My child reads every word but doesn't understand what they read
· reading · parenting
Your child reads every word correctly but can't answer questions about it. Here is why decoding and comprehension are different skills, and what helps.
Blog / Parenting
Parenting
63 articles about parenting.
How to get a child assessed for dyslexia in India (and from the UAE and Singapore)
· dyslexia · parenting
How to get a child assessed for dyslexia in India, the UAE, and Singapore: who does formal testing, what it involves, at what age, and a faster first step.
Dyslexia or ADHD? How to tell what is going on
· dyslexia · parenting
Dyslexia and ADHD can look identical in a classroom. How to tell them apart, why they are so often confused, and who can properly assess your child for each.
Signs of dyslexia by age: 5, 7, 10, and teens
· dyslexia · parenting
How dyslexia shows up differently at age 5, 7, 10, and in teens, from letter confusion to hidden compensating. Age-by-age signs from a dyslexia therapist.
Personalised learning: how tailored strategies help kids flourish
· learning · parenting
One-size-fits-all teaching fails children with learning challenges. How to find your child's profile, tailor strategies, and build the home that fits them.
Ways of self-expression in adolescents and teenagers
· parenting
Teens express identity through appearance, art, digital life and activism. How to read it, why it fluctuates, and eight ways to keep the channels healthy.
Different ways of self-expression for younger children
· parenting · activities
Children express feelings long before they can explain them: through crying, play, art and sensory exploration. The emotional stages by age, and how to help.
5 things that have changed for kids over time
· parenting · learning
Education, mental health, playtime, peer influence and family life all look different for today's kids. What changed, and how parents can help children cope.
The power of praise: building confidence in children with learning difficulty
· learning · parenting
Praise is one of the five most effective classroom practices, and it matters most for struggling learners. How to use positive reinforcement well daily.
How to teach your child about personal hygiene
· parenting · learning
The five hygiene habits every child needs: food, hand, body, health and oral. Plus six parent tips, from germ games to charts, that make cleanliness stick.
How parents can teach their children about personal space
· parenting
Personal space is a safety lesson as much as a social one. The four distance zones, why consent over hugs matters, and five ways to teach boundaries at home.
How parents can help children learn patience
· parenting · activities
Patience can be taught, starting with one-minute waits and turn-taking games. Why it matters for school, stress and friendships, and five ways to build it.
How can parents help their children make new friends?
· parenting
Friendship runs on learnable skills: empathy, communication, apologising, handling emotions. Five ways parents help, from role-playing hellos to playdates.
Ways to help get your child excited about learning
· learning · parenting
Ten parent strategies that turn learning into something a child wants: games, real-life connections, reading nooks, curiosity, choice and your own example.
How to handle back-to-school anxiety
· parenting · school
Back-to-school jitters are normal and usually fade in weeks. The red flags that say otherwise, plus practical ways to ease separation and social anxiety.
Important aspects of a good storytime
· storytime · parenting
The craft of a great storytime: right books, a cozy spot, voice modulation, pacing, pauses, props and post-story talk. Small techniques, big difference.
Why is storytime so important for children?
· storytime · parenting
Storytime builds early literacy, empathy, listening and parent-child bonds, and research links it to toddlers' social and emotional growth. Here is why.
How to boost your child's self-worth
· parenting
Self-worth is a child's inner sense of being good enough, separate from grades or wins. What shapes it, the signs it is low, and six ways parents can build it.
How to raise your child as a creative thinker
· parenting · learning
Creative thinking builds resilience, confidence and problem solving. The 5 E's parents can practise at home, plus five tools from mind maps to thinking hats.
5 things that can keep your child occupied during travel
· activities · parenting
Screen-free ways to keep kids happy on a trip: storybooks, activity books, word games, puzzles and memory games, plus making the travel itself educational.
5 amazing things to try out for quality family time
· activities · parenting
Quality family time needs no grand planning: game nights, movie evenings, impromptu outings, shared dinners and family art all build bonds that protect kids.
How parents can use the science of reading at home
· reading · parenting
The science of reading is the research on how reading is really learned. What it says, the eight facts parents should know, and home activities that apply it.
Know the 5Cs of verbal communication
· learning · parenting
Clarity, cohesiveness, completeness, correctness and conciseness: the checklist that turns a child's jumbled thoughts into speech people want to hear.
How parents can help kids learn about time management
· parenting · learning
Time management starts with teaching the value of time itself. Five parent strategies plus a calendar system for students, from to-do lists to daily habits.
How to make your child learn about sharing
· parenting · learning
Kids share when it is their choice: research is clear on that. Six gentle ways to grow sharing, from turn-taking games to respecting their possessions.
How to help kids learn about empathy
· parenting · learning
Empathy shows up as early as 12 months and grows with practice: name your feelings, honour theirs, use books and films, create chances to help, praise it.
The importance of good social skills for kids
· learning · parenting
Children with strong social skills are twice as likely to reach higher education. What social skills include, why they slipped post-Covid, and why they matter.
How to support your child's good mental health as a parent
· parenting
An estimated 50 million children in India live with mental health issues, and parents are the first line of support. Five ways to be the parent they turn to.
Preparing your child for a new school
· parenting · school
Changing schools is a big move for a child. How to build excitement, brief the teachers, practise the routine and watch the first weeks for warning signs.
Preparing your child for a new grade
· parenting · school
Use the holidays to get your child ready for the next grade: preview new subjects, revise the basics, build soft skills and restart routines before day one.
Choosing the right tools for your child's handwriting
· writing · parenting
The wrong pencil trains the wrong habits. How to pick pencils by softness, thickness, length and shape, and how to choose the first pen when the time comes.
What are the signs of early literacy challenges?
· reading · parenting
Age-by-age signs that a child's pre-reading skills need attention, from late talking at three to trouble blending sounds at five, and when to seek help.
The magic of positive parenting
· parenting
Positive parenting builds on strengths, empathy and firm, kind boundaries. What the research shows, how to practise it daily, and the toxic-positivity trap.
Getting to know your child: why ten minutes a day matters
· parenting
Ten minutes of focused attention a day builds a child's trust, mental health and even grades. Why connection matters and nine simple ways to make it daily.
The different types of attention, explained for parents
· learning · parenting
Focused, sustained, selective, divided and alternating: the five types of attention, what each looks like in a child, and why the distinction guides help.
Why we should stop saying 'don't worry' to kids so often
· parenting
Telling a child 'don't worry' teaches them that feeling scared is wrong. Why worry is useful information, and what to say instead to build real coping skills.
How to help your child stand up to bullying
· parenting
Bullied children usually blame themselves and suffer alone. Eleven ways parents can spot the signs, rebuild confidence and help a child stand up safely.
What is cyberbullying and why you need to know about it
· parenting
Indian children face the world's highest online risk, and 22% experience cyberbullying. What it looks like, where it happens and ten ways to protect them.
5 things you didn't know about bullying
· parenting
Bullying is learned behaviour, most bullies stop when a peer steps in, and children with disabilities are targeted most. Five facts every parent should know.
How to teach kids responsibility around the house
· parenting · activities
Children are not born responsible; they learn it in small jobs at home. What responsibility actually means, why it matters, and five ways to build it early.
The importance of mindfulness for kids
· activities · parenting
Mindfulness improves children's focus, academics and stress levels, and it can be taught through simple breath games like teddy bear breathing. A how-to.
Why children's movies are great for learning
· learning · parenting
Watched together, children's movies build visualisation, analysis and values. Why co-viewing is the key, and how family movie night becomes a learning ritual.
How to talk to your child about dyslexia
· dyslexia · parenting
A dyslexia diagnosis raises hard questions for a child. Eight practical pointers for explaining what dyslexia means, kindly and honestly, without shame.
Speaking out about spanking
· parenting
77% of Indian parents spank their children, and 72% feel guilty right after. What brain research says spanking really does to kids, and what to do instead.
How to take care of the emotional health of your child
· parenting
Children carry mental stress just as adults do: exams, bullying, family strain, peer pressure. The warning signs and six ways parents can help them cope.
The importance of child-led free play
· activities · parenting
Free play, where the child leads and the adult follows, builds self-regulation, creativity and decision making. What it looks like and how to encourage it.
10 amazing book suggestions for 8 to 10 year old kids
· reading · parenting
Reading interest often drops around age nine. Ten books that fight the 'decline by nine', from Wimpy Kid to Ruskin Bond, plus the milestones to watch for.
How to improve reading comprehension for young learners
· reading · parenting
Comprehension turns words into thoughts. What research says about why it breaks down, and what to do before, during and after reading to strengthen it.
Should I be concerned if my child is not reading correctly from the storybook?
· reading · parenting
Occasional misreads are normal; constant guessing is not. How to tell the difference, correct storybook reading gently, and know when to seek expert help.
Are you an active listener to your child?
· parenting
62 percent of kids say their parents are too distracted to listen. What active listening looks like, the CDC's five skills, and the SOLER method explained.
How to keep your kids focused during homework time
· learning · parenting
Homework focus is built, not demanded: planned goals, brain breaks every 20 to 30 minutes, a dedicated study space, subject switching and honest rewards.
Is dyslexia hereditary? What families need to know
· dyslexia · parenting
Dyslexia runs in families: a child with a dyslexic parent has roughly a 49 percent chance of having it too. Here is what that means and how to help early.
5 ways to boost early literacy skills without a book
· activities · parenting
Books are not the only path to early literacy. Talk, play, sing, write and do: five everyday activities that build a toddler's language before reading starts.
The importance of corrective feedback for learners
· learning · parenting
Corrective feedback redirects a mistake into learning without shame. The five forms it takes, why it works, and how to deliver it calmly and effectively.
10 amazing books every teenager must read
· reading · parenting
Ten books for the 12-to-16 transition years, from graphic novels about anxiety to Booker winners, plus the reading milestones a 12-year-old should reach.
How to nurture an active listener
· parenting · learning
We spend 45 percent of our time listening, and do it poorly. How to raise a child who truly listens: eye contact, no interrupting, and the FACT technique.
Ways to support your child during online classes
· learning · parenting
Online classes strain focus, doubt-clearing and writing speed, hardest for struggling learners. How parents can work with teachers and help from home.
Should I retain my child in the same grade?
· school · parenting
Research says grade retention rarely fixes the real problem. The academic and emotional questions to ask first, and what usually works better than repeating.
How to teach word meanings to kids
· learning · parenting
When your child asks what a word means, the way you answer builds their vocabulary. Eight simple habits, from dictionary hunts to drawing the meaning.
Early indicators of learning difficulty: what to watch for in preschoolers
· learning · parenting
Learning difficulties leave clues well before Grade 3. The early signs parents and teachers can watch for in preschool and UKG children, from a therapist.
Activities for sustained attention in babies and toddlers
· activities · parenting
A 2-year-old's attention span is four to six minutes, and it grows with practice. Age-by-age norms plus five simple activities that stretch focus early.
Evolving fluent readers: how to grow fluency after the first books
· reading · parenting
Once a child starts reading, fluency is the next hill: automatic words, meaning intact. Five ways to nurture it, plus the books that pull children along.
The importance of reading to infants and toddlers
· reading · parenting
Babies read to from 8 months grew their vocabularies 40 percent versus 16 without. Why to start by 3 months, which books to pick, and how to read to a baby.