Our Mission
Hi, I am Vrinda Batra.
Here is why I’m on the mission to help parents build a confident and creative reader. I founded The Growing Roots in 2020 to help and support parents. We are a beautiful tribe of parents growing stronger and helping kids solve the biggest reading problem together every day.
My Background
I suffered from a serious reading inhibition for most of my early academic years. Those are the years when you are supposed to build on your skills and adjust to new social settings such as classrooms. In my class, my fellow classmates and peers used to have their arms up all the time, waiting for the next opportunity to read aloud whereas I was standing on the sidelines, waving goodbye to every such chance passing me by. Not only was I feeling behind the rest of my classmates, but I was also missing out on a ton of opportunities for growth and could barely perform well in other subjects that required decent reading skills. Eventually my continuous efforts had me caught up with my classmates but the harsh truth is that not many students make it. The initial embarrassment of the ordeal takes a toll on their young minds, and it ripples through their lives, years down the line. In hindsight, I know that this struggle with reading is real and can dig up a hole inside your self esteem so deep that you might never be able to fill it up. As I reflect back on those days, I wish I had someone or something to carry me through that rough patch.I would never want any child to suffer the same way I did, and here begins the start of another milepost.
As a Kid
As a child, I was hitting more snags in my learning journey than most other kids do, owing to the trouble I experienced with reading. Forget about overkilling it, I was hardly able to keep up with the routine lessons. I was tortured by anxiety and frustration at such a tender age for not performing well in class. I had the will to learn but no proper process in sight on how to go about doing it. It wasn’t until later in life that I discovered the gem that Phonics is and how it can help children with their reading problems. I can only imagine how much of a difference this tool would have made in my life had I inculcated this in my growing phase from the get-go. Phonics strengthens not just a child’s reading skills but builds a foundation for a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence for the later years of their life.
As A Teacher
My journey was never smooth. But I took my beatings in stride and made a real go of my challenges in a way that other people can benefit from. I did well in the later years of my school life and went on to graduate and postgraduate from the university of my dreams. My road was tough but couldn’t balance out the toughness of my determination. I then took up the job of a mentor and started off my career as a school teacher. Shortly after, I realized that the problem I had so not made peace with yet, had a lot of students at our school in its grip. I decided to look into it and devise a systematic way of learning that is also easily accessible by all the parents who want it for their kids.
As a Mother
After having my own baby, I made the conscious decision to turn to phonics to help him develop the requisite reading skills from the very start. For the uninitiated, phonics is a method that teaches kids the sounds of letters and letter groups thereby strengthening their reading and writing skills. I did this in an urge to protect my child from the same difficulties I faced during my early academic years. Each day, I shelled out time from my routine to practice phonics with him and saw as it went on to fetch us some really exhilarating results. My child gained confidence in reading and could churn out complete and grammatically correct sentences in writing. I was in awe of the incredible difference that phonics had made in his life. Introducing phonics in my child’s life is probably one of the best investments I’ve made into his future. The effect of this move will not only be limited to his gaining excellence in academics and doing well in school but to achieving success in the long run.
As a Mentor
Since starting “Growing Roots,” I’ve had the privilege of watching countless children flourish and gain confidence in their reading and writing abilities. Through personalized lessons and a supportive environment, we’ve been able to help children grow their skills and unlock their potential. As a mentor, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see the impact we’re making and to know that all the efforts we are putting in now will benefit them throughout their lives.