path leads to a cottage that houses all the products of the forest and exhibits posters.

Peacocks and turkeys in the forest delighted the children in our group. We came away with literature on growing herb gardens in our balconies, useful for home remedies.

Mangroves of PichavaramAfter lunch, we drove down to the mangroves of Pichavaram a few kilometres away from Chidambaram. We got into a small boat having a frail-looking boatman. We explored the wondrous world of mangroves as we glided through the narrow canals flanked by dense foliage

Rangashree Srinivas

destinations

Boating in Pichavaram


Ecologin organises various types of nature

trails, all-inclusive of accommodation and food.

Contact Sridhar Lakshmanan at 9445384021 or

visit www.ecologin.org.

However, travellers who like to plan their own

itinerary can explore the destinations in

any order.

Some information to plan ahead:

AUROVILLE is 6 kilometres north of Puducherry

and has several beach and non-beach stay facilities. Check out

www.aurovilleguesthouses.org for rates, which can go upto Rs 1800

per day. Puducherry also has good hotels for those lower budgets.

If you are planning an overnight tri p to SADHANA FOREST,

accommodation is available but you need to volunteer for their

project. For details, log on to www.sadhanaforest.org. The place is

a few kilometres north of Puducherry and can also be reached by

taking an autorickshaw from the Puducherry bus station.

PICHAVARAM is 57 kilometres from Pudhucherry by road, near

Chidambaram. State transport buses ply from the main bus stand.

Food and accommodation are very basic. You can plan a day's

visit here.

with its deep underwater roots. We were wearing life jackets and felt adventurous, till we realised that the shimmering vast waters were just two feet deep!

We managed to see a small fox slinking away among the roots and a majestic kite in the air – amidst a wafting breeze and the muted roar of the sea.

Bonfire on the beachLater in the evening, we drove to a deserted beach between Cuddalore and Puducherry. We saw some catamarans silhouetted against the moonlit sea – the scene was ethereal, dream-like in quality.

We sat on the catamarans and played games with the children. Sridhar and Arul set up a bonfire and placed piping hot food around it. After a wonderful meal, we spent some time gazing at the stars and listening to the rhythmic beat of the waves.

It is advisable to be part of a large group if you want to experience deserted beaches and a bonfire.

Alamparai Fort and BackwatersOn day two of the ECR trail, we found ourselves near a crumbled 17th century Mughal fort. We learnt about its history, and then gave in to the demands of the children to go swimming in the back waters. After lunch and a boat ride in the backwaters, we were back on the ECR.

Kayaking

On our way back home, we got off at the Mudaliarkuppam boat house where we could kayak and paddle boat. The children, even the very young ones, opted to go on solo kayak rides. They turned out to be excellent first-time kayakers, and gained great confidence!

Bird watching After Mudaliarkuppam, we descended down a gentle slope on the ECR, to find ourselves in a salt bed. Dotting the horizon were flocks of roosting birds – flamingos, herons, kingfishers, pelicans and egrets. It was an astonishing sight!

We returned home tired, but well-pleased with our experiences – all down the ECR. n

There are two routes to

Chidambaram from Chennai one

down the East Coast Road to

Puducherry and down south via

Cuddalore, and the second along

the Chengalpet-Tindivanam highway.

Buses from CMBT, Koyambedu will

take you Pichavaram. Boating at

Pichavaram is open from 7.30 a.m

to 5.30 p.m.

MUDALIARKUPPAM is 92 kilometres from Chennai and 36

kilometres south of Mamallapuram. You can make bookings at

the TTDC boat house in Mudaliarkuppam. For more information, call

044-25383333, 25389857, 25384444, 25381286. The Cuddalore Boat

House is yet another option.

For BIRD WATCHING near Cuddalore/ Mudaliarkuppam, October to

February is the best sighting season. Birds can be seen from dawn

to dusk, but make sure you carry your binoculars.

ALAMPARAI FORT is near Kadapakkam village about 50 kilometres

south of Mahabali puram (towards Puducherry) and about 100

kilometres south of Chennai along the ECR. It is preferable to use

private transport.

Children pose in Alamparai beach


Sudha S

Preschool education emphasises learning through fun. But holistic education is much more than the ABCs, the 123s, rhymes and activities taught in preschools. A child’s brain develops the fastest in the first three years and whatever children

learn or experience during these formative years moulds their thinking and behaviour for the rest of their lives. So preschools play a vital role in shaping our children into better individuals.

What are the prerequisites of a preschool? What should parents look for in a preschool before they choose one for their child? Ideally, the learning environment in a preschool should be conducive. It should help children in the acquisition of knowledge and self-discovery and provide a wholesome development.

Some schools offer programmes in which the parent is with the child in the class. Kids Central has such programmes for children from 9 months upto 1 1/2 years for an hour. Parents are allowed to stay with the children for 3 days a week. Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam allows the parent of the pre-primary child to be with the child for the first month.

Gowri Krishnamurthy, child psychologist and counsellor with St. Michael’s Academy says, “If

preschools do not provide support for emotionally affected children, and the problem is not dealt with early, it could lead to ADHD and dyslexia later on.”

Right age for preschool educationWhile parents are eager to send their children to the best of preschools as early as 18 months of age, some grandparents dispute the very idea of sending little ones to a preschool. E. Balasubramaniam’s two-year-old granddaughter Mahima goes to a preschool in Mylapore and stays back with the day care till someone picks her up in the late evening.

Says Mahima’s grandfather, “Children should not be sent to school before they are five. Bonding with the mother is very important for the child. Every parent should spend at least 2 hours with the child everyday – just being with them, talking and teaching them something new. The mother is the best teacher.”

According to eminent educationist Padma Srinath, “Parents should realise that most pre-kindergarteners (and even lower kindergarteners) are not ready to part from the mother for several hours a day. The child feels that it is not wanted by the mother and there is a deep subconscious impact at this early age.”

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Contrary to the present preschool education system in India, Swedish children are enrolled in the primary only when they turn 7. In some cases, parents also have the option of delaying starting school for their child until the age of 8, if they think it is in the best interests of their child.

In India, 2 and a half to 3 years is widely considered to be the right age for children to be in preschool though some parents feel they are school-ready much earlier.

Can preschools provide the best early education for my child?Many preschools take in children as early as 18 months to 2 years of age and offer Montessori, Kindergarten, Waldorf and Playway methods of teaching.

If parents are determined to send a child to preschool, they should ensure that the school has a programme content that encourages the five basic skills outlined below by Padma Srinath.

SOCIALISING SKILLS

Children should be given at least 30 minutes of socialising time during their preschool hours to encourage bonding with the teacher, and with other children.

EMOTIONAL SKILLS

The preschool should build the child’s self esteem and not thwart it.Trivial issues like coming late to school or any other emotional stress the child is facing should be sorted out immediately with the parents. The school should make the child understand that he can do something and that he has his place in a group. This will help build his self-confidence and emotional strength. For instance, if your child draws a circle and says that it is an elephant, the preschool teacher should acknowledge the child’s effort rather than ridicule his work. She can say that she can see the tummy or the head.

important features that parents should look for in a preschool.

The preschool should be run by a qualified person.

It should have a hygienic environment.

There should be ample scope for children to showcase their creativity.

Teaching aids should inspire the children to learn even as they play, and help develop their senses.

Educational materials should help children develop hand and eye coordination.

Children should be taught basic manners and etiquette like saying ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’.8

PHYSICAL SKILLS

Preschool curriculum should focus on developing children's gross and fine motor skills. In other words, time spent sitting indoors should equal time spent on their feet.

INTELLECTUAL SKILLS

Intellectual skill development should focus on language, knowledge, art, music, dance and any other activity that interests the child.

SPIRITUAL SKILLS

Preschool teachers should help children recognise that there are many animals, people and trees who share this world with them and imprint the idea of non-violence in them. They should also teach children about the mysterious wonders of the universe, the unfailing sun that makes the day and the wonderful breeze that makes us feel so good.

What should parents look for in a preschool?Today’s parents are slowly getting convinced that preschool education does give an edge. But the innumerable questions that arise in their minds are -- Which is the best preschool in the neighbourhood? How do I make sure that my child is under the best teacher and caretaker?

Sudha Kasturirangan, who runs a playschool in Kottur Gardens, says that the maximum development of the child happens between 0-6 years of age. A trained nursery school teacher with decades of experience, Sudha highlights a few

Kimaya

She loves colours in all forms! She loves

painting and splashing colour all over.

She enjoys finger painting,

dipping the brush in paints and

swirling it around the paper. She

says “WOW” once she is done

with a few strokes!

SONALI SETH, MOTHER

1 year, 9 months

Surya Kartik

Loves to ride his bicycle and chant

the ‘Bhaja Govindam.’ He can also

say ‘Gajananam’ and ‘Saraswathi

Namastubyam’ slokams. He loves to

go to the park and play with the swing

and see-saw. He likes to go to temples.

On television, he prefers Thomas the

Tank Engine, Chotta Bheem and Keymon

Ache. He likes collecting toy animals and seeing

pictures in books.

PRIYA SAMPATH, MOTHER

2 years 10 months

Is a very smart child and loves talking! He is very bold and asks many questions. PRIYA VENKATESH, MOTHER

vijaY3 years 6 months

coverstory

Is inspired by his father (a military man)

and loves adventure. He enjoys frequent

sojourns into forests and hills. He is fond of

music and hops in tune with his favourite

songs. An avid listener of stories, he loves

simplified versions of Spiderman, Sherlock

Holmes and Tarzan, and of course his dad's

army experiences.

DHANYA BHASKARAN, MOTHER

Niranjan

Loves mangoes and whatever her elder sister has! When someone scolds her, she says ‘ka… ka… ka…’ and hides her face on the couch. JAIGANESH V, FATHER

2 years and 3 months

3 years

Anagha

Is a carbon copy of his father in

behaviour. He is very fastidious,

cheerful and makes everyone

around him very happy!

SARASWATHI VIJESHKUMAR, MOTHER

Niketan

A few Chennai preschoolers and what their parents say about them!

2 years


Preschool education

moulds childrenB Sridevi, Head of the Accounts

Department of a law firm, had earlier put her first daughter in a preschool for just

three months. But her second daughter is going to one, on a regular basis. “Laya,

now 3, is a lot more competent and confident compared to her sister,”

she says.

Some parents seem to have found the right environment for their

child. Two-year-old Sidharth’s parents

Anjali and Rohan George, after a long search,

are happy with the Little Thinkers programme at

Grassroots, a school open to children between 18 months to five and a half years. "We found some of the best

We believe that 2 1/2 is the magical age for children to be in preschool. At that stage, they can spend a part of the day away from their homes with other children in the same stage of development.

I believe that a child needs to work using his hands and senses and therefore needs concrete materials to manipulate and to internalise the concepts. The activities offered have to be meaningful and make sense to his intelligence. He then becomes self-confident and articulate, and gets motivated to learn.

A preschool teacher should: have knowledge of the child and his needs. develop her skills to offer different activities in a manner that will kindle interest in the child to take it up by himself. be child-centric in her approach. not only love the children, but learn to respect them for what they have to offer to adults, for our own learning process. realise that she is a role model for the child and therefore she has follow the maxim ‘Do as I do and not Do as I say’!

recommended play schools to be little more than training camps for school admissions,” they say. “Grassroots engages our son intellectually and creatively without forcing him to go through the rigours of a classroom at too early an age."

There are some schools that follow a Playway method of teaching. Siksha - The Learning Center in Kilpauk, for example, devotes the first half of the day to free play, rhyme time, rest room visit and a snack break. The rest of the day is divided into four different activities per day, keeping in mind the multiple intelligence learning concept. There are verbal, mathematical, visual, musical and Kinesthetic learning activities.

Regular schools embracing the preschool conceptC Jagan, creative media entrepreneur of Minddreams, sent his daughter Kavinya to a preschool attached to a leading regular

Uma Shanker, Director, Centre for Montessori Training, Chennai, has some expert views on preschool education.

What are the qualifications that a teacher should have, to handle preschool children?

Should preschools be controlled by a board and uniform standards be set across all types of preschool education?

A Board could help preschools develop a broad outline of what children should be offered at this stage of development and how it should be done through activities. It may ensure that children are not forced to write when they are three or three-and-a-half and burdened with homework and other pressures of performing at the examinations.

What is the right age for a child to enter a preschool?

Why are activities important for a preschooler?

coverstory


Waldorf Method Waldorf or Rudolf Steiner form of education is based on the view that the child develops through a number of basic stages from childhood to adulthood. The curriculum is specifically designed to work with the child through these stages.

Reggio Emilia Approach The Reggio Emilia approach requires children to be seen as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative and inventive, and possess a desire to interact and communicate with others. Followers of this method have a strong belief that children learn through interaction with others in a friendly learning environment.

Montessori Teaching In the Montessori method, children and developing adults engage in psychological self-construction by means of interaction with their environments. Children, especially under the age of six, have an innate path of psychological development and they are at liberty to choose and act freely within an environment.

Playway Method The most desirable method of learning for children, maximum amount of learning happens while playing games, making the process interesting and fun. Toys and apparatus like checkers, magic squares, puzzles and building blocks are used to make teaching and learning a memorable experience.

school, as he wanted to avoid the stress of securing an LKG admission later on.

However, Amrit’s mother S Shoba is still looking for a good preschool for her son. She visited a preschool with an ‘international’ tag, but found that it did not have a reasonable play area, and one of the teachers there could not even speak good English.

She checked out another preschool, a branch of a regular school that promised good facilities. It had converted a first floor flat into a preschool and primary section. The entrance was a narrow staircase and the school did not have proper ventilation. Though the school charged exorbitant fees, it offered minimal facilities for children and packed about 180 children in just 4 rooms. There were only a handful of teachers and 3 caretakers.

Think twice before you choose Parents are often helpless and left with no choice when it comes to preschool

education. They often put their children in a preschool that is close to their residence. Many are not content with the services that the city’s preschools offer.

Hemalatha Raman says she abruptly stopped sending her daughter Uma (3 years) to a daycare cum preschool because the child was reluctant to go there. “Though I sent Uma to one of the oldest and best preschools in Chennai, her signs of discomfort did indicate that she was under some kind of trauma. Even today, Uma who is in the UKG, does not discuss with me her day’s activities at regular school. So I suspect that her experience at her preschool has had an adverse impact,” she says.

Should preschools have a governing body?Girija Kumarbabu, Honorary Joint Secretary, Indian Council for Child Welfare, says: “Preschool education should be an orientation programme for initiation into learning in the most pleasant manner. Sadly, teachers in many preschools are not well trained. 8

METHODS OF EDUCATION FOLLOWED IN SOME PRESCHOOLS

Here are some websites that offer

free worksheets that can be printed or

downloaded and be given to preschool

children to encourage learning.

COLOURING PAGES

www.coloring.ws/coloring.html

www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/

www.activityvillage.co.uk/coloring_pages.htm

WORKSHEETS

www.schoolexpress.com/

www.printactivities.com/

www.tlsbooks.com/foreignlanguageworksheets.htm

www.kidzpark.com/kids-activity-sheets/kids-activity.asp

www.kidslearningstation.com/

MATH CONCEPTS

www.kidslearningstation.com/math/

www.kidzone.ws/math/kindergarten.htm

LEARNING AND FUN

www.berenstainbears.com/

www.abcteach.com/

www.activity-sheets.com/

www.printables.kaboose.com/animals-print.html

having good teaching staff are few in number.

“For many years now, there have been efforts to get the State to enforce minimum standards for Nursery Schools and other centres for very young children. The Indian Association for Preschool Education (now called the Indian Association for Early Childhood and Development) has advocated this constantly. But the ‘market’ is stronger than any association of teachers, social activists or academics, as we have sadly found.

“Perhaps, Parent Associations can play a pro-active role in improving the environment and the equipment in the preschool centres, rather than accepting low standards as a given.”

Get feedback from your child everydayIn spite of parents doing several checks and ensuring that their child is under the best of care, some sensitive children may not be comfortable with the preschool they are going to. What works best in these circumstances is a regular feedback from the child. Talk to your child to find out whether he enjoys going to the preschool. What ultimately matters is whether the child simply loves going to school and looks forward to another fun-filled day at the preschool. n

Educationist Padma Srinath has a few tips for parents on what they should look for in a preschool

“Classes are conducted in an unimaginative and restrictive manner. The children are forced to follow instructions in reading and writing. The children imbibe what is taught, and it is difficult to go back and correct the errors later. Also, the mother tongue norm is not followed. In fact, education is being commercialised. If this is the case in Chennai, one can imagine the plight of children in other smaller cities.

“At present preschools are out of the purview of any governing body. Public pressure should be brought in, and minimum education standards should be followed. A governing body should be formed and it should comprise of educationists and specialists in early childhood education. There should also be an inspection mechanism for preschools. We all talk about what needs to be done, but there is a large gap.”

Dr S Anandalakshmy, President, Bala Mandir Research Foundation and an experienced teacher of Child Development and Education at the post graduate level says, "I think that parents have a choice, using the criteria of costs, size of class, proximity or access, philosophy of the school and the link to the next level of schooling. But that choice is limited. This is because the schools with a good reputation for being child-friendly and

coverstory

Children with their parents and care givers at Grassroots preschool

The preschool should be in the neighbourhood because children should not feel tired commuting to and from the school at the end of the day. If it is not close-by, ensure that the mode of transport is safe for children.

Research thoroughly the preschools in the area and talk to parents of children studying there, before you zero in on the best for your child.

Carefully go through the preschool’s programme and ensure that its teaching modules will help in the overall development of your child.

Request the authorities for a complete evaluation of the campus. Scan the interiors for educational aids, safety of toys, the furniture, and cleanliness of the place.

Ensure that the teacher-child ratio is not more than 1:15 and that there are two caretakers in each class.

Open space or outdoor play area in the preschool should be adequate for the children to run around so that they get proper physical exercise.

Keep in mind that the minimum space required for every child is three feet by one-and-a-half feet bed area and an equal space to play, not inclusive of the outdoor play area.

Ensure that medical help is at hand and the preschool is well equipped to deal with an emergency, if one arises. Check if first aid kits are in place and there is a physician or doctor on call for immediate medical help.

Most importantly, the toilets should not be farther than an easy running distance for the child. The toilet should be child-friendly and cleaned frequently.

If the preschool provides food, check on the quality and quantity and the meal timings through the day.

At the end of it all, ask yourself this question: Will my child be comfortable here and enjoy learning?

One dilemma of parents today is how to best support their child’s develop-ment in early years. Parents hear about ways to build a better child on

one hand and on the other, warnings of the dangers of hurrying children and mis-education. In a city that has witnessed a mushrooming of nursery and play schools, there is one that promises to provide a balanced approach. Nandini Palaniappan, who has had many years of teaching experience in a reputed school, started Temple Tree recently at Jeevarathnam Colony, Adyar to remain true to what is natural for children of this age and provide a curriculum that will help his holistic development . She insists that a child’s ability to learn begins from within and is developing every moment of his life. “At Temple Tree, we believe that each stage of a child’s development is unique and important. A child should experience each stage fully before moving to the next.”

Temple Tree has carefully balanced academic and non-academic programmes to nurture learning and social and physical activities. The academic curriculum has been designed to provide rich experience in listening, speaking and writ-ing. Broad fundamental work in listening and speaking skills, including singing, finger play, dialogue, listening to and comprehending stories, which also pro-vide vocabulary enrichment. Temple Tree’s curriculum aims to include a variety of domestic, artistic and creative learning opportunities and plenty of time for learning and discovery.

Shankuntala, a senior teacher, says that for a child “attention, small muscle development, and eye hand coordination are all essential for reading and writing. Through activities and carefully chosen materials from established Montessori, Waldorf and other systems, a child learns to take care of himself and the envi-ronment, beginning the process of becoming independent.

Mixed-age kindergartens are a well proven method for encouraging children to help each other to learn. This class has a mix of children from 2 ½ years to 5 ½ years. It has the advantage of being more like a large family; the older children provide a model for the younger ones and help them, while the little ones bring a softer element to the 4 and 5 ½ yr olds.

The day is structured to alternate between active and quiet activities. For instance, an outdoor play might be followed by a quiet activity such as working with the material or story and exploring in the garden.

Sumathy, another teacher says that children in Temple Tree learn to play in groups, sharing and taking turns; practicing common courtesy and polite-ness. Children will be exploring art through watercolour painting, craft, sew-ing, crayoning and clay modeling. Children go on field trips and nature walk regularly that are relevant and meaningful for enhancing their learning ex-perience. The school also provides a simple and nutritious snack and lunch. Temple Tree is open for admission of children between ages of 2 – 6 years.

New No 14, Old No 16, 1st Street, Jeevarathnam Nagar, Adyar, Chennai 600020. Ph: 9094850052, 9841642502. email: [email protected]

Temple Tree ADVERTORIAL

Making a Difference

Be a Parent, not a FriendSituation #1: Your daughter wants to go to a beach party with her friends. You are fully aware that there will be no parental supervision and that there will be free flowing alcohol and cigarettes at the party. Refusing her would mean one week of cold treatment from her. But by giving her the permission to go, you become the coolest mom around.

Situation #2: First he wants an MP3 player, then a PS3. A touch-phone is next, and now he is asking for an iPad. Your son has an ever-extending gadget requirement every week. Say ‘no’ and he will blame you of putting him behind his generation. Say ‘yes’ and you are the best dad ever.

Situation #3: Forget about his final exams, he is not even interested in doing his homework. For him, life revolves around friends and cricket. How do you manage this?

Parents are often left at a crossroads

and they would love an easy solution.

The easy way would be to give in

completely, become a friend and get

rewarded with titles like - ‘Cool Guy’,

‘Fun Mom’!

Many parents do swear by friendship with

their teenagers. “This is the only way I

can reach out to my teen and understand

her feelings. When I go on the ‘parent

mode’, she gets into a shell”, says

Sudha Anantharaman of her 15-year-old

daughter. Sudha does not like to see her

daughter appearing remote and detached

from her.

Many parents try to achieve a balance

between friendship and parenting.

Switching GearThirty-six-year-old Lavanya Rao, mother

of 18-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy,

understands her children’s behaviour and

emotions. This helps her relate to them

more as a friend. Lavanya feels that being

a friend to them gives her an assurance

that she knows what is happening to

them. “We go out a lot together – eating

out, watching movies, shopping, visiting

relatives and friends”, she says. Still, she

keeps a tab on the children where house

rules and school matters are concerned.

“I have to be tough when needed”, she

stresses.

Cool parents“We have a lot of fun with our children.

We play on the beach, watch movies, play

board games, eat out, go to the mall or just

talk and goof around with each other”, says

IT professional N Kumar, father of 12-year-

old Saina and 14-year-old Ranvir. “I do

not see anything wrong with being a cool

parent as long as we do not lose respect

and authority over them”, explains Kumar.

teen circle

Gemmarie Venkataramani


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Parenting is not a popularity contest“Some parents choose the role of friendship, for fear of their children hating them. “Parenting is not a popularity contest”, says Kumar. “The role of parents is crucial to children as they grow. They pass through stages where the guidance of an adult is essential. Not being there at those times would be doing disservice to your children”, he says.

Be friendly, not a friendParents need to draw the line when it comes to their relationship with their children. Arundhati Swamy, a Chennai counsellor, asserts that being a friend to your child automatically changes the equation. “Be friendly. Not a friend!” she says. Being friendly with your child enhances the relationship. The child would find it easier to approach the parent and freely share some of the things that she would otherwise keep to herself. “As a friend, a child would think that she can take liberties with her parents. When children do so, parents get upset and say that their children do not respect them. There lies the problem”, she explains.

Mala Natarajan is quite friendly with her sons, 21-year-old Anirudh and 14-year-old Pradyumna. She likes spending time with them. They would watch television together and discuss topics of common interests. Discipline is one aspect where the line is clearly drawn, particularly when it comes to cleaning their rooms, going out with friends or studying. “I do not hear them grumble when I start talking rules”, she says.

Friendship with a Purpose Seethalakshmi Ram, who works as Operations Head for a publication, proudly says that she is very close to her teenage daughters. In their relationship, everything is discussed openly. “I established a ‘friendship with a purpose’ relationship from the time they were small. I have been open with them, sharing my emotions and problems. We have established a comfort level wherein they share their feelings and difficult situations with me.” This does not mean that the thin line between parenting and being a friend is totally dissolved. “They know their limits and respect my rules”, she adds.

Parental authority comes in handyWhen teenagers experience peer pressure that they are not comfortable with, they happily and deliberately use their ‘strict’ mom or dad as an excuse to get out of that situation. At the same time, they do not get thrown out of their friends’ circle. Says Gita Krishnan, mother of two children “ My teenage son has done this. I do not mind if his friends think of me as the `Uncoolest’ of mothers!

Countless friends, only one set of parentsTake a look at your teen’s Facebook page and see how many connections she has. You will also be amazed at how many friends are following her

tweets on Twitter. Today’s teenagers have enough friends to keep them company. They have only one set of parents. They need an authority figure that would tell them what is right or wrong and discuss with them the pros and cons of decisions before making them. They need someone who can shelter them from the harsh realities outside the home.

Betsy Brown Braun, author and specialist in child development and behaviour says, “Every time I hear a parent brag that her child is her best friend, I cringe and think, ‘Well, that’s too bad’. The job description of a parent is mighty long – nurturer, teacher, advisor, consultant, guide, spotter, disciplinarian, consoler, cheerleader. But I am quite sure ‘friend’ is not merited in the list”. After all, your child has enough friends, and so do you! n



Having trouble with Quadratic Equations?http://www.homeschoolmath.net/

Homeschoolmath.net is a comprehensive math resource site for students, parents and teachers. The author, Maria Miller, is a math teacher who became a homeschooler and a work-at-home mom. The in-built resources emphasise understanding of concepts instead of learning by rote. The site offers free worksheets, math articles/lessons, games and quizzes.

http://www.webmath.com/

Webmath is a math-help website that generates instant answers to specific math questions as soon as the user enters a query and clicks the solve button. The answers generated and displayed are real-time, with appropriate explanation and steps involved to arrive at the answer.

http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/

A Maths Dictionary for Kids is an animated and interactive math glossary of more than 600 commonly used math terms explained with easy-to-understand illustrations. Jenny Eather of Australia has made this glossary different, with an interactive interface. For instance, a student can learn the concept of ‘ascending order’ by placing a set of numbers from the smallest to the largest. Or learn about prime factors by creating a factor tree.

T he dawn of the Internet revolution appears to be complex for some modern day parents. The sudden

influx of information can be baffling. While some parents blame the Internet for the changing behaviour of their children, several others have embraced it as a means to enhance their knowledge.

The net: a source for academic helpInternet help at hand has made parenting much easier these days. Today, learning at home is more enjoyable and stress-free. The Internet is a great resource for modern day parents, who have lived the life of students devoid of any such academic help. Those were the times when teachers were sought to answer every question, and friends and relatives could be reached only through letters. Finding places and directions involved the handling of hard-bound and heavy atlases, while libraries were the only place where reference material could be found.

Gemmarie VenkataramaniAcademicHelpon the

Net

tech talk


http://www1.teachertube.com/

TeacherTube, launched on March 6, 2007, was the brainchild of Jason Smith, an

educator, coach, campus administrator and district administrator in public schools.

Instructional videos that focus mainly on education are shared on this platform,

which is a safe venue for teachers, schools and home learners.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

Discovery Education provides engaging digital resources to schools and homes. It

aims to make educators more effective by increasing student achievement, and to

connect classrooms and families to a world of learning.

But today, the Internet offers not just news and entertainment on the go, but also helps users to connect with others via social networking. Parents of school-going children often turn to the Internet for extra reading and reference material to help their children in academics.

Parents are turning more and more to the Internet for help to answer the countless questions children ask. For some time, Kamini Nagarajan, the mother of 13-year-old Ashwin, felt helpless as she found that her son’s lessons, homework and school projects were very different from what she had studied at school. “Most of what he is studying now did not seem to figure when I was a student studying the same subjects, or maybe I just do not remember anymore”, she says.

A boon for parents She finds the Internet a boon, as she constantly seeks information from Google, Youtube and other sites that offer academic help. “There is a considerable amount of information available. One just needs to hit the search button and thousands of sites will come up offering help,” she explains.

“Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.” (Source: Internet Quotes)

Though the Internet provides a plethora

of information and academic help on hand, there is nothing quite like being supportive and encouraging, and inherently believing in a child’s ability. Every child is different, and each one has a special talent or skill. Though some children may not be good in studies, they may excel in sports, music or any other field.

The real challenge for parents lies in tapping the child’s talent, bringing out the child’s potential and helping him reach the goal. Do not be perplexed...even that can be Googled! n

http://www.maths.com/index.htm

It has the A to Z of Mathematics and includes a comprehensive list of topics, questions and solutions for various math problems and equations. The site has enhanced features like pictorial representations, diagrams and video presentations of how to arrive at the answer to a particular math question.

http://www.mathtv.com/videos_by_topic

There is no substitute to a real-time teacher showing you how to solve a math problem. McKeague and his assistants do just that. The site has a series of videos that guide the students step-by-step in basic math. It also covers advanced concepts in algebra, trigonometry and calculus.

http://coolmath.com and http://coolmath4kids.com/

Log on to coolmath4kids for a fun-filled math activity – it provides instructions, challenges and games in the concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals. Its sister website, coolmath.com, focuses on higher level math skills, typically learnt from classes 6th to 10th. It also has instructions and worksheets on pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and money and finance.

Other sites to check out

www.cut-the-knot.org/ www.mathisfun.com/ www.visualmathlearning.com/ www.mathforum.org/ www.funbrain.com/ www.mathnerds.com/

Other Subjects

Other sites to visit

www.edhelper.com/ www.historyforkids.org

www.indianchild.com www.splung.com

www.khanacademy.org/ www.Internet4classrooms.com

www.chatterbeeshomework.homestead.com/ www.infoplease.com/homework

www.harmsy.freeuk.com/orrery.html www.sciencemaster.com/

www.science-active.co.uk/ www.ewart.org.uk/

www.chemguide.co.uk/ www.purchon.com/biology/

GOODREADSfor all ages

The Magic Drum and Other Favourite StoriesSudha MurtyPenguin Books, `150

Presented in a very simple language, most of the stories in this book have been gathered from around the world and retold with relevance to India so that the Indian child can relate to them. All the stories have a moral for children and are filled with intelligence and

wit. In the author’s own words, “They are about human emotions and everyday human activities.”

The Magic Drum is the most interesting of the lot in which an old couple is cheated by a miser and saved by a magic drum. Krishnakant, the king’s counsellor hides inside the drum and ultimately brings justice to the poor couple. The culprit pays them three times the stolen money as penalty and they complete their pilgrimage in great comfort.

Nine questions for a princess, The very expensive coconut, The Dead Man’s Painting and other stories introduce young readers to some of the funniest and oddest men and women. This collection will be surely enjoyed by many more readers of all ages.

Magic Kitten – A Puzzle of PawsSue BentleyPuffin Books, `195

Flame, a cuddly black kitten, twinkling with magic, is of royal blood and goes missing from his own world. His uncle Ebony is very keen that he is found quickly. Flame may be hard to spot as he often appears in a variety of fluffy kitten colours but he needs a purrfect friend!

Flame is actually a lion cub that has lost his parents and he is too young to take over the lion throne. So his uncle Ebony betrays him and takes over the throne. Will Flame get the throne back or will Ebony rule forever?

In each book of this Magic Kitten series, the kitten appears in different colours, has magic powers and can become invisible. In ‘A Puzzle of Paws,’ Rosie Swales’ worries about moving house become easier to handle, when cuddly black kitten Flame becomes part of the furniture. The story ends with Prince Flame allowing Rosie to stroke him one last time before he vanishes! Watch him reappear in another book in a new colour with a new adventure!

Little Teddy Bear’s Happy Face Sad FaceLynn OffermanThe Millbrook Press Inc., USA, `250

An ideal first book for preschoolers about feelings and emotions, it has four removable bear heads. Each face expresses a different feeling -- happy, sad, angry and afraid. To be read with the help of a parent, this read-aloud book helps little children choose the expression that shows how the Teddy is feeling in each situation.

Parents should encourage their children to explore how Teddy’s feelings arise from the situations in the book. Just for fun, make them swap the heads around. Young children will simply love fitting all of Teddy’s different expressions on the extra-thick pages. This will help them understand their own feelings too!

Ages 2-4

Ages 6+

Ages 8+

check it out


The Mona Mousa CodeGeronimo StiltonScholastic, `200

Italian author Elisabetta Dami is the author of the Geronimo Stilton series although it is credited to its title character Geronimo, who works as a journalist and editor-in-chief of a fictional newspaper, The

Rodent’s Gazette. Geronimo admits that his true passion is writing adventure stories and says his stories are ‘fa-mouse-ly funny and whisker-licking’.

In this book, Geronimo’s sister Thea gets to know of a secret hidden in Mouse Island’s most famous painting, the Mona Mousa, and investigation follows! To crack the code, the mouse family follows a trail of clues that leads them below the streets of New Mouse City, where they make a discovery.

Colourful illustrations are aplenty and the variation of fonts in the text attract young readers, who will simply get addicted to reading. Step into the world of New Mouse City and make a fabumouse discovery!

Mathematwist: Number tales from around the world

T V PadmaTulika, `250

A collection of folktales, anecdotes and popular stories from around the world, each story sets the

brain ticking in children, encouraging problem-solving skills with a high quotient of fun! And each story is

followed by a simple explanation of the maths behind the ‘magic’ that dispels the esoteric haze from the subject and makes it accessible.

The author has combined language and mathematics in a very unique way to make this book enjoyable for readers across all ages. The style of writing and the illustrations ultimately give a twist to Mathematics and help children rethink on fundamental arithmetic, encouraging them to calculate in the mind.

All the 14 stories in this book increase problem-solving skills in young minds and at the same time make mathematics very fascinating as a subject, especially for children in their early teens.

Crazy Times With Uncle KenRuskin Bond

Puffin Books, `175

Ruskin Bond fans have something exciting to explore -- the Uncle Ken collection. The

author writes that he did have an Uncle Ken who helped to enliven his boyhood days. But he

did not set a good example for a growing boy. The tales in this book are true (or almost true) but the publishers describe the stories in this collection as ‘fiction’ though they are ‘stranger than fiction,’ according to the author.

Uncle Ken was a person who went through life without having to do much, although a great deal seemed to happen around him. In this collection, whenever Uncle Ken arrives at Grandma’s house, there’s trouble afoot! He drives his car into a wall, is mistaken for a famous cricketer, troubled by a mischievous ghost, chased by a swarm of bees and attacked by flying foxes.

Don’t miss Uncle Ben’s numerous bicycle rides with the author or his futile attempts at finding a job. His misadventures provide huge doses of laughter!

Figure it Out – the Ultimate Guide to Teen FitnessNamita JainPenguin Books, `199

Today’s teens are increasingly becoming addicted to the television and fast foods. As the first step to fitness, the author says one should get out of

the couch and step into a fitness routine. It could be as simple as walking, skipping or push-ups, but must make you break into a sweat! ‘Remember that the fitness routine should always be enjoyable too!’

Figure your body type from the three basic body shapes and then set your fitness goals to maintain an attractive figure and a healthy body. Peppered with examples and tips, the book tells you how to fight the fat, rate your fitness quotient, remodel your body, build up stamina, snack sensibly, tackle body changes during puberty and stay fit throughout the year. The book has an exclusive nutrition plan for underweight teens to help them become healthy adults. Don’t miss the FAQs on food and exercise, tips on how to eat a square meal, the great ideas for smart snacking, and what should comprise the special diet of a sportsperson for a power-packed performance!

Ages 9-10Ages 10-12

Age 12+For teens



Pets and You

When you relate to the world around you, particularly to pets, there is an expansion of the self – a

rising above the ego, caged within you. Taking care of the pets is like taking care of yourself – bringing about a happiness within you. Pet lovers will vouch that like children, pets make the world a better place.

The Nagarajans for instance, are a classic example of several generations of a family being exposed to pets. Meena Nagarajan the grandmother, just likes to have dogs around her, daughter Chittu (a lawyer) loves them passionately and the two pre-teen grandsons cannot think of a life without dogs.

Children are naturally inclined towards pets and animals, particularly single children. If you do your part by keeping a pet, and encourage children to take care of it, you will be inculcating in them a sense of responsibility, and an attitude of care and concern. The benefits of having pets are outlined below.

Pets relieve mental stress Take the case of Asha Kumar, the mother of two boys 14 and 8 years old, who lives

with her mother-in-law. She was often stressed out, having to manage varying temperaments along with the responsibility of shouldering the entire household. Asha wore a forlorn look about her and the few conversations she had with her friends were always filled with self-pity.

Her younger son had always wanted a dog as a pet. One day, her husband decided to surprise their son and brought home a Labrador pup. Asha’s friends immediately assumed that she was going to be overburdened with additional work. No one in the family had ever raised dogs before or even knew what it entailed.

Instead, Asha’s tone now has a vibrant ring when she talks to her friends, despite the additional work of feeding a perennially hungry dog, toilet training it, ensuring that it does not chew up shoes and having to frequently visit the vet. Suddenly the mother-in-law and other travails are hardly in the picture, and the dog has almost entirely replaced them in her conversation!

Calming cranky children

Sruti Ramakrishnan is 6 years old.

Sometimes the regimen of a full-day of school, coupled with an empty stomach makes her weepy and cranky. Even simple requests by the parents, such as asking her to eat something or drink water can bring about a tantrum.

A couple of stray cats regularly visit the house. Though they are not allowed inside, Sruti’s mother feeds them milk.

When the cats come by, even if Sruti is throwing tantrums, her mood always changes for the better. She tickles them with leaves and plays ball with them. She pulls at their tails while they drink their milk (when she thinks no one is watching her), and calls them endearing names. Handling Sruti has become that much easier.

Pets for the empty nest syndrome

Chitralekha Arumugam’s husband was a pilot who constantly travelled to different parts of the world and her children also left home to pursue their higher studies. At home, Lekha set up an aquarium and brought home a dog. “The fish and dog helped me get over my loneliness,” she says. Watching the fish kept her calm,8

Malavika Lakshman

circle of life

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while the dog ensured that she never felt lonely.

After retirement, her husband settled down for good. Initially he was not attached to the pets. But over the years he grew attached to the dog. He took the dog for walks, fed it and took good care of it. “Dogs can change one’s attitude too,” feels Lekha.

People who are initially indifferent towards pets, get to bond with them over time. The pet grows on them.

For the emotionally disturbed

Dr N Rangarajan is a psychiatrist who loves pets and feels that they can provide a sense of comfort during distress. “Anybody emotionally disturbed needs therapy (distinct from treatment) and pets can definitely provide that”, he says.

A lot of patients who come for counselling and the psychiatrists themselves, benefit from this ‘therapy’ and become more stable.

Pets rejuvenate

CK Ranganathan, the founder of Cavinkare has been an animal lover all his life. Apart from birds, he keeps dogs, fish, cows and monkeys. “As a child, having pets at home brought me tremendous focus (although I was defocussed from studies!), passion and ownership, coupled with a huge sense of responsibility.

I used to skip family holidays and movies because I used to make their cages and clean them up. It was extremely relaxing and I learnt a lot from it. I never delegated this task to anyone,” he says.

“Having them at home makes me feel rejuvenated everyday; I am ready to start work,” he says. n

Taking care of petsDogsIf they are pedigrees, maintenance (food, visits to the vet, shampoos etc.) could run to a couple of thousand rupees per month and more. Some dogs do take to natural food and some adapt to vegan food, which makes maintenance less expensive.

Mongrel dogs which can be obtained from the Blue Cross turn out to be very hardy, less fussy about food and can be easily maintained. Though they may not look glamorous, they are as capable of loving their owners as much as the pedigrees. Children, unlike adults, have genuine affection and less vanity in choosing their pets.

Dogs need to be trained, brushed and given regular exercise. They get depressed if you travel out of town without them.

CatsUnless you opt for a high breed, cats are generally the local ones that are raised at home. They need to be inoculated, much like dogs.

They require less care, eat very little and do not cost much by way of maintenance.

Cats (and some hairy dogs too!) could cause allergies. If you have a garden, they can be trained not to come into the house.

FishThe initial cost of setting up a modest aquarium that sits in your living room would run to at least a few thousand rupees, but monthly maintenance is low. Fish are a therapy for the eyes and the sub-conscious mind. You have to clean the tank fortnightly or monthly and keep the water oxygenated. The maintenance can be outsourced; but if you do it with your child, there is greater satisfaction.

Exotic birds and other animalsGet well-acquainted with their behaviour and their requirements from experts and naturalists, before you decide to keep birds as pets. Macaw parrots for instance, will happily sit on your shoulder, but when they are in a bad mood, they will nip your ear or screech into it!

Malavika Lakshman is a freelance writer-cum-

editor interested in culture and heritage.

Saloni Singh, a parent from Kolkata, with her dogs Rani and Sara

circle of life


REGULAR DENTAL CHECK-UP IS IMPORTANT Children can

start visiting dentists from the age of 2 years, once every six months, for a routine check-up. The dentist ensures that the teeth are cleaned properly and are devoid of caries or any other infection. Preventive measures taken at an early age can help prevent tooth decay.

After they get sufficient teeth, the dentist can show them how to brush the right way. Preferably do not combine your own treatment appointment along with that of your children. Watching a procedure done on you could be too stressful for them.

Children between the ages of 4 to 7 years normally learn about teeth and food habits in school. This is the right age for the dentist to explain the parts of the tooth and encourage children to brush their teeth at least twice a day.

Once the child starts losing the milk teeth (6-7 years) and develops permanent teeth, the dentist should let your child understand the concept of ‘a beautiful smile’ and why it is important to have teeth in good alignment. Certain problems in correcting teeth and the jaws may involve extensive treatment if the child visits the dentist in the late teens.

X-rays should be taken once a year to check for proper teeth formation and to rule out any cavities in the teeth.

poor oral hygiene, coated tongue, multiple cavities, repeated infections of cold and cough, gastritis, indigestion and stress. Poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of bad breath.

Dr Sukanya V Kumar

ALL ABOUT HEALTHY TEETH AND ORAL HYGIENE You can start cleaning your baby’s teeth as soon as they appear in the mouth. Use gauze or muslin cloth wrapped around your finger for this. Once infants are weaned from mother’s milk, a non-fluoride toothpaste with a non-fruity flavour (some herbal pastes do not contain fluoride) can be smeared on the cloth to gently clean the teeth. Then plain cloth should be used to remove the traces of paste.

Older children can use the fluoride toothpastes commonly available. Fluoride helps resist caries in teeth and to a small extent, in the reversal of enamel decay.

Bad breath can be caused by factors like

healthcircle

Dental health is important because you can eat better

you can speak clearly

you will have fewer toothaches

you will have a pleasant smile!

treated to prevent further episodes of pain.

In case of an accident, the broken tooth bit may be removed or re-cemented depending on the extent of damage. The tooth itself may need root canal treatment and a crown if it has chipped off close to the nerve or pulp of the tooth. If only a small portion is chipped off, the child will have occasional sensitivity and will need a filling to protect the tooth from hot and cold stimuli.

If the entire tooth falls off, it can be re-implanted if you bring the fallen tooth dipped completely in milk to a dentist within 20 to 30 minutes. If Implants are not desirable then the natural teeth on either side will be used for support and a fixed tooth prosthesis can be given.

WHEN DO CHILDREN NEED BRACES? Orthodontics or braces will be needed for children with crooked teeth, or spaces between teeth, having a protruding upper or lower jaw or cleft lip and palate. Teeth may have to be moved to favourable positions in case of congenitally missing teeth.

Usually, teeth correction with orthodontics can be done only after all the permanent teeth erupt at 12 years of age. But children with jawbone problems like protruding upper or lower jaw will need early treatment by 9 years. Abnormal muscle attachments can cause gaps between the front teeth. Your child will need a minor surgical correction of the muscle (frenum), usually done with lasers to avoid injections and stitches, before the orthodontic treatment.

A visit to the dentist around 8 to 9 years of age is desirable to check out the need for braces.

PREVENT TOOTH DECAY Avoid sweets that linger in the mouth for long, like lollipops and candies. Sweets are best consumed soon after a meal when salivation is at the maximum. Regular brushing after eating sweets is important.

Young children and infants should not be allowed to drink milk and fall asleep without cleaning their teeth. This causes ‘rampant’ Caries that cause great pain and completely destroy all the milk teeth. The milk teeth turn black and break. The infection at the roots can spread to the underlying and developing permanent teeth. n

Dr Sukanya V Kumar is a dental surgeon

and consultant at Dr K K Raja's Dental and

Dentofacial Centre.

Foods rich in calcium, phos-

phorous and vitamins are

essential for jaw develop-

ment in infants and children

upto 6 years of age. Milk, cheese, paneer, curds and eggs help develop strong teeth.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamins and provide good immunity,

which is important during the tooth-forming years. Prolonged viral or bacterial infections

can cause disturbances in enamel formation, making the teeth appear dark while growing.

Flossing is very important to maintain gum health and to prevent tartar formation. Dental floss is available in supermarkets and pharmacies. But if your child has some gaps, the dentist can prescribe an appropriate product and teach the child the correct way to floss.

Tongue cleaning is needed to maintain oral hygiene and prevent bad breath. A non-gagging shaped tongue cleaner can be used after brushing.

Teenagers have to be educated about maintaining oral hygiene and gum health because of the hormonal changes. Bad breath and jaw joint problems are common and need proper treatment. They should also be educated on the ill effects of various habits like smoking and chewing tobacco.

Children who are active in contact sports should wear mouthguards or helmets to protect their teeth and jaws from injury.

MANAGING TOOTHACHES AND OTHER TOOTH

PROBLEMS If a permanent tooth comes out and the milk tooth

has not yet fallen off then the dentist will have to remove the milk tooth. Sometimes, the shaking milk tooth can be

painful and your child will find chewing difficult.

For temporary relief during a toothache, you can give him Paracetamol (Crocin) 10mg for 1 kg of the child’s weight. Then

visit the dentist. If there is a dental cavity and it is not too close to the

nerve, he will do a filling.

If the cavity is painful and deep, your child will need a pulpotomy or root

canal treatment after which the tooth is capped. Lasers are used for most of these procedures so that the pain is not aggravated and the procedure is comfortable. Whether it is a milk tooth or permanent tooth, the cavity has to be

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INGREDIENTS TO MAKE BATTER

Raw rice

Boiled rice

Tur dhal

Channa dhal

Urad dhal

Curry leaves

Asafoetida

Red chilly

Salt

¼ cup

¼ cup

¼ cup

2 tbsp

1 tbsp

few leaves

1 tsp

3-4

to taste

Makes 12 mini adais (4 portions of 3 adais each)

Makes 6 triangular club sandwiches

This favourite dish from Chennai is a judicious blend of cereals and lentils making it very healthy. The nutritional value of the ‘adai’ can be increased by adding vegetables. This increases the visual appeal as well as the taste. This protein and fibre rich dish can be served as a snack or a meal.

2. To one portion, add the carrot after leaving some for garnishing each adai.

3. To the second portion, add the spinach leaving some for garnishing each adai.

4. Repeat the same with onions for the third portion.

5. Pour out mini adais on the tawa to form rounds of approximately 7 cm diameter.

Shallow fry with oil on both sides till golden brown and crisp.

6. Garnish the carrot adais with carrot and so on.

7. Serve hot with chutney or sambar.

8. Each portion can have one carrot adai, one spinach adai and an onion adai to offer variation.

METHOD

1. Let the batter ingredients soak for 4-5 hours.

2. Grind into a coarse paste slightly thicker than dosa batter.

ASSEMBLING THE ADAI

1. Split the batter into 3 portions.

INGREDIENTS

BreadButterTomatoFor the paneer stuffingPaneerCumin powderGarlic powder

Butter

For the green chutney

PudinaCorianderRoasted peanutsGarlicLimeGreen chilly

Salt

METHOD

1. Butter the slices of bread.

2. Sauté the paneer in ½ tsp butter along with the cumin powder and garlic powder.

3. Grind together all the ingredients for the green

chutney into a fine paste.

4. Using 3 slices of bread for each sandwich assemble the sandwich by applying green chutney onto two of the buttered slices. The paneer filling and sliced tomato can be applied on the third buttered slice. Sandwich them in such a way that the slice with the filling comes between the two chutney slices.

5. Cut into 2 triangles and secure each with a toothpick.

6. Repeat along with the other six slices.

This club sandwich incorporates an interesting peanut, mint and coriander chutney along with paneer making it an iron and protein rich dish. Double-decker sandwiches are easy to pack in lunch boxes and offer a wholesome meal. The colourful tri-layer is appealing to the eye and children would simply love to eat them.

Children love colours and food presented attractively. Keeping in mind

our Independence Day celebrations, we have introduced foods that have

shades of saffron, white and green on them.

Rashmee Ramkumar

parent chef

3 tbsp (grated)

3 tbsp (finely chopped)


3 tbsp

9 slices

6 tsp

2 medium (thinly sliced)

1 cup (grated)

2 tsp

1 tsp

1/2 tsp

½ bunch

½ bunch

1/2 cup

4 pods

1 tsp

1 large

to taste

VegetablesCarrotSpinachOnionOil

(available in super markets)

METHOD

1. Beat the hung curd along with the icing sugar till it is lump free.

2. Add in the elaichi powder and mix well.

3. Separate this mixture into 3 portions.

Exotic vegetables in honey mustard dressing

Serves 4

Serves 4

4. To one portion add the chopped pistachio and green colouring.

5. To the second portion add saffron and orange colouring.

6. Keep the third portion as plain white.

7. Pipe the 3 portions using

a cone onto individual bowls as desired and garnish with chopped pistachio and saffron.

8. Refrigerate till you serve.

This aromatic Gujarati dessert is a healthy alternative to ice cream. It is relatively low calorie and protein rich. Children usually love the creamy texture of this dish and parents can experiment with a wide variety of flavours and colours. This extremely simple dish can be made by the children themselves.

INGREDIENTS

For the saladCarrotZucchiniBroccoliLettuceFor the dressingHoney

Mustard powder

VinegarOlive oilSalad seasoning

Salt

METHOD1. Whisk all ingredients for the

dressing.

2. Blanch the vegetables. To

do this, put them in boiling

water for 4-5 minutes till

slightly done but still crisp.

Use a mesh sieve to keep the

vegetables immersed in boiling

water. Immediately put them in

ice cold water to maintain their

crisp texture and colour.

3. Alternatively the vegetables

can be microwaved or steamed

for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Arrange the blanched

vegetables on a bed of lettuce

and top them up with the

dressing.

5. Add some more salt and

salad seasoning to taste.

6. Serve cold or at room

temperature.

Exotic vegetables are available easily these days and offer a variety to the daily menu. Broccoli with its cancer-fighting properties, zucchini with its high folate and potassium content and lettuce with its high iron content make this dish a very nutritious one. The honey mustard dressing offers an interesting tangy-sweet taste.

Rashmee Ramkumar is a Chennai-based nutritionist who loves experimenting with healthy and tasty recipes.

2 cups

1 ½ cups

3 - 4 tsp

few strands


few drops

(made from 1200 ml yoghurt hung for 3 to 4 hours in a muslin cloth)

INGREDIENTS

Hung curd

Icing sugar

Elaichi powder

Saffron

Pistachio

Green and orange colouring

1 cup (cut into cubes)

1 cup (cut into cubes)

2 cups (as small florets)

for garnishing

2 tbsp

3 tsp

2 tbsp

2 tbsp

to taste

to taste




To make legs 3

dry palm fronds

scissorsneedle & thread

broom sticks

acrylic paints, brushes, black

felt pen

materials required

Courtesy DakshinaChitra

To make hands

Paint the puppet in bright colours and ink

in details of the face with a felt pen.

Take 7 pieces of palm fronds, each

2" wide. Cut off their rough edges.

2

1

8

Now your puppet is ready. Flip her around by twisting the stick!

4

Stitch all the pieces together by

placing them in between the 2

layers of the torso. Stitch the fingers

to the 'elbow' of the hand.

5

6

To make fingers

7Push a stick through

the torso of the

puppet and stitch

it together at the

center.

Take 2 strips of palm fronds,

6" long. Cut 1/2 cm wedges

at the top and bottom on

alternate sides.

Take 4 strips of palm fronds, 4"

long and cut angles on alternate

sides in each piece.

Take 2 strips of palm

fronds, 3" long and cut tiny

fingers at the wide end.

To make head and body

Take a strip of palm frond, 10" long

and fold it in half. Snip off the edges at

one end. Cut 1/2 cm wedges on either

side to create the neck of the puppet.

Dancing puppet craft demonstrated by: Rukmani Amma, DakshinaChitra.

Palm fronds are available at Dakshina Chitra. Call Prabhu at

98412 49600. Thick cards can be

used instead of palm fronds.

hands on



Understanding Lakshmi

Varalakshmi Vratham is observed by Hindu women, which falls on 12th August

this year. We should meditate on the total significance of Goddess Lakshmi, during the pooja.

Following is an excerpt from Stress-free Living, a book by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a prominent teacher of Vedanta.

“Please understand Lakshmi is not just money. You will lose your domestic happiness

Grihalakshmi because you think Lakshmi is only money Dhanalakshmi. In Chennai, on the beach, there is a temple dedicated to the different forms of Lakshmi.

A good home gives you domestic happiness. To make a home you need to be available at home. You have to be a welcome person at home. The members of your family should never get prepared with fastened seat belts for

your arrival. You should not be looked upon as a source of terror. Let them welcome you with eagerness. For that you have to spend time with your children because there is Santanalakshmi, wealth of children. Make the spouse happy because she is Varalakshmi, wealth of marital happiness.

Trust in the goodness of people, in the laws that govern, in their legitimacy, in their

Involving children during pooja preparationsChildren should be taught the significance of Goddess Mahalakshmi and how she is important for family life. They could also be involved in pooja preparation activities.

For instance, teach them that Lakshmi likes a clean house. (In the north, broomsticks are worshipped as Lakshmi!) This would incentivise them to keep their rooms neat and tidy, on that day. Hopefully, this will become a habit.

Children are interested in drawing Kolams (geometric diagrams with rice powder). Even if it is not greatly artistic, children should be encouraged to involve themselves by drawing small ones, in front of the house and at the sides of doorways or even colouring the inside of one with rice powder. Kaavi (maroon colour) powder is mixed with water and put as contrast border to the white Kolams.

They can help with the general cleaning of the entire home, like freeing it of dust, cobwebs.

Doorways are decorated with Thoranam or mango leaves strung together. (This, like the kolams is believed to keep bad energies at bay while welcoming inside the principle of God-dess Lakshmi). Children are amused at the ingenious and simple ways in which this Mango leaf thoranam is prepared and can help in making them.

Even in the preparation of the kalasam, children can participate in its decoration by dipping the coconut in turmeric water, spreading rice grains on plantain leaves, by helping fix the two saplings of banana tree on the sides of the mandapam and so on.

correctness, and so on and it will give you Dhairyalakshmi, wealth of courage.

It is not at all possible to fulfil all your desires. But if you can manage your desires, then there is also Jayalakshmi in your life, wealth of the capacity to manage. Now, your life is free from stress because you have taken care of everything to avoid stress. All forms of Lakshmi being there, life is filled with meaning and doing.”

Other forms of Lakshmi

Swamiji has also spoken earlier of the importance of having ‘Vidya’ or knowledge as opposed to ‘Avidya’ or ignorance. Vidyalakshmi is an important constituent of the Ashta Lakshmis.

Dhaanyalakshmi represents the wealth of food grains for the family - the cereals and pulses which are healthy and nourishing.

Gajalakshmi symbolises royalty, fame – a different kind of wealth. Adilakshmi is the priemeval Lakshmi or the Supreme Goddess from whom the world originated. We should pray to her to realise our roots. n

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

roots

Parents and teachers can make learn-ing fun for children. If we do things differently and follow some principles,

the learning process can make children energetic at the end of the day. They would enjoy the process of learning almost as much as playing games.

There are a few pointers that can make learning effortless. However, it is the prac-tice and implementation of all these that will ensure success.

Make the learner see the overall perspective; show children the big

picture Often, a subject begins with the contents. But whether the objectives of learning the subject will be fulfilled or not, is not explained to the learner. Irrespec-

tive of age, the learner should be made to understand why the subject should be studied.

Practical utility; how it can be applied If a learner does not see the scope of a concept’s application, he

will not be interested in learning. Some examples in everyday life can be used as practical applications of concepts.

Tap the learner’s interest; engage him in an absorbing activity Every learner has a different interest –

language, music, dance, swimming, cricket and so on. It is possible to explain the significance of a subject through the hob-bies of the learner. For example, cricket is a game where the concept of averages is

applied in calculating the run rate. Extend this concept to calculating the slope of a distance-time graph to get accurate values of speed, velocity and acceleration. This is nothing but differentiation in calculus.

Have patience; do not be in a hurry Learning anything new takes time. In spite of a deadline, it is advisable

to slow down at times, contemplate, think and appreciate the concepts.

Mistakes are inevitable; anything done for the first time may not be perfect Learning something new involves committing mistakes. It

is alright to make them. Learning from a mistake is more important.

Criticism can sap one’s energy Remarks in the name of constructive criticism can actually de-motivate a learner. Appreciate the effort first and then

discuss ways to improve it.

Illustrations and examples help reinforce concepts Examples and illustrations make it easier for the learner to as-similate the concept. Concepts can

be boring at times but if they are supported by interesting visuals and peppered with examples, they can be understood well.

Reversing roles helps the learner How inter-esting it would be if the learner is given an

opportunity to teach, allowing him to express his point of view. The best teachers are considered to be good

learners.

Art of visualisation; looking at the problem from various perspectives All learning need

not be through paper, pencil or pen. Discuss a situation, help the learner

visualise it and make it interesting. The ability to visualise can be a great

boon and ensures success, if developed early.

Comfort enables learning Anything that is comfortable -- the height of the chair, table or a sitting posture that enables easy access to whatever is

required can contribute effectively

viewpoint

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to learning.

Relaxation helps eliminate stress Learning does not happen when the person is tense or in a dilemma. If the learner is unable to relax, then he loses most of the fun in the learning pro-

cess. If the learner is not able to solve the problem by himself, we should not criticize him and make him feel guilty.

Avoid comparison; every person is unique Never compare with others. Check for yourself whether there has been any kind of improvement or deterioration from the previous

understanding of the concept in the student.

Take a break from monotony; it can lead to boredom If the same pattern gets repeated over a period of time, it

can be boring. Long and continuous efforts towards learning can at times

be tiring. Every learner deserves a break.

Enjoy the smell of flowers, feel the cool breeze or crack a joke – these can be energising.

Exercise can help remove energy blockages Only a healthy body can

have a productive mind. Exercise enhances the potential of a learner,

increases his stamina and inherent capac-ity. He should regularly play games, go for brisk walks, do yoga, meditation, swim-ming or a combination of these.

Create a sense of wonder to motivate the learner Any activity that creates a sense of wonder will motivate a

learner. Creating a ‘wow’ feeling can ignite the initial spark and help a learner attain greater heights.

Identify the learner’s style Some learners predominantly understand concepts through pictures, some through talks and many others

through the written word. Identification of

the predominant learning style makes the task of learning easier.

Learning can be fun. It need not create boredom or fatigue. It can be a great energiser. This need not necessarily apply only to children; but also to every parent within whom there is child that is yearning to learn. Identify this desire, nurture it and use it. I wish every learner a very Happy Learning. n

Anil Pillai is a civil engineer by profession and

the father of a 13-year-old daughter.


As a teacher of Carnatic and choral

music for the past 22 years, I have

identified talent for various television

shows comprising participants

over 10 years of age. At the end of

these shows, all of them seemed

to be happy as they got to sing on

television for special episodes and

took home prizes. This encouraged

the performers to give in their best

and it generated a lot of goodwill.

Over the years, television

shows started aping the western

programmes across various themes.

When an aspiring, talented child

watches such shows, it could

generate mixed feelings in him.

Some parents come to me with their children

and want them to be trained for singing at

reality shows. I gently discourage them and

explain that art is not saleable. It takes a lot of time and

effort to really become passionate and get to that level.

There are no shortcuts. Any form of art should be

learnt for art's sake and not based on unrealistic

goals. It is very sad that parents are ill-informed

and want their children to join the band-wagon. It

puts loads of untold pressure on them and affects their

holistic growth. However, some children set their eyes on

winning a show and work tirelessly towards it, and win

it too. They live for awhile in an imaginary bubble which

eventually bursts and leaves them disillusioned for life.

Sudha Raja, Principal, Suswara School of Music, Chennai

The competition factor should be kept out of these

shows. It should just provide a platform to showcase

a child's talent. Whether the child wins or loses, the

maximum pressure is from the parents. I have witnessed

this as a judge for several musical reality shows.

Rajalakshmee Sanjay, Playback singer and mother, Chennai

The problem with most parents today is that they tend

to force on their children their own failed ambitions.

Therefore, when they have children to boss around, their

dormant and unachieved ambitions come to the fore.

Whether the child is interested or not, he or she is forced

to attend dance lessons, tennis classes, math tuitions

and so on.

Other parents, if they see that their children show

budding talent, push them to achieve greatness and

become the best. This becomes a huge problem if the

little ones feel stressed out and suffer silently.

Very often, the parents are in it for the money that the

child generates, or for a share of the fame that comes

through the child. They don’t stop to think about the

psyche of the child and how his or her mental wellbeing

is affected. Parents who are pushy and ambitious live

vicariously through their children and exploit them – they

are like businessmen seeking to make the best

of opportunities.

Venkataraghavan Srinivasan, Chennai

Is it a reality show or a talent show? Reality shows are

a fake despite the name; it is all about entertainment

ultimately. Children should not be forced to take part in

these, in my view.

Arun Prasaad, London

If parents don’t put competitive pressure on the child,

reality shows are OK. There are experienced judges

in the panel, who give very good suggestions on

improvement and give off-stage guidance. The child

also develops self-confidence, gets rid of stage fear.

However, children are often made to sit the whole day

during the shoots and this can get very tedious for them.

If the school does not co-operate during these all-day

sessions, then the study burden is an additional one.

S Sundaresan, Media Consultant, Chennai

Please send in your responses before August 15 2011 to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Discussion Point’, or send them to PARENT CIRCLE, 3rd Floor, Shri Renga Vihar, 8/14 First Cross St, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India.

SHOULD TEACHERS

BE VERY FRIENDLY

OR STRICT WITH

CHILDREN?

Jayanti Sundar Rajan

Child psychologist and mother of teenagers, Hyderabad

It takes lot of determination and maturity to handle

reality shows. Children do not develop these traits

till they become young adults. Healthy school and

inter- school competitions are good for all-round

development. Reality shows give the winners a high,

but losers sometimes go into depression.

EXPERTSPEAKCan children watch REALITY SHOWS? Can they participate?

discussion point

Parent CircleKnow. Understand. Connect.

An exclusive magazine for the

Parent in you!

To advertise call 044 24461067 or email [email protected]

To subscribe call 044 24461067 or email [email protected]

EducationChillies Fun Zone is an activ-

ity centre for kids where parents can also accompany their kids and make them play. Equip-ments available – play gym, cars, mini trampoline, library, mini theatre, toddler room, mini kitchen and more. They also have activities like drawing, flute, karate, Bharatnatyam, Carnatic–vocal. Located at Anna Nagar, Ph:04445563197.

Little Angels is a play school that has seats for spe-cial kids (Autism/ Asperger/ speech delay/ slow learners) as well. It also conducts tuitions from LKG to 7th std including Hindi. Little Angels also offers activity centre, Chess, Drawing, Dance, Story Telling and Com-munication plus Yoga and Aer-obics for mothers and children. For more details contact 13/9 third lane, Habibullah Road, T.Nagar Chennai 600017. Call 28341368 or 28342236.

Sports

Born to Fight at 45, Land-ons Road, Kilpauk offers Ka-rate classes for children and women. Personal training is also given. Contact M Ayyap-pan mobile: 9841323914, 9566279977 Email: [email protected].

Chess Mate at 6th Main Road, Kasturba Nagar, Adyar conducts chess classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays: 4.30 p.m to 7.30 p.m, Saturdays: 4 p.m to 8 p.m Sundays 9 a.m to 1 p.m Call 09940094718 or 044-45587473.

Gat Table Tennis Club of-fers four classes a week for children in the age group of 8 to 15 at No 4, Opp. Pilot Theatre, Anthony Street, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014. Contact 9884578477.

MK Cricket Foundation No. 33/16, Opp. Manthopu School, Kaveri Street, Sai-dapet, Chennai - 600015 con-ducts two classes a week for cricket, five classes for tennis and six classes for swimming

for children above 5 years. For further details call 9444478092.

All in one/ MiscellaneousChennai Champs offers a

variety of after school activities like Art & Craft, Yoga, Aero-bics, Personality Development, Karate, Silambam, Kalari, Kick Boxing, Kobudu, different dances, Music, Chess, Lan-guage classes and Handwrit-ing. Contact 9840990499 #49, Umapathy Street, Arya Gowda Road West Mambalam, Chen-nai -600033.

The Yellow Bus has ex-clusive evening activity pro-grammes like Classical Bhar-athanatyam, Carnatic Vocal, Keyboard, Chess, Drawing, Art & Craft, Edusports, Karadi Tales. For details contact Mrs. Hema Chari at 9884549688/ 45511819.

Jack and Jill organises classes for kids in Karate, Draw-ing, Yoga, Dance, Music, Sloka, Keyboard and Guitar. Ph: 044-66247855, 9003107278.

Art/Music/DanceSTUDIO41 at A-2 Sea Point

Apartments, 41A Beach Road, Kalakshetra Colony conducts art & craft classes for women and children. Drawing and Painting classes are an after school activity for children in the age group of 7-16 yrs from 5-6 p.m Mondays/Tuesdays/Thursdays and Fridays. Special coaching classes are conduct-ed for NATA, NID, VISCOM entrance exams and portfo-lio preparation. Folk art forms are also taught here. Contact 9381094646.

Om Sri Sai Arts offers ba-sic drawing courses and also advanced painting techniques in all kind of mediums. Con-tact 61/25, Arya Gowda Road, West Mambalam Contact 9884214695.

Global insights. Local issues.

CLASSIFIEDS

For your classified advertisements contact us at PARENT CIRCLE, 3rd Floor Shri Renga Vihar, 8/14 First Cross St, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India. Ph. no. 24461066/67/68. Email: [email protected]. Listing is free for a limited period.


August 14

Kids WorkshopIndira Nagar

A fun workshop for children between the age group of 7-13

9.30 – 11.30 a.m (90030 11372/ 98402 21241)

From August 15

Crash courseAIMS Education, 463, Anna Salai, L.R.

Swami Buildings, 2nd Floor, Teynampet

A three-month course for 10th and 12th students of CBSE and Matriculation schools. Enrollment open from August 1. (044 24364954)

August 19 – 21

English for kids : YLE StartersHansel & Gretel, 11, Jagadambal Street (Near Pondy Bazaar), T.Nagar

A preparatory course for the University of Cambridge ESOL, YLE exams for children. These exams provide a reliable measure of how well they do in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Level: Starters 7yrs – 9yrs (044 28152549)

Till August 31

Children’s MelaDakshinaChitra, East Coast Road, Muttukadu

Folk performance, Puppet show, Story telling, Bullock cart ride, Magic show and much more. (044 27472603/ 27472783)

CHENNAI this monthAugust 5

Bharathanatyam Performance R.K. Sivaswamy Kalalaya Sr. Sec. School, No.5, Sundareswarar Street, Mylapore

Bharathanatyam Programme by dance group of “Sri Saraswathi Gana Nilayam” (Smt. Ranganayaki Jayaraman, Director) hosted by Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Sri Ariyakudi Music Foundation under the monthly “Horizon” Programme

6.30 p.m (044 24460767)

August 6

Free the Tree campaignNatesan Park, T.Nagar

Help and understand the trees in your neighbourhood, join Nizhal in a ‘Free the Tree’ Campaign

4.30 p.m (90030 11372/ 98402 21241)

Till August 7

Adiperuku Ayyanar FestivalDakshinaChitra, East Coast Road, Muttukadu

Kaaliaattam by Muthukumar and troupe from Madhurapuri, Trichy

044 27472603/ 27472783

August 6-7

Drawing ContestMax Mueller Bhavan, 4, Rutland Gate, 5th Street

On the theme ‘My State, My Life, My Future’

(044 28331314/ 28332343)

August 13 – 14

8 by 8 TN State level tournament State-level chess tournaments for children at the age group of 8, 10, 12, 15 (98407 03544, 72000 03544, [email protected])

For event listings contact us at PARENT CIRCLE, 3rd Floor Shri Renga Vihar, 8/14 First Cross St, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India. Ph. no. 24461066/67/68. Email [email protected] with the subject line ‘Events’.

events

August 19

Photo Exhibition on trees of ChennaiEver dreamt of being the Salim Ali of trees? Nizhal now offers you a chance to exhibit photos of the different trees of Chennai! The photos will be exhibited at a venue during the Madras Week celebrations. Participants will be issued certificates. Photographs should be of size 8”x 11” and mounted. (9003011372/ 9840221241)

August 21 & 28

Madras Week Tree WalksIndependence Day Park, Valluvarkottam (August 21) Guindy Children’s Park (August 28)Celebrate Madras Week and join Nizhal on a Tree Walk! To commemorate this occasion, they are organising walks on two consecutive Sundays. (9003011372/ 9840221241)

August 21 & 27 Heritage WalkGallery of the Government Museum, Egmore

History enthusiast Pradeep Chakravarthy will take children and their families on a guided tour of the Bronze Museum which will trace the history of the development of the bronzes. Time: 3.00 - 3.45 p.m. To register, email: [email protected] with your name, number of people accompanying you and date of walk.

August 23

Heritage of Chennai (Multimedia Presentation Contest) Srinivasa Sastri Hall, Luz, Mylapore

The contest encourages city school students to explore Chennai’s history and heritage and present the topic of their choice in multimedia form. Last date for submission of entries: August 13, 2011 For more details log on to: http://themadrasday.in/category/contests/

August 24

Guided tour of DakshinaChitraDakshinaChitra, East Coast Road, Muttukadu

Take a tour of DakshinaChitra from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Organised by Namma Mylapore. Led by Dr Chithra Madhavan, historian and archaeologist. For reservations call 99414 50776 or email [email protected]

August 28

Heritage WalkGallery of the Government Museum, Egmore

10 a.m. to 12 noon. Organised by Namma Mylapore. Led by Dr Chithra Madhavan, historian and archaeologist. For reservations call 99414 50776 or mail to [email protected]

Madras Week Celebrationsevent calendar



because I told Lindsay and Mia that you could drive us to the pool.”

“I won't be long,” I say. “But right now I'm waiting.”

I hang up the phone, stroll down the hallway and take a sip from the water fountain. I use the restroom, examine my mouth for signs of gum disease and savor the experience of being uninterrupted.

Beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeep …

“Mom?” It's my oldest son, Nathan. “Uh, I was making Eggos and there was a tiny mishap with the toaster. I think it's mostly smoke damage. The firemen said it was safe to go back in the house. Maybe you should write to the waffle company and ask for your money back.”

I walk back to the waiting room, sit down and turn off the cell phone.

“Oh, Mrs. Band,” the receptionist calls out. “We thought you had left. Dr. Perlmutter is seeing his 9:30 patient now. Would you like to make an appointment for another day?”

“No, thanks,” I say. “I think I'll just wait.” n

Carol Band is a journalist by training and mom

by chance. This article was originally published

in her column ‘Household Word’ by Dominion

Parenting Media. Please send your feedback to

[email protected] with a cc to carol@

carolband.com.

lightervein

Some people complain about waiting. Not me. I like it. Waiting is doing nothing. And I like doing nothing.

I am in the dentist's waiting room. By some miracle of time and space, perhaps a worm hole at the end of my street, I have left the chaos of my kitchen and arrived five minutes early for my appointment.

I check in with the receptionist, sit down and peruse the two magazines in the rack. There is the Journal of Periodontology and a year-old copy of Family Circle. Naturally, I pick up the Family Circle. By the time the receptionist calls my name, I have learned to make a holiday table runner (so what if it's August?), discovered the seven secrets to a successful marriage, and copied a recipe for pineapple upside-down cake. I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

“The dentist is running a little late,” the receptionist warns me. “I hope you don't mind waiting a few minutes.”

Do I mind!? Is she kidding? I am thrilled! I am in a quiet room with comfortable chairs, reading material and no kids. This is the best part of my day – maybe even the best part of my summer.

When I left the house a few minutes ago, I put my two oldest children in charge

of their younger brother. I handed

them a box of Eggos, pointed them

Owned and Published by Nalina Ramalakshmi from No.8/14, First Cross Street, Karpagam Gardens, Adyar, Chennai - 600020, and Printed by: R Dhayalan at Sun Graphics, 51 Gangai Amman Koil Street, Vadapalani, Chennai - 600026. Editor: Nalina Ramalakshmi, Phone No: 044-2446 1066/67/68.

toward the toaster and told them that I'd be home in less than an hour. They could call my cell phone but only if there was a real emergency.

“That's OK,” I said to the receptionist. “I don't mind waiting. I don't mind a bit.”

I flip through the Journal of Periodontology and read about gum disease and tissue inflammation. There are photos. I am having fun.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the receptionist says. “I'm sure that Dr. Perlmutter will be right with you.”

“It's fine,” I say. “Really.”

Now some people complain about waiting. Not me. I like it. Waiting is doing nothing. And I like doing nothing. While I wait for my son's swimming lesson to end, I nap. While I'm on hold with the credit card company, I doodle. I even let people cut in front of me in the supermarket checkout line just so I can read the headlines in the tabloids.

I'm never in a rush to get home because I know that although the house will probably still be standing, nobody will have let the dog out, closed a cabinet, turned out a light, taken a coherent phone message or cleaned up anything they spilled. I will have to referee fights, find lost sneakers, mop up dog pee and sponge melted popsicles from the upholstery. So I don't mind waiting.

Beep beep beep beep beeeeep. It's the Tchaikovsky tune.

“Mom?” This time it's my daughter, Perry. “Lewisiseatingpopsiclesinthelivingroomandit'smakingahugemessandhe'shoggingtheTVandit's … NOT FAIR!” She pauses to catch her breath. “Also, when are you coming back

Carol Band

Relationships I Health I Nature I Culture I Learning I ActivitiesParent Circle

Parent CircleVolume 1 Issue 4 August 2011 Price ` 40


Cover Story

Recipes, Travel, Leisure &

More...

ARE CHILDREN GETTING THE BEST?

P.18

The house of your dreams. It takes shape. Brick by brick, layered with cement - in between.

To create a bond, as strong as the bonds of love, That strengthen with time. Love binds families and strengthens hearts.

Ramco. A strength for your home. A dream that'll last - forever!

Madras Cements Ltd. Corporate Office: 'Auras Corporate Centre', V Floor, 98 - A, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004. India. Tel: 91 - 44 - 2847 8666 Fax: 91 - 44 - 2847 8676

Like relationships,it strengthens with time!

R.Dis.No.197/11

August 2011 full issue

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