He is learning English letters in school. Should I start Urdu letters at home now?

saffron_lamp_32030 May 2026

My son finished LKG, and in school they did A to Z. Now he writes his name in English and shows everyone. At home we speak Urdu. My mother-in-law says start the Urdu alphabet now, otherwise he will never learn it properly. My husband says don't confuse him, one script at a time. My own schooling was Urdu medium, so I can teach him the letters myself. But I don't want him to mix up both and then struggle in UKG. What did you do with two languages at this age?

1 comment

cinnamon_quilt_871530 May 2026
We did English and Devanagari side by side when our son was about that age, because my mother-in-law wanted him reading Marathi. He mixed up a couple of shapes for a few weeks and then sorted it out on his own. Ten minutes a day with you, using it for something he likes (his name, a story you read together) worked much better for us than worksheets. How much Urdu does he speak already? I think that matters more than the script.
- violet_puzzle_444530 May 2026
  I grew up reading Urdu at home and English at school, both from around five. I don't remember it being confusing. I remember my nani's patience more than the letters.
- ochre_sparrow_219630 May 2026
  The 'it will confuse him' worry comes up with every second language, and I've never seen much behind it. What did put my son off was being drilled. If he starts resisting, stop for a few days rather than push.
- indigo_bookmark_139230 May 2026
  My son mixes up b and d in English alone, no second script involved. So some mixing will happen whatever you do.
- bronze_bookmark_127530 May 2026
  Replying to @ochre_sparrow_2196
  Not drilling is the part I'd underline. My daughter picked up her Hindi letters from shop signs on our walks more than from any book.