Stop whining and start improving your child’s Indian education
by neo
Neo’s team at work hears him say at least thrice a day – its important to look for solutions, and follow the Radioshack school of thought – “You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers”.
(To the smartass who sent Neo the hoax mass-resignation mail that said – “You’ve got questions. We’ve got new jobs. Goodbye.” – Not funny at all. Neo knows who you are, sucker.)
So instead of reading Neo whine about Indian schools, here are some tips on how to improve your child’s Indian school education experience – so your kid has some chance against Neo Jr when its time to take the SATs.
1. Have a clear, yearly goal
Neo is constantly stunned by how many parents can’t answer the following question – “what precisely should your child know or be able to do at his or her age ?”
Depending on your child’s school to set a curriculum for your child is like asking opinion on that). You the parent have to set goals for your child, and then you use the Indian schooling system as one tool in your child’s overall education.
For his 4 year-old, Neo uses books like – What your kindergartener needs to know. They provide a comprehensive list of what your child needs to know at a given age. Once you know your goal, you actually have a chance getting there.
Neo has found that Neo Jr.’s school does well for things like Art&Craft, but is woefully lacking in subjects like History (just one example). So Neo uses “What your kindergartener needs to know” to tell Neo Jr stories about Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin (Mrs. Neo is practically a database on Indian history, so Neo sticks to American history – its much shorter, for one.)
Did you know George Washington once cut down a perfectly healthy cherry tree for no other reason but to try out his new hatchet ? Neo Jr. knows this in graphic detail. Also, Neo’s neighbor is complaining about someone hacking away at his new rose garden.
2. Think like a homeschooler
Mrs. Neo takes so much time to get dressed that Neo reaches every party just as the booze is running out. So he’s always left hanging out with the three sober guys left in the party. And from one such sober guy who just wouldn’t stop talking, Neo learned more about homeschooling than he cared to on a Friday night.
Despite that painfully long introduction, Neo went back and read up on homeschooling. And while Neo thinks that traditional schools are still important for kids to learn social skills, he realized that homeschoolers are actually the best source for figuring out how to augment the school curriculum.
So now Neo recommends finding and joining some good homeschooling forums (there are several lists), just to see what’s going on.
(Next time, Neo will have a couple of drinks before leaving for the party.)
3. English, english, english
Neo’s mother tongue is the sweetest and the most elegant language that no one really speaks any more – because half the words have been replaced with English equivalents.
In the past one year, Neo struggles to think of even one example where he could not get by with English in India. Even the drunk (at 11am!) plumber who came to Neo’s house last weekend asked him rather condescendingly “Do you have hammer?”.
English is the language of the future, the language of the intellectuals and the language of the world.
Neo does not want to be misunderstood. Neo is not saying that teaching your kids multiple languages confuses the child (that is a complete myth). Neo has merely decided that speaking in good English is the best use of the finite time that Neo and Mrs. Neo have with their son.
And so Neo’s house is an English-only house. The only time Neo and Mrs. Neo use their mother tongue is when they fight. And even then, its mostly Mrs. Neo talking in the mother tongue, and Neo saying “Yes, but..” every 18 minutes.
Neo Jr. already has superlative English language abilities due to this simple decision. Neo Jr speaks naturally, confidently and correctly in English. Those that understand good English are instantly impressed. Those that don’t are intimidated.
(Yes, Neo’s older relatives disapprove of his English-only communication with Neo Jr (and many, many other things about Neo). But Neo has already told them about several innovative places where they can stuff their disapproval.)
4. Flood your house with good books and supplies
Neo cringes at the amount of money wasted in India on toys and fancy clothes for kids that will be thrown in 2 months. Neo has stopped buying electronic toys, because Neo Jr loses interest in most even before the batteries run out. And then it’s back to messing around with Daddy’s office laptop.
Instead, Neo invests in Lakeshore Learning – that usually lasts him the entire year. Plus he loves the look on the face of the customs official when they ask him “What’s in this suitcase”, and Neo says “Crayons”.
5. Spend time with your kids
In many Indian homes, the kids spend a lot of time with the maids. In Neo’s house, only Neo spends a lot of time with the maids. Not really, all the good-looking and friendly maids get fired quickly by Mrs. Neo. But you get the point.
Malcolm Gladwell lays out the case for “Concerted Cultivation” in his latest book, Outliers. Nothing is more important than spending oodles of time with your kid. So stop reading Neo’s blog and go read the awesome “How do Dinosaurs eat” to your child.
Conclusion
Wow – just follow these 5 tips and your child can be as smart as Neo’s child ? Of course not. There’s much more coming in future posts. But never forget – genetic advantage will always overwhelmingly favor Neo Jr over your kid.
But for now Neo has to make a presentation for the boss that explains why Neo’s team is running behind schedule on a product release that actually removes features. Not surprisingly, this release excites three VPs more than all the actual customers put together.
And Neo already knows what the first slide’s going to say – “You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers”.
All photos are licensed under Creative Commons and linked back to the originals
No related posts.
you are right about battery operated toys. However, with two boys, it is hard to avoid them completely. I have some rechargeable batteries for their favourite toys. They love puzzles and they keep them occupied for a long time. good post.
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hilarious!!
just what i needed today. lovin’ the blog!! :)
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@yad True. Although yesterday my son and I played “hit a small chair with a (soft) ball” for hours – its awesome for hand-eye co-ordination. It ended badly with Neo Jr refusing to sleep (but then it always does).
@roop Thanks! BTW – your blog is cool, and now it has a prominent spot in my RSS reader. :)
-Neo
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Awesome.. My heartiest sympathies ..er.. best wishes to Neo Jr.. :P
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Just LOVE this post!!! I can’t even tell you which part I liked best coz I just LOVED all of it….. thanks!!!
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Bingo! And Amen to that. Our philosophy, to a tee.
Well maybe except the English, English, English bit. But since he (the dad) and I have different native tongues, the kids have been hearing mostly English and it’s worked out well. I switch easily – and often consciously – from English to the native tongue mid-conversation (but not mid-sentence). Not so much because they “need to know our culture”, but the earlier you start them multilingual, the better it is. And they do pick up.
#4 – We haven’t bought our second son any toys. Not one. He plays with what he finds, from real tools to kitchen vessels. They have good supplies; just the ones you mentioned. I like Melissa & Doug toys. No nonsense, no noise, immense scope for imagination and creativity. I do a puzzle / play-doh / origami / Tangram once with him, to give him start. After that, I just let him be and lurk around him doing my thing.
That is one place I’ll differ – spend a reasonable amount of time with them, yes. Tell them “stories” about facts, build with them. But for a good bit, just leave them alone; let them figure it out. Nothing like exercising the imagination when they’re by themselves, or peers. He has developed a good interest in theater. I tell/read him the story a few days before I take him to a show – it’s mostly classics/fairy tales.
If you have this much to say, write a post yourself; don’t make long comments on others’ blogs. Else, apologize saying you got carried away reading how uncannily similar someone else’s views are to yours. So yes, thanks for letting me use your space :) I did get carried away. And I blame you for documenting pretty much what I preach to others :-|
-g
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@litterateuse – Great point about “letting them be”. No matter our intentions, we always have pre-set notions on the “right way” to do something. This inherently hampers our kids’ natural way of exploring.
Last week I watched with fascination as my son made a worm out of his play-doh and then used a small old box as the “worm’s house” so the worm could rest. He then put the worm inside a toy car and drove the car to the doctor’s house because my son (oops I mean the worm) had a tummy ache!
Lastly – great blog. Welcome to my RSS reader. And I promise not to be grouchy. :P
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lol@worm. Amazing how they watch us, pick the basic concept and give it their own turn :)
Thanks for stopping by. So now I have to come to your space to read feedback on mine? :P (Don’t grouch – you promised you wouldn’t :D)
gauri
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[...] have to work the school situation significantly to make it work for you and your kids. (See: Stop whining and start improving your child’s Indian education, Return to India myth #19: School education is generally better in India (than in the [...]
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Loved this post as well..I agree with you on all counts, except for the English, English bit. I think there is a difference between someone who speaks English only and grows up in India and someone who is never exposed to an Indian language(ie speaks just English) and grows up elsewhere. Though English is widely used in India, my toddler son totally connects when he is in India given his knowledge of the native tongue. I guess what I’m saying is – there’s more of a “need” to expose children to native languages if they grow up outside the native environment, so they feel more at home when they actually visit..
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[...] the Big Bang Theory (highly recommended btw). But if you can use it to start a part-time business, teach your kids, or even just to exercise regularly, this time is worth real money. Surely that deserves to be a [...]
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“And so Neo’s house is an English-only house. The only time Neo and Mrs. Neo use their mother tongue is when they fight. And even then, its mostly Mrs. Neo talking in the mother tongue, and Neo saying “Yes, but..” every 18 minutes.”
…Auroracoda would like to thank Neo for the belly busting, bray-like, snort ending laugh she enjoyed while sitting at her desk at work today after reading the above statment.
Auroracoda’s co-workers also wish to thank Neo because not only do they emphatically agree with the “Yes, but” 18 minute rule…they especially enjoyed the racoon look Auroracoda sported after reading Neo confess to it.
:)
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Thanks. And anyone who gets why the pickle/cucumber thing is funny gets a free pass to my “check first” Google reader folder. :-)
-Neo
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