A child prodigy who made a mark!

Her brain reflects a world map. At a time when children of her age engage in long play hours and screen time, she is busy breaking records. Ask her the geographical location of any country, she will respond in a jiffy.

Meet Dattu Sri Nandana, an eight-year-old prodigy from Visakhapatnam. At a tender age of three years, her name was etched in India Book of Records, International Book of Records and Telugu Book of Records for naming 198 countries along with their capitals in a record time.

Sri Nandana believes in the concept of mind-mapping and she learnt the technique at a very young age. Nurturing a healthy competitive spirit, she recently did another feat of naming 200 countries along with identifying other countries close to them that are located in four different directions – east, west, north and south. With this, she is planning to gain an entry into Guinness World of Records.

Dattu Prakash, Sri Nandana's father, was quick to spot the rare talent of his daughter. "Every child is unique and is endowed with unique skills. The trick lies in identifying them, helping them focus on it and showing a way out to bring them out. Helping the children overcome distractions and honing their natural talent and creativity go a long way in achieving goals," explains Dattu Prakash.

In their house, there is no television and Sri Nandana does not spend time with a mobile phone as her parents have not provided her one with. "Lack of distractions helped our child stay focused on what she aspired for without any deviations. As parents, we need to set an example for the children," says Sri Nandana's mother Dattu Aparna.

Digital toxicity is a serious concern and many parents find their wards suffer from. To encourage children to stay away from digital screens that are not only addictive but also distractive, Prakash visits schools and builds awareness about digital toxicity among children and parents.

By following techniques such as mind-mapping and staying away from the digital screens, Sri Nandana's parents say that children would eventually excel in their studies.

With her kitty already brimming with medals, certificates and trophies, Sri Nandana, studying IV Grade at Silver Oaks International School, says that there is always something new to explore and gain expertise.