“From the time she was a baby, my husband and I spoke to Eashaa in proper, grammatical English,” says Indu. “There was no baby talk: we wanted to lay the foundation for good grammar very early on.”

“Eashaa started speaking very early, and had a vast vocabulary from reading a lot. She really does swallow up books, and reads a lot on her own,” says Indu. Eashaa estimates that she reads about five or six books every month, and counts Old Yeller by Fred Gipson as her favourite.

Books aren’t the only things children can read. “Get them to read restaurant menus, signs, and so on, so they can get the rules of language right,” says Indu. “They should also find out the meanings of words they don’t know.”

There’s no point in trying to get a child to succeed in something if he lacks the natural inclination, says Indu. Their interest in the subject will naturally fizzle out. “Parents need to identify what talent their child has, and nurture that, rather than the talent their parents want them to have.”

“Talent is great to have; it’s the icing on the cake, but hard work is the cake itself,” says Indu. “Even if you might not have the talent, hard work will still get you to where you need to be.” To prepare for The Big Spell, Eashaa spent time studying words and the rules of language and pronunciation in addition to her school work, and her parents would sometimes sit with her to help and encourage her.

Eashaa agrees: “There’s no substitute for hard work. You need hard work, dilligence and determination to succeed.”

If kids feel prepared, and know they have done their best before a competition, they will be less likely to suffer nerves, says Indu. “Before a competition, I know I have to stay confident as I have a higher chance of doing better by staying cool,” says Eashaa.

Parents have to be there to catch their kids when they fall, as it’s impossible for them to win all the time, says Indu. “It’s about channeling their losses in a positive way. Victory is all the more sweet when you’ve tasted defeat. Eashaa was upset when she didn’t make it to the finals of The Big Spell last year, but she has made up for it by being this year’s champion, and we’re very proud of her.”

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