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.
I totally agree with you. I was trying to say that we do not "quiz" as a test to find out how much she knows. But I'm guilty of entertaining her by drawing letters on a paper so she can tell me what they are. I would not see it as drilling and my intention was not to find if she knows it or not, just to have her sit quietly for a while. She is past that activity now and would get terribly bored if she wold have to name letters, at some point she thought it was fun. There is only a limited amount of activities you can do with active toddler while waiting for your food at the restaurant. At this point we do not carry toys or books with us like we did when she was younger.
Like I said we do not use flashcards and I do not think they help the child. I would never want to say that they are harmful either if done in an relaxed atmosphere and it is fun for the child.
