When educational philosophies collide

The latest wisdom on teaching young children discourages the use of flashcards. Not only does a two year old not really need to know letters, simple sums, or the other types of information usually presented on flashcards, but showing children cards that each summarizes a single truth and drilling them on the right answers is not considered a natural way for young children to learn. (Actually, I suspect it is an unnatural way for anyone to learn, but then some things we need to know as older people aren't acquired naturally, at least not after a certain age.)

Much better, suggests current educational theory, is to let children learn by freely exploring the environment around them. The combination of varied stimuli in their everyday lives and the low-pressure atmosphere when children are allowed to discover on their own actually allow them to learn much more, to learn it better, and to integrate into their lives.

One of the most natural things for toddlers to try under such circumstances is imitating mommy or daddy. Much of toddlers' play in the third year may involve pretending to clean, cook, drive, go to the store, or care for babies, much as their parents do.

What none of these theories addresses is what to do with the child who, in seeking to imitate mommy and daddy, asks to be drilled on flashcards.

Tom is learning Hebrew this summer, which involves hours staring at piles and piles of little flashcards, memorizing words. Sometimes he does this at home, sometimes he slings his bag over his shoulder and heads off to work at the computer center.

So yesterday Edith came down the hall with a little lunchbox in her hand, announcing, "This my suitcase. I have to study." We had to go to church, but once in the car, Edith opened the box and took out a handful of cards, little squares from a lotto game featuring different animals for each letter of the alphabet. She looked at each card for awhile, saying the name of the animal over and over, then asked me to test her.

What's a parent to do? I took the cards and began flashing them, one by one.