Engaging Young Children in Museums

Engaging Young Children in Museums
Author: Sharon E Shaffer
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2016-06-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 131542956X

What does a museum do with a kindergartner who walks through the door? The growth of interest in young children learning in museums has joined the national conversation on early childhood education. Written by Sharon Shaffer, the founding Executive Director of the innovative Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, this is the first book for museum professionals as well as students offering guidance on planning programming for young children.This groundbreaking book:-Explains the various ways in which children learn-Shows how to use this knowledge to design effective programs using a variety of teaching models-Includes examples of successful programs, tested activities, and a set of best practices

Engaging Young Children in Museums

Engaging Young Children in Museums
Author: Sharon E Shaffer
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2016-06-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1315429551

What does a museum do with a kindergartner who walks through the door? The growth of interest in young children learning in museums has joined the national conversation on early childhood education. Written by Sharon Shaffer, the founding Executive Director of the innovative Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, this is the first book for museum professionals as well as students offering guidance on planning programming for young children.This groundbreaking book:-Explains the various ways in which children learn-Shows how to use this knowledge to design effective programs using a variety of teaching models-Includes examples of successful programs, tested activities, and a set of best practices

Welcoming Young Children Into the Museum

Welcoming Young Children Into the Museum
Author: SARAH. ERDMAN
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2021-11-30
Genre:
ISBN: 9780367517830

Welcoming Young Children into the Museum provides all of the information practitioners need to consider when making the decision to engage with this audience and their carers. Meeting the reader where they are, this guide enables professionals to work towards outcomes that fit with their needs. Working methodically from the initial stages of bringing staff on board, through to implementation and evaluation, readers are carefully steered through each phase. Big-picture needs, like adherence to mission, are considered alongside logistical components, like cleaning schedules, to ensure that museums cater to young children in a way that is beneficial to both the visitors and the institution. Drawing on current neurological research and best practices in early childhood education and development, this guide presents case studies from a variety of different institutions around the world that demonstrate that creating interesting, developmentally appropriate opportunities for young children is about much more than just simplifying what is already on offer. Erdman, Nguyen and Middleton demonstrate that the age and needs of the visitors must be taken into careful consideration, as well as the assets and potential obstacles of the institution. Welcoming Young Children into the Museum will be essential reading for professionals working in museums large and small, regardless of type. It will be useful to those who are considering setting up new programmes for early years audiences and those with existing programmes, who would like to improve their offering.

International Thinking on Children in Museums

International Thinking on Children in Museums
Author: Sharon E. Shaffer
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2020-10-12
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1000200051

International Thinking on Children in Museums introduces current research, theory, and practice about young learners in museums around the world. The book imparts vital knowledge about the nature of childhood and children’s learning that will improve understanding of the very youngest museum-goers. Including contributions from practitioners, scholars, and consultants around the globe, this volume examines museum practices and children’s learning across a range of distinct cultural and geographic locales. The framework of the book is based on research and current thinking in the realm of developmental psychology, sociology, and anthropology, allowing the contributors to examine the evolution of early learning and children’s programs through a sociocultural lens. This broad-based look at international museum practices for children offers a rare view of the field from an important, but oft-neglected perspective: that of society and culture. International Thinking on Children in Museums will broaden understanding of museum practice across cultures and geographic regions and, as such, will be of interest to scholars and students engaged in the study of museum education, museum studies, and early learning. It should also provide a much-needed source of inspiration for museum practitioners working around the world.

Museums, Children and Social Action

Museums, Children and Social Action
Author: Sharon E. Shaffer
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2023-12-15
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1003834000

Museums, Children and Social Action examines the role that museums play in reaching, teaching and inspiring children as global citizens of the world and, looking to the future, argues that the sustainability of museums will come from strengthening relationships with young visitors. Presenting a diverse range of programs, exhibitions and outreach from museums across five continents, Shaffer highlights how museums are already serving children and making a difference in their lives. Arguing that museums have a unique responsibility to connect this audience with relevant social issues and challenges, such as social injustice, racism, climate change and poverty, Shaffer simultaneously acknowledges that a large number of children are still on the margins of the institution and its mission. Recognizing the ways in which museums are currently serving children, the book also considers what museums could and should be doing as they plan for the future, raising critical questions about core values, community partners and social agendas. Museums, Children and Social Action is essential reading for academics and students engaged in the study of museums, social justice and childhood. It encourages museums to make it their mission to educate and serve this audience and their families for the good of children, as well as museums, while also considering what their institutions can do to make a lasting impact on children and their families.

Evaluating Early Learning in Museums

Evaluating Early Learning in Museums
Author: Nicole Cromartie
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2021-04-01
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1000376699

Evaluating Early Learning in Museums presents developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant practices for engaging early learners and their families in informal arts settings. Written by early childhood education researchers and a museum practitioner, the book showcases what high-quality educational programs can offer young children and their families through the case study of a program at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. Providing strategies for building strong community partnerships and audience relationships, the authors also survey evaluation tools for early learning programs and offer strategies to help museums around the world to engage young children. At the center of this narrative is the seminal partnership that developed between researchers and museum educators during the evaluation of a program for toddlers. Illuminating key components of the partnership and the resulting evolution of family offerings at the museum, the book also draws parallels to current work being done at other museums in international contexts. Evaluating Early Learning in Museums illustrates how an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and practitioners can improve museum practices. As such, the book will be of interest to researchers and students engaged in the study of museums and early childhood, as well as to practitioners working in museums around the world.

Children’s Museums as a New Informal Learning Environment in China

Children’s Museums as a New Informal Learning Environment in China
Author: Xin Gong
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2022-03-16
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1000545814

Based on solid theoretical and empirical analyses, this book provides a first and fresh introduction to the recent development of children’s museums in China, along with their educational and social impacts as an informal learning environment for children, families, and society in general. To understand the benefits of children’s museums and in providing stimulating, informal education to children, the book looks into the origin and historical development of these institutions and how they have been influenced by informal learning theory, museum education, and early childhood education while providing case studies of children’s museums in China and the learning that takes place in them. This research analyses the process of informal learning and provides guidance on ways of elevating children’s cognitive and noncognitive development in the informal space. Different stakeholders of children's museums, including parents and educators, practitioners and designers, researchers of informal education, early childhood education, and policy makers will benefit from the insights provided in this book.

STEM in Early Childhood Education

STEM in Early Childhood Education
Author: Lynn E. Cohen
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2019-07-12
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0429843658

Bringing together a diverse cohort of experts, STEM in Early Childhood Education explores the ways STEM can be integrated into early childhood curricula, highlighting recent research and innovations in the field, and implications for both practice and policy. Based on the argument that high-quality STEM education needs to start early, this book emphasizes that early childhood education must include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in developmentally appropriate ways based on the latest research and theories. Experienced chapter authors address the theoretical underpinnings of teaching STEM in the early years, while contextualizing these ideas for the real world using illustrative examples from the classroom. This cutting-edge collection also looks beyond the classroom to how STEM learning can be facilitated in museums, nature-based learning outdoors, and after-school programs. STEM in Early Childhood Education is an excellent resource for aspiring and veteran educators alike, exploring the latest research, providing inspiration, and advancing best practices for teaching STEM in the early years.

Museums in Motion

Museums in Motion
Author: Edward P. Alexander
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2017-02-23
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1442278811

Here is a complete introduction to the history of museums, types of museums, and the key roles that museums play in the twenty-first century. Following an introductory chapter looking at what a museum is today, Part I looks at the history and types of museums: art and design museums natural history and anthropology museums science museums history museums, historic houses, interpretation centers, and heritage sites botanical gardens and zoos children’s museums The second part of the book explores the primary functions of museums and museum professionals: to collect to conserve to exhibit to interpret and to engage to serve and to act The final chapter looks at the museum profession and professional practices. Throughout, emphasis is on museums in the United States, although attention is paid to the historical framing of museums within the European context. The new edition includes discussions of technology, access, and inclusivity woven into each chapter, a list of challenges and opportunities in each chapter, and “Museums in Motion Today,” vignettes spread throughout the volume in which museum professionals provide their perspectives on where museums are now and where they are going. More than 140 images illustrate the volume.