Academics & Tuitions

Telugu at home, IB at school, and my 13 year old can't read a Telugu signboard

cinnamon_sandal_7899

We speak Telugu at home, she understands everything and answers half in Telugu, half in English. Reading and writing, zero. Her school offers Hindi and French. Last week at her ammamma's place she couldn't read the name on the bus stop and was properly embarrassed, which surprised me because she usually acts like nothing bothers her. She has asked, herself, if she can learn. Weekend class, home tutor, or an app? Anyone done this with a teenager starting from aksharalu?

5 comments

  • cobalt_wave_225

    We had the same gap with Malayalam, at a younger age. An app taught her to recognise letters but never got her reading words, and she lost interest once the badges stopped. A weekly class with other children worked better, mostly because she liked the other kids. For a 13 year old I'd ask her first whether she'd rather learn alone or in a group before paying for anything.

    • cinnamon_sandal_7899

      Good point, she'd hate a class full of 6 year olds, that's my main worry with the weekend classes. Will ask her tonight.

  • sandal_ladle_183

    This is my future, I think. Malayalam at home, our nanny speaks Telugu with my son, and he'll go to an English school. I keep wondering which of the three he'll end up reading. Interested to see what works for a teenager.

    • saffron_pigeon_9279

      In most families I know, speaking a language and reading it seem to go separately. Our son speaks Telugu with his grandparents and reads only the little his school teaches. I suspect, without much evidence, that speaking is what matters at your son's age, and reading can come later if he wants it. The original poster's daughter is asking for it herself at 13, which seems to be how it goes.

  • lilac_camera_2365

    I've been teaching my grandson Telugu letters on a slate at our place, twenty minutes after his afternoon snack. At four he's slow, but he likes it because it's our thing, not a class. With a teenager I'd look for a teacher who starts with what she actually wants to read: film posters, menus, her grandmother's messages. Not the full varnamala chart on day one.

  • orchid_pool_5209

    my son learnt tamil reading at 14 from comics his grandfather posted him from madurai. took about a year. no class

    • maple_diary_8454

      Comics is a good idea. Which ones did he start with?

  • amber_spoon_412

    No tips, only sympathy. we speak Hindi at home and both mine already read it slower than English, and they're still small. not sure how you stop that.

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