Planet Spark – Akash’s parents

Being a stay home mom in Mumbai means that in between the house chores and going shopping, I get the chance to spend all the time with my son Akash and his younger brother, Angad, who is 5. I'm always there to help with homework, attend school meetings, and so on, and it has been quite horrifying watching my 12-year-old Akash's grades drop drastically. Akash has always been a shy boy, and communicating with anyone outside the family has always been challenging. I thought nothing of it, but recently, it got worse. For him, it wasn't a language issue. Instead, he seemed to misplace his words when he got nervous, which always happened whenever he had to interact with someone who wasn't me, his father or ayAngad. I tried to work on it with him, but there was only so much I could do, and my husband is also very busy with work, so he can't do much.

I went to pick up Akash from school, and his teacher told me they had to give a speech, but when it was Akash's turn, he jumbled his words and began to cry. I didn't know what to do about it, I had hired tutors and paid for extra lessons, but there was no improvement. My sister found out about this and encouraged me to try PlanetSpark. She told me of it before, but I was reluctant. But then I saw the progress her 11-year-old daughter Meera made after she got on Planet Spark Reviews. Although Meera was not as bad as her cousin, her problem was mainly learning how to speak English fluently. But when I talked to Meera on the phone after she began taking her lesson, I was surprised at her improvement.

Although I still had doubts, I decided there was nothing to lose, so I signed Akash up for PlanetSpark. I picked the 165 class excellence program because it seemed best for my son. As much as I wanted him to improve his public speaking, my son was average, and I wanted an all-round improvement. The program I chose was very detailed and essential for Akash's development. I was not the only one reluctant about Planet Spark Reviews, as my Akash was too. His nerves got terrible as the day for his first lesson came close, and he had even cried a little at the beginning of the class, but Miss Shiva, the teacher assigned to him, was very patient and friendly.

Since I was committing my money to this, I was skeptical about the teacher. I had to confirm that she was well-trained and excellent at what she did. Even after confirming this, during the first lessons, I watched from a distance how she went down to his level, trying to make him laugh and feel calm around her. Although it took a while, it worked, and my son was usually excited for class. He had said that Ms Shiva was both his teacher and his friend, and I knew he was safe even though there was a screen between them. Not up to a month, I had already started seeing improvement in my Akash. It began with the little things, like making new friends in school and going to play with the neighbour's child. I didn't have to coerce him anymore to reply at family gatherings. Then, when it was time for another speech-giving class, his teacher said she was surprised at his improvement. Just like that, he volunteered to make presentations at the assembly and was no longer afraid to communicate. He didn't even jumble his words anymore.

MS Shiva had also advised him to start a YouTube channel where he could speak even more and have many people see him. She taught him how to go about it and suggested what he should talk about. Akash is very excited to start his own YouTube channel and talk about all he can, and I can't help but feel excited for him. He has already set up the channel and didn't even let me do the work for him. I know that is one advantage; he is improving at using technology. Apart from his speaking, with the help of Planet Spark Reviews, Akash has also improved his essay writing. He had been a C-student in his essay writing before the PlanetSpark lessons began, but now he has moved to an A grade.

When I asked Akash what he felt about the PlanetSpark classes, he let out a big smile first; that was the positive answer I needed. He said that even though he only watched Miss Shiva on the laptop, it felt like it was in a real classroom, and he was looking forward to every class. He said he loved how his teacher asked about his day before every class, and they sometimes played some games. He also liked the chance to communicate with other children like him in the debate club. He always looks forward to meetings with the debate clubs, and I watch as he debates, emphasising his points strategically beyond what an average 12-year-old will do.

However, one thing I think PlanetSpark should try to adapt is to organise physical meetings between the teachers and children. As much as the virtual classes are working, I believe that nothing beats a physical arrangement, and there would be even more improvements if this were in place. Also, I would like the teachers' and parents' meetings to be more frequent. I want to know the progress my child is making as regularly as possible, and I don't only want to see it; I want a report on it from the teacher. Besides, Planet Spark Reviews has been a perfect addition to my son's life. I highly recommend it to any parent or guardian with a struggling child. My son has improved in a way that surprised everyone; he doesn't look up to the sky in search of words anymore to construct his sentences. He knows the right words to use, and watching my son speak confidently makes me even happier.