Community
Learning to read in a language not spoken at home
Many children in Tamil Nadu are taught in English at school and speak Tamil or another language at home. Slow reading often comes from this, not from the child.
We’re looking for
- Simple home activities that build English reading through the home language
- Ways a parent who doesn't read English can still help
Things to keep in mind
- Reading in the home language first makes reading in English easier later, so the home language is a strength to use, not a problem to fix
- Many parents feel ashamed that they can't help with English homework; ideas must work for them
- Free storybooks in Tamil and English exist; the gap is knowing how to use them together
- Time is short in working families: ten minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday
Who can help
Your next step
Every hour given here is an hour a family does not face alone.