But asking questions just for the sake of figuring out whether the kid knows the answers? This I think can be way overdone. And in our case, even a little bit can be too much, and can trigger a big backlash. I think kids can tell the difference between a conversation and a test, and testing puts pressure, whether we mean it to or not. I would not do flashcards with a baby (or any aged preschooler) unless the child asked me to, because my philosophy is that kids learn best through play and observation...so I would never drill or quiz a baby (or preschooler). JMHO.
Great post. I agree with all of it. Kids do know the difference and over the long term kids quizzing can lead to kids hiding what they know and shutting down too.
Another thing to consider is that this quizzing kind interacting isn't really modeling very good social skills. I've seen kids who have been talked to like this a lot and then they hit the preschool years and start saying to playmates "what color is the banana?" and that doesn't really work as a form of conversation with peers.
It is great to talk to and read to your baby. I would encourage more of a narration style of talking and not worry about teaching colors, etc. - I think you'll find naturally they pick this stuff up as long as you talk and read to them.
