A School That Began With a Mother and Daughter

Chanthiya experienced education as a child with dyslexia. Writing was extremely difficult for her. Yet she could listen, remember, understand and communicate. She could memorise long poems in Tamil and express herself well.

The difficulty appeared particularly when she had to put what she knew onto paper. During her schooling, she changed schools many times. The repeated changes were not because she did not want to learn. Her learning needs simply were not properly understood.

Many people told her mother: Train your child. Make her do this. Make her do that. But the question that mattered most was rarely asked: How does this child learn?

Chanthiya's mother, R.P. Sudha, chose to observe instead of simply judge. She discovered that Chanthiya learned strongly through listening, repetition and verbal interaction. So she adapted the learning method. When writing was difficult, she did not simply force her daughter to write more. She found a way to make writing possible. Until around the third standard, Sudha would write in pencil and Chanthiya would write over her handwriting. Letter by letter. Word by word. With patience and consistency, Chanthiya's writing gradually improved. Today, the child who once struggled to write is able to write essays, blogs and articles and communicate her ideas confidently.

Sudha also noticed something else. While Chanthiya struggled with writing, she had a strong ability to listen, remember and speak. She was good at oratory and communication. Instead of allowing one difficulty to define her entire identity, her mother encouraged her strengths.