Q: My 3.4-year-old son does not respond to his class teacher. He has been going to school for the last six months, and is in LKG now. At home, he says all the words that we teach him, but not big words like ‘kangaroo’. He cannot answer if somebody asks his name. At home we talk in Telugu and at school they speak in English. His class teacher insists that he should repeat LKG, as there is a lot of homework in UKG, and it will be difficult for him to cope. Does he need speech therapy? He is interested in reading books. When I come home from work, he gets his books and asks me to teach him. He is also very active; he likes playing with other children and is very naughty. He gets very angry when we hit him. We are planning to send him to a boarding / residential school, as we are staying in Gulf. Is it the right age to send him to a residential school?

A:It is too early for him to go to a residential school. Don't even think of it for the next five years. Children can learn their mother tongue and English, but sometimes it is confusing to have two languages. If the teachers advise it, there is no harm in letting him repeat LKG. Maybe, six months later they can shift him to UKG. It is necessary for the child to have self-confidence. Stop worrying and let him grow up happy. Please do not hit the child. It is bad for him and for you.