First Steps is a monthly newsletter to help young parents understand the importance of the early years—appreciate their opportunities and navigate their challenges. It highlights the role of adults and the environment around the children that can help them build their foundational skills and achieve their natural potential. It will cover broad aspects of early years education, specific learning difficulties, development milestones, special needs and more.
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About the Author
Arati Nanavati
Arati Nanavati
Arati is an early childhood education specialist who is passionate about working with young minds in their formative years. Before joining the education sector in 2015, she had stints in the corporate world and was a full-time parent briefly. Currently, she is handling the school excellence function at a leading pre-school chain, where she helps build curricula, trains teachers and audits centres, besides conducting parenting workshops.
Featured Newsletter
How to interact with special needs children
Awkwardness and blank stares don’t help; understanding and empathy do.
Recent Editions
A day in the life of a child counsellor
What motivates these experts to pick up something this onerous? How do they keep going in the face of challenges?
26 May 2024
The special needs of parents with special needs children
Parents of special needs children typically experience depression and exhaustion, living a life full of intense feelings and difficult decisions, and the constant fear of what the future holds for their child in an inflexible world.
22 Apr 2024
The holy trinity you need to deal with your child’s special needs
Special needs is a broad term covering many conditions, but the common thread bringing them together is the triangle of support, which is crucial for adaptability and integration.
25 Mar 2024
How do you identify learning disability in your child?
Learning disability doesn’t get the same attention as behavioural disorders or neurodivergence because it tends to be more subtle and is often taken for a child being lazy or difficult.
20 Feb 2024
Older Editions
How to navigate the maze of behavioural disorders
Early diagnosis may be the key to understanding behavioural disorders, but recognizing and appreciating the difference between them is life-altering for the child.
21 Jan 2024
Being ‘gifted’ is not the gift it is made out to be
The general perception that a gifted child will excel with little effort or guidance is as far from the truth as can be. If anything, such children have special needs that need special attention.
18 Dec 2023
How to grow with a neurodivergent child
Neurodivergence is intriguing, confusing and scary at the same time. The most confounding thing is that it generates many strong emotions even in people who know little about it.
20 Nov 2023
Understand your child’s learning style to give them a better future
Children have preferred learning styles. Understanding how a child receives information and learns can not only lead to better learning outcomes but also help shape their future better.
16 Oct 2023
Preschools matter; their learning approach matters even more
The learning approach determines the differentiating pedagogy offered by the preschool and what kind of learning journey your child may experience.
18 Sept 2023