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.