HYDERABAD: She is only 1.5 years old, but she is already making waves with her comprehension and language skills. Chaitra Kandalam, born on April 12 last year, received appreciation from India Book of Records for identifying colours, vehicles and animals.
The citation says: "Chaitra Kandalam of Hyderabad, Telangana, is appreciated for identifying and telling ten colours, ten parts of the body, ten vehicles, ten domestic animals with mimicry of their sounds, 25 objects of different categories, six fruits, seven toys, 19 wild animals, at the tender age of 1 year and 5 months, as on September 26, 2020."
When asked about the secret behind her daughter’s precocious talent, her mother, Shruti, says: "It’s books! She loves activity books and flash cards. If she is in a cranky mood, the best way to placate her is to place a book in front of her. She is expressive and talkative like me. I introduced her to books when she was nine months old. She is curious and can grasp things easily. If she sees anything in her books, she can identify them outside. She is constantly surprising us with the new words she learns."
Shruti is a stay-at-home mom now, but was working as a software professional before Chaitra was born. Her husband Pavan too is a software engineer. Shruti came to know about the India Book of Records after she saw a friend’s daughter receiving similar appreciation.
She wrote to the organisation, which replied and asked her to send videos featuring the child’s abilities. After verification, Chaitra received an appreciation kit from the organisation which acknowledged her precocious comprehension.