I too am deathly afraid of flashcards. For the most part we let DD guide through play what she is learning. But I do have to say that since coming across the gifted term and reading up on it I am not so worried about over doing it because logically the brain is ready when the brain is ready and no amount of flashcards or instructions will change that. This said I also know from Ruf's book that teaching needs to be limited through instructions since it gives parents a false sense of accomplishments when that are directing the outcome. So I guess there is a tightrope we walk as we try to keep the kids moving in their knowledge but not over doing it. So I guess flashcards are okay as another form but it is the method in how you use them.
