If you grew up a couple of decades ago or earlier, you probably remember( and miss) playing with your friends on the streets. In India, where I grew up, summers, weekends and almost all evenings were spent not in the company of a video game console or the internet, but on dusty streets, with friends and cousins. When I first heard about Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, it struck me that if kids had continued to play outdoors as they had been doing for centuries there would have been no need for a campaign to get kids in America or anywhere else, to move away from obesity and towards a healthier, more wholesome and FUN lifestyle.
And yet, sadly, if you asked a child in an urban setting today, she may barely recognize these games, let alone be able to play them.
Take India for instance. Call it the pressure of academics , the demand for all-round excellence, or the lack of space or the change in pace, or the ubiquitous nature of television and its technological cousins - whatever the reasons may be – you won’t easily find kids in any of the Indian metros or bigger cities playing age-old games like kabbadi or gilli danda. Besides, with dusty streets turning into paved roads and houses being turned into multi-level apartment homes and offices, not too many neighborhoods allow kids the luxury to run around and play safely. The only exception is perhaps cricket, which like the cockroach, continues to survive and thrive despite every challenge and threat.
Here’s the thing. You may not be able to play those street games in the same way in your old neighborhood anymore, but, you CAN do something to keep them from fading away from memory forever.
‘Gadagada Gudugudu’ by Jeeva Raghunath/Jeyanthi Manokaran
Indian Children's Book
How much can a book as thin as this really convey and accomplish? It depends on how much you want it to. Of all the books I picked up from Tulika, this was the one that caught my attention instantly. The title, the colors and the illustrations perked my curiosity and anticipation. When I saw that it was about popular Indian street games, some of which my daughter was unlikely to ever play herself or even watch being played, I had the urge to share it with her immediately.
In a nut shell
This cheerful book with simple, rhythmic text lets you relive your childhood memories, while creating new ones with your child. It depicts the typical course a little marble takes, rolling from Mani’s hands to those of his friends. As the day rolls by, the marble does too, switching places from one child’s hand to another’s in exchange for other toys that catches his fancy at the moment.
Gadagada gudu is the sound the Mani’s marble makes as it rolls from one hand to another, in exchange for Ramu’s gilla danda, Kittu’s kite, Raja’s flat stone and Pattu’s top. It’s the cue that keeps the story rolling and the catchphrase that holds my daughter’s attention. Reading the book in itself is entertaining enough, but it also opens up many other ways for you to share your childhood memories with your kids and also gives you a chance to give those games a new leash of life.
Indian Children's Book
Don’t be surprised if after reading the book, you are inspired to play them with your kids yourself! With some tweaks and customization, I’m sure we could manage to play some version of gilli danda or hopscotch on our paved driveways, fly a kite from our manicured lawns or high terraces and roll a scratch-proof marble on our hardwood floors.
Whether original or adapted, these games in either version hold the promise of several hours of free, family entertainment, requiring no fuel, power or batteries with no lead or toxins to worry about. The next time kids declare they’re bored or when you feel they’ve had an overdose of simulated shootings, it’s probably your cue to announce, “Let’s move!’ Pick one of your favorite outdoor games and show your kids what real fun looks and feels like.
If you’re out of ideas, just thumb through Gadagada Gudugudu.
Tulika’s Treasure Chest of Bilingual Indian Children’s Books
Taking advantage of my vacation in Chennai, I recently picked up a bunch of children’s books from Tulika – a publishing house known for its bilingual books. It was such a delight to see so many wonderful, entertaining children’s books in Indian languages and English in one place that exercising self control and choosing one book over another became almost impossible.
Tulika's English, Bilingual Children's Books
I’d like to say I was there solely with the noble intention of buying ‘Indian’ English books and bilingual books for my 3-year-old, but, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like a kid in a candy store myself. A part of me was making up for the fact that publishers like Tulika didn’t exist when I was growing up and my peers and I usually had to ’settle’ for classic, western fairy tales and children’s stories which, though entertaining, were set in a place and time we could rarely relate to. (No offense Cinderella and Enid Blyton, but seriously, evening gowns, Royal Balls and secret tree-houses made little sense to a child growing up in the 80’s in southern India!)
So, you can imagine how refreshing it was for me to see stories about saris and street games, jalebis and rangolis, not only in English but in several Indian languages!
I’ve said before how much I enjoy reading with my daughter M in a language other than English and it’s no different now. I’m enjoying every minute of sharing these new finds with her. I’ve picked up a few titles in Hindi and Tamil – and she absolutely loves them. She doesn’t understand much Hindi and although she’s fluent in Tamil, she’s puzzled and amused at how different written Tamil is from the colloquial Tamil we speak. Every time we read from one of these books I can almost see her eager, young mind trying to put two and two together and make sense of the unfamiliar sounds. She may not master either language simply by hearing me read to her, but it’s clear that she’s developing an interest in these languages and is curious about the meanings of words and pronunciations. She’s now trying to imitate some of the words and attempts use them in context, without fully comprehending their meaning, and you can imagine how much entertainment all this is providing for the entire family!
Reviews and my thoughts on some, if not all, of these Tulika books will soon find their way here. In the meantime, if you’re looking for well-produced, original children’s books from India – be it picture books, bilingual books, books for beginner readers or advanced levels, be sure to give Tulika a peek. You won’t be disappointed.
I’ve said it a zillion times and don’t mind repeating…reading to my daughter(and any other child in the vicinity) is among the most enjoyable parenting experiences I know of! Besides talking about it here, I write about it elsewhere too. My latest article on the topic appears on Everythingmom.com – http://www.everythingmom.com/activities/tips-to-make-books-a-part-of-your-childs-life.html.
Please check it out and share your thoughts!
You don’t come across children’s stories set in India in American libraries very often. So when we spotted Anklet for a Princess – A Cinderella Story from India at our library, naturally, we were pleasantly surprised and had to check it out.
Granted, the book is a little prose-heavy and may be appropriate for older readers rather than toddlers or beginner readers. Yet, the vivid illustrations and the charming tale more than make up for that and if you ask me, you can go ahead and enjoy it with your pre-schooler if you like. Which is what I did with M.
‘Not Cinderella again’, I hear you groan! But wait! Replace Cinderella with Cinduri, the Fairy Godmother with Godfather Snake, Cinderella’s slippers with Cinduri’s anklets and the Royal Ball with the Navarathri Puja and what do you have? A magical Indian twist to an age-old fairy tale that you can relate to and relish with your children all over again.
Indian children's book
* My little girl’s favorite parts of this book were the wonderful details in the illustrations…the anklets, the ornaments, the flowing saris and vibrant colors that bring the story alive.
* She also loved the little song about the Godfather Snake that Cinduri uses to beckon him when in need of his help.
* The book features beautiful depictions of rural Indian settings, clothes, ornaments and village lifestyle.
* Even if your child is too young to sit through a reading with you, the book provides plenty of fodder for storytelling, craft projects and activities.
* My daughter who loves to wear traditional Indian clothes and jewelry on special occasions couldn’t stop looking at the vibrant costumes and jewels.
* A longer book like this one may also be a good way to improve your child’s concentration and focus. If you keep the reading interesting enough, you might be suprised to discover how attentive your 3-year old can be!
So, if you’re tired of Cinderella but your child wants you to read it to her for the 456th time, give this Cinderella story from India a chance. And who knows where your next family vacation will take you?!
Doesn’t Eric Carle Choose Just the Most Peculiar Ideas for His Picture Books?
A caterpillar, a spider, a star and a box of plastic ducks. Who would have thought that these and other seemingly mundane themes would become runaway hits, entertaining millions of children around the world for decades?
The magic and mystery of Eric Carle Books
There’s just something about Eric Carle books that jumps off the pages to reach out and touch you regardless of whether you’re 3 or 33( or older). You don’t really know what’s going to happen until you’ve begun to read…and then…it’s too late to stop even if you want to. (Which isn’t likely, anyway). The words seem to flow and the pages seem to turn themselves. And before you realize you’re reading, you’ve reached the end. Reading aloud from one of his books is almost like having a conversation with your child. It’s as if you’re asking questions, pondering answers together, piecing together a puzzle and discussing possibilities.
What Makes Eric Carle’s Books So Special
Many say the magic of Eric Carle’s books lies in his vibrant collages that are always brimming with life. There’s this child-like enthusiasm that spills over which is impossible to resist. The explosion of color accompanying the caterpillar’s transformation into a butterfly in The Very Hungry Caterpillar enthralls every young child( and his parent) who encounters the book. Check out this video of Eric Carle describing the creation of the book that continues to entertain children everywhere.
While Eric Carle’s colorful collages are central to his books and remain unmatched, there’s more to it.
At first glance, it seems like the words that help tell the story play second fiddle to the images. But, try replacing or skipping any of the words in The Very Busy Spider, The Very Hungry Caterpillar or ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ as you read and you’ll immediately sense the difference. The words in Eric Carle’s books are like teeth or piano keys -you may be barely aware of them when they’re there -but you’re sure to miss them terribly the second they’re gone! The books look simple and straightforward enough, but contain carefully chosen words and phrases. Switch a single punctuation or letter and you lose the cadence, the natural flow of the book.
Have you Read These Not-so-popular Eric Carle Books?
A couple of weeks ago, M and I picked out a couple of Eric Carle’s books that we hadn’t read before. In fact, I don’t remember having seen them on display in book stores either. Both make wonderful, refreshing reads and are quite different from anything we’ve read before.
Eric Carle shares a fascinating anecdote about his inspiration for this book which is about an artist bringing alive everything he draws, thereby creating the world by drawing it. You’ll find the characteristic collages, short sentences and simple words. You’ll also find instructions to help your child learn to draw a star…a great book to create a childhood memory with. My daughter loves tracing her fingers over the star and then copies those movements on paper as she draws her own star.
I think Draw me a Star is great as a read-aloud book, a bedtime story or even a beginning reader book. It is sure to inspire budding artists as well. ( Also, if you read it with a child old enough to ask questions about the universe, creation and life, this book is sure to give you plenty to talk about!)
Eric Carle Book
The second book, 10 Little Rubber Ducks shares some elements with other popular count-and-read books, but the context, the plot and the treatment are something that bear the unmistakable Eric Carle stamp. Inspired by a news report, this is a story of ten rubber ducks that get separated in transit between factory and store. Curious young minds are bound to wonder and ask what happened to them. You and your child will enjoy discovering where each duck ended up. Read and relish this story of the ten rubber ducks that got lost at sea, headed in different directions and found their own destinies. This is a great pick to introduce your children to numbers, directions, modes of transport, various animals and their habitats.
Last weekend we attended a Parent Talk delivered by Dr. Karen Hagberg, one of the senior-most Suzuki piano instructors in America. My knowledge of piano, or western classical music, for that matter is negligible. So I went expecting to understand nothing, but eager to hear Dr. Hagberg’s talk nevertheless since M’s piano teacher spoke very highly of her.
I need not have worried because Dr. Hagberg had us at ‘Hello!’ She is a remarkable person – so humble, patient and talented – with a fantastic sense of humor! I’m grateful for this opportunity to observe her teach and to hear her talk and to M’s wonderful teacher for pointing us in the right direction.
Although there is no significant change in my knowledge of classical music since then, I have to say – her talk was one of the most refreshing and inspiring I’ve heard. Sure, it was specific to getting our kids to practice everyday, helping them enjoy music for the sake of music and our role as parents in encouraging children to learn music…but I thought her words were relevant to everyone – parents, teachers and anyone interested in the well-being of children and our planet. What Dr. Hagberg said can be applied to pretty much any aspect of parenting….including encouraging young children to read.
For instance, here are some of the things Dr. Hagberg said:
Praise effort, not results: Whether your child is learning to play an instrument or learning to read, appreciate his effort and not the outcome. Dr. Hagberg stressed how important it is for parents to focus on the child’s efforts and letting that reflect in our comments. Saying, ” I like how you tried to sound out all the letters,” is more effective and useful than, ” Wow, you’re a terrific reader!”
Provide honest feedback, evaluation: If you learn to praise effort, you automatically start providing valuable, honest feedback. Dr. Hagberg says children know when your praise is empty and when you’re being sincere. So, it’s important to be specific with your comments for them to be helpful.
Encourage mutual help, support.: I love this one. Help children help each other improve. If one child at home or in the class reads or plays music way better than the others, let the child play an active role in helping others learn. Let the others watch him play or read. Get the child to work with a beginner student. Dr. Hagberg mentioned a Japanese proverb where a nail that stood out among a row of nails would be hammered down to the same level as the others. It’s up to us to raise open-minded children who are eager to learn from and to share their knowledge with each other.
Ask questions, avoid criticism: We know that when a child asks a question, it’s a great opportunity for us to encourage the child to think. Instead of giving away the answer, asking ”Why do you think that is?” ” Hmm..I’m not sure…what do YOU think?” in response to their questions gets the discussion going and helps the child discover answers for himself. Dr. Hagberg suggested that we turn children’s doubts and questions back to them and ask questions like, ” Do you think you played that well or do you think you might need more practice?”, “ The teacher asked you to practice this 15 times. How many times do you want to practice before lunch?” The same could be applied to reading and you could ask kids how many books they want to read before going to the park or which book they’d like to bring along on a trip. This is an effective way to steer clear of criticism, while giving kids the chance to choose.
Be consistent. Routine . Is. Important. Whether it’s music practice or reading to your child, establish and stick to a routine early on.
Compare not to each other but to highest ideals possible: Probably the most important piece of parenting advice there is. We hear it everywhere, we all know it. Comparing kids to each other is not a healthy way to motivate them. Every child is different and has unique strengths, weaknesses, interests and style of learning and doing things. What Dr. Hagberg advised with respect to music was to motivate children by offering the highest ideals as comparison and not another child in the class. Cite examples of the world’s best musicians, authors and artists and assure your children that they have the same potential. That’s the only kind of comparison worth making.
We came away from the Parent Talk with the reinforced belief that the process is so much more important than the product. Most of us know that it’s the little things we do everyday that add up to a fulfilling life and that the joy is in the journey – but an occasional reminder like this one always helps!
Did you know that our very busy friend celebrated her birthday this week?
It’s a sheer coincidence that M and I picked up several of Eric Carle’s books from the library yesterday. Looks like this is going to be Eric Carle week at our home. The first book that caught my eye, for some reason, was Draw Me a Star. I hadn’t read this one before and as it usually happens with his books, one glance was all it took to make both of us want to start reading it right away. After that, of course, you just have to take it home to enjoy some more. There’s a fascinating story behind this book and it comes with directions to draw a star – a beautiful book and interactive experience to share with your child. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already.
Anyway, as I cuddled up with M in the library’s children’s section to read the book, I pointed to the author’s name, and asked her, “Have we read any other books by Eric Carle?” And, without blinking, she said, “The Very Busy Spider”!! (Don’t you just love it when kids learn to make connections and associations and remember the things you hope they will?)
Happy Birthday to The Very Busy Spider
I just realized that The Very Busy Spider’s 25th birthday just went by. So, I’m thinking of ways to celebrate with M this weekend. Here’s what I’ve thought of so far for our Spider party:
* Read The Very Busy Spider together! (Like most kids her age, she loves to say the line ” The spider didn’t answer. She was very busy spinning her web.” on each page)
* Watch a video of The Very Busy Spider. * Invite friends and get the kids to act out the different parts – taking turns being the spider. (Or volunteer to help organize the play at daycare)
* Do spider crafts and play games. 1)Use yarn and masking tape to make a spider on the floor and ask kids to walk around it without touching the Spider. The one who touches the spider first is out of the game.
2) Make paper spiders and hang them from the ceiling, under tables, chairs and shelves. Whoever collects the most spiders wins.
3) Children take turns being the “Spider”. The Spider pretends to spin a web and must not talk or get distracted no matter what the other kids do. The others, of course, try to provoke, make jokes, ask questions and try different ways to distract the “Spider”. When she gives in, she’s out of the game.
* Sing Eensy Weensy Spider and other spider songs.
The Very Busy Spider, with the characteristic, simple, brilliant and childlike quality of Eric Carle’s books leaves us smiling…but not before delivering its message quietly and effectively.
In Eric Carle’s words, “Despite the many diversions in life, we must do our work!”
So, a very Happy Birthday to you dear Spider. May you enjoy many, many more busy years bringing smiles to countless more children. And may we continue to learn from you the important lessons of goal setting, focus and tireless perseverance.
Reading opportunities are everywhere. Have you found them?
It was Thursday afternoon. After dropping M off at her swimming lesson, I settled into a comfy chair in the lobby with about 30 minutes to kill. I had brought along a magazine to keep me company. As I sat there thumbing through my magazine, other mothers joined me, after dropping their children off at their lessons. To my right, a few feet away, sat a mom with a little girl, whose elder sister or brother was probably taking swimming lessons.
As you might expect, many of the moms pulled out their mobile phones and began texting or making calls. This mom pulled out a couple of books from her tote. My ears perked up.
Throughout the 30 minutes or so of waiting, the mom and child enjoyed their one-on-one reading/bonding time, with no interruptions or distractions. I didn’t exactly hear what they read or said to each other(I caught a few words from Thumbelina though!), but I noticed that the little girl was attentive and curious for the entire 30 minutes. Just as they finished reading, it was time to pick up our kids from the pool.
This wasn’t the first time I had seen a mom and child read while waiting in that lobby. On a few earlier occasions, a mother and her daughter, who was just beginning to learn to read, spent the 30 minutes reading to each other alternately. The girl sounded out letters and words and put together sentences as her mother watched, listened and guided her patiently. I don’t know why, but I find it very refreshing to watch mothers and kids read together.
Watching these moms and their kids turn waiting time into reading opportunities confirmed what I’ve believed all along -
* Reading opportunities are everywhere. We just have to make the effort to spot them and use them to read. Waiting time can’t get any more productive or enjoyable than exploring books(or songs or word games) together. And it may be the only time you won’t have interruptions or other distractions affecting your reading experience.
* By turning waiting time into reading time, you’re giving your kids the skills to survive the longest lines. Ever seen how some people never crib when their flight is delayed or the line doesn’t move? They’re probably the ones who brought along a book or two. It’s not that the delay doesn’t affect them as much as it affects others. But, if there’s nothin they can do about it, then they’d rather read than rant during the wait. I am pretty sure that if those moms hadn’t brought along books to read with their kids, those 30 minutes of waiting would have turned out very differently for everyone. By choosing to read with your child, you avoid tantrums, whiny, unreasonable demands, sibling squabbles and other unpleasant experiences that make waiting time seem even longer.
Reading While Waiting May Be Your Best Bet
I’m sure you’ll agree – not too many of us have the luxury of too much free time. So, allocating the recommended 20-30 minutes to read to kids may not always be possible. But, whether your child is 6 months or 6 years old, you can’t stress the importance of a regular, consistent reading routine enough. It’s like taking out the trash or doing the laundry – unless you have a daily and weekly routine, things will probably get out of hand and before you know it you’ll have nothing to wear and an overflowing trashcan. And unless you set aside a time to read to kids everyday, it’s probably not going to happen. The ‘reading at bedtime’ ritual is a good idea provided you have the time and energy at the end of a long day to curl up with your kid and a book. Which is not the case with many of us.
But, guess what? Regardless of our lifestyle, location and nature of work, there’s something we all do almost everyday? Be it at the supermarket, the airport, the doctor’s office, train station, bus stop or when we have to pick an older sibling up from karate or soccer. Everyday we all spend precious time waiting. So why not plan better for those chunks of time you spend waiting at different places?
Whether it’s 5 minutes or 50, having a book on hand makes all the difference between killing time and making the most of it with your child.
Handy Tips to Fit Reading to Kids into Your Routine
- Always have a stash of books in the car. Encourage kids to thumb through them as you drive or take turns reading to each other. Rotate and restock the books periodically.
- Consider mobile storybook apps. These come in handy when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or post office.
- Carry a board book or two in your bag – especially useful when feeding or soothing a fussy baby. Familiar books and items tend to calm babies when they’re disturbed by an unfamiliar environment or faces.
- Use Audio Storybooks in the car during long drives, instead of the DVD player.
Have you ever wondered if a children’s book is right for your child? Or wished you just knew how to pick the best, age appropriate books for your kids? Do you wish you could ‘check out’ children’s books before you actually bought them?
The following video may have some answers.
Lara Ivey is a reading consultant with Grow up With Books. Lara was a teacher for 17 years before she decided to stay home with her kids. All those years of reading to kids ensured that she was never too far from children’s books. So, now, as a Reading Consultant, she continues to enjoy her favorite activity- finding, reading and reviewing children’s books and offering reading tips!
I spoke to her last week about some of her best reading tips and favorite children’s books for various ages.
In this video, * You will learn what watching a Youtube video of the 20,000 Dollar Pyramid has to do with reading children’s books.
* You will hear some terrific tips on reading to kids and picking age appropriate books, among other things. If you follow Lara’s tips, you probably won’t have to wonder if a book is right for your child. You will know.
*You’ll also see some of her book recommendations for various age groups – classics and new books. If you haven’t read these with your child already, you may want to. (And remember you don’t have to buy them if you don’t want to! )
*You’ll see how reading is related to planting a tree and nurturing it. Lara has an interesting analogy. If you’ve ever wondered if there’s such a thing as too many books or too much reading…you may find the answer.
* You’ll discover a book that actually appeals to kids ages 0-9 years!
* As a special treat, you’ll see Lara reading from some of her favorite children’s books.
Disclaimer:This is my first experience doing a long distance video interview, while figuring out how to work the recording software, all the time wondering if it was recording at all. (I’m trying to make it sound like Rocket Science. Is it working?) So, I hope you’ll excuse my funny voice( which I attribute to a cold and nervousness) and my inexperience. I hope that won’t stop you from enjoying the information in this video!
Mother tongue learning and language development are topics that have been on my mind lately and something I’ve only recently begun to read about. So, I am very happy to be participating in this. Thank you, Tulika, for asking these important questions.
The Questions:
1.How different are the written and spoken forms of your first language?
2.If you want children to become familiar with their first language, which form would you look for in children’s books – formal orinformal? Why? —
To answer Q 1,
Our first language is Tamil. The spoken and written forms are VERY different. To someone who’s had no exposure to written or formal Tamil, reading from a Tamil book or poem will probably seem like a different language the first few times…unless they pay keen attention to certain words. Earlier, I wrote about how this happened with my daughter the first couple of times I read to her in Tamil.
To answer Q 2 about whether I’d prefer children’s books to be written in ‘formal’ or ‘informal’ Tamil, let’s consider:
Why do I want to read to my daughter in Tamil?
*I want her to continue communicating fluently in Tamil. I have observed that reading to/with a child and doing other activities( singing, group activities, value-ed classes or play groups) in that language plays a really crucial role in a child continuing to learn and use that language. I’m sure most parents have noticed that babies start picking up and applying words and phrases from books we read to them long before they actually start ‘talking.’ Little, repetitive phrases or catchy lines in books are among the first to enter a child’s vocabulary( besides obvious, everyday things, people and concepts like the words for mother, father, milk etc). So, if I don’t read to my daughter in Tamil in addition to speaking to her in Tamil, it may not be too long before she loses interest in the language, since most of her everyday learning experiences happen in an English-speaking environment.
* I want her to enjoy, appreciate, grow to love and take pride in her mother tongue. Reaching this level of awareness and appreciation of language may take some years. But, by constantly exposing my child to the rich vocabulary and intricacies of Tamil language from an early age( as much as my very limited knowledge of Tamil will allow, since I never studied Tamil myself and my official second language was Hindi), I’d like to think I’m establishing a framework for that to happen at some point.
* I want her to learn and enjoy the process of learning a new language, so she can enjoy the benefit of being bilingual or multilingual. Nobody really knows how a child learns language, but most researchers agree that learning more than one language from an early age is beneficial in several ways – improves child’s cognitive, creative abilities, slows aging, keeps the mind alert, helps them adapt to new environments, makes them more tolerant and broadminded, improves their employability etc etc. So regardless of whether or not my daughter will do either of the above, I want to give her the advantage of bilingualism at the very least.
So, will a formal or informal style enable the above?
I guess, it may not matter initially, as long as children are reading something – anything – in their mother tongue or at least making an effort to. That in itself is a greater feat than many kids will achieve ( determining factors being parental involvement, parents’ knowledge and interest in mother tongue, available resources etc). But, when it comes to a language like Tamil, where the spoken and written forms differ so vastly, and which has several dozens, if not hundreds of dialects and countless colloquialisms characterizing each geographical location, community or generation…it’s sure to be very challenging to find a common written format that will appeal to all.
Also, we know that this kind of ‘informal’ Tamil is easy for kids to pick up anyway, since that’s what they use on a day to day basis at home and are exposed to in movies, on TV and through various outlets of pop culture. Be it stage shows, contests, radio, cultural events or family gatherings, there won’t be any shortage of opportunities to learn informal Tamil if your child is already in a Tamil-speaking environment.
However, you can’t say the same about ‘formal’ or pure Tamil. If we don’t consciously make an attempt to expose kids to pure Tamil( as pure as it gets these days, anyway), there’s not much chance they’re going to learn it. And only the child’s parents can determine how important or insignificant that exposure is.
But, are the two really mutually exclusive?
In my view, ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ don’t seem to matter when it comes to entertaining and engaging children. Would you call Barathiyar’s Odi Vilayadu Pappa and age-old favorite rhymes like Nila Nila Odi Vaa, Kaakka Kaakka Parandhu Vaa formal because they use ‘pure’ Tamil words or ‘informal’ because they have been making children smile for decades?
That said, attaining this balance between formal and informal may not always be easy and not all attempts turn out tastefully. I’d personally like to see a mix and match of styles – formal to semi formal language in familiar settings. You may be aware of some of these online gems.
I’d say the language in most of these is semi formal, but not so stiff that kids won’t enjoy it. At first, my daughter found words like ‘Muzhangiyathu’ and ‘Magizhchi’ amusing. Now, she’s got used to the sounds and words and likes using them. She’s figured out that that’s probably not the way we speak but that it’s the way Tamil is written. Given the fact that my daughter may never learn formal Tamil literature, syntax or texts in the traditional sense, the only way for me to introduce her to ‘literary Tamil’ at least to a small degree is by means of such books.
I can’t imagine doing that if the books used ”Ponaanga” instead of “Sendrar” or “Khushi” instead of “Magizhchi.”
Start Reading to Your Baby from Day 1 and Enjoy Surprising Lifelong Benefits
Learn:
* How and When to Start Reading to Your Baby
* What to Read
* How to Find the Time to Read to Your Child Everyday
* How to Make the Most of Your Reading Time and Raise a Happy Reader
