This report from the Harvard Family Research Project and the Public Library Association is a call-to-action about the importance of engaging families in libraries. Head to this page to download your free copy of the report: Public Libraries: A Vital Space for Family Engagement Check out more resources here: Public Library Association – Family Engagement M. Elena […]
Curiosity Creates: Innovative Library Programming for Children
Featuring examples from the field, this report from the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a great resource for libraries looking for inspiration for their child and family programs. Holmes, Paula. Curiosity Creates: Innovative Library Programming for Children. Association for Library Service to Children, 2016.
Family Engagement in Anywhere, Anytime Learning
These reports from the Harvard Family Research Project focus on the importance of out-of-school learning that can take place at libraries and museums. The authors explore how families and community organizations can work together to support children. Read the reports here: Lopez, M. Elena, and Margaret Caspe. Family Engagement in Anywhere, Anytime Learning. Harvard Family Research […]
Reading Groups at the Newton Free Library
The Newton Free Library in Newton, MA offers several programs for kids and families with a focus on books and literacy. The programs are free but adults do have to register ahead of time. Book Bunch is a book club for 1st and 2nd graders and their adults that takes place for about an hour, […]
Science Saturdays at the Attleboro Public Library
The Attleboro Public Library offers an hour-long science program for kids ages 3 through kindergarten one Saturday morning a month from October to June. The goal of the program is to encourage children and their caregivers to learn and discover together. Younger siblings under 3 are encouraged not to attend so that the adult can […]
Building Supportive Communities with Libraries, Museums, and Early Childhood Systems
A project of the BUILD Initiative and IMLS, this toolkit provides museum, library and early childhood specialists with strategies, tools and resources for collaborating to engage children and families. Learn more about the project here. Killins Stewart, Sherri, Deborah Stahl, and Judy Reidt-Parker. BUILDing Supportive Communities with Libraries, Museums, and Early Childhood Systems: A Toolkit for Collaborative […]
Pirate PlayLand at the Concord Free Public Library
For the month of January, the Concord Free Public Library in Concord, MA transformed the Children’s Room into a pirate-themed Treasure Island for an extended program for children and their caregivers to take part in activities that engage the imagination and motor skills. Pirate PlayLand was part of a Mind in the Making grant, which […]
Elements of Play from The Strong National Museum of Play
The Strong provides a resource for scholars looking for definitions of play through the Museum’s Elements of Play chart. “Play is difficult to define because it is complex. Many scholars find that describing play is easier than defining it. To help advance discourse around a definition of play, research undertaken at The Strong suggests that six […]
Minnesota Children’s Museum: Play More
The Minnesota Children’s Museum’s focus, like many children’s museums, is all about play. However, the Museum provides a unique approach to play in museums through their PlayLENS. This framework guides adults in supporting their child’s play with a clear call to action. The Museum’s Successful People Play movement seeks to show that successful adults know […]
Engaging Children in Meaningful Conversation
The videos and resources on this page of the Brain Building in Progress website discuss how to engage 3 to 5-year-old children in meaningful conversation by building in opportunities to talk, modeling conversation, and using complex language and vocabulary. Includes a Facilitator’s Guide.
Brain Building in Progress: Resources for Educators About Early Learning
The Brain Building in Progress website includes numerous resources for educators and parents to help their children, birth to 5 years old, learn and progress. The “site provides exciting, engaging media-rich learning opportunities for educators, parents, and caregivers of children. From detailed lesson plans to simple, everyday activities, you will find everything you need to […]
The Connections Between Children’s Play and Learning
The Children’s Play and Learning Resources page of The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) website includes numerous links (listed below) detailing the latest research on play, play based learning, why play is an important part of children’s learning and development, the role of play in the classroom, and ideas to share […]
Next Practices in Art Museum Education
Members of the Association of Art Museum Directors from across the country, Mexico, and Canada sent in examples of the best educational programs at their museums. This collection of 100 submissions highlights programs designed for a variety of audiences ranging from young children through older adults. Also included are programs for teens, college students, teachers […]
The Adult Child Interaction Inventory
The Adult Child Interaction Inventory (ACII) was the product of a three-year NSF-funded research project that aimed to better understand the non-verbal and verbal interactions between adults and preschool children in museums during STEM programs.
Growing Young Minds: How Museums and Libraries Create Lifelong Learners
This report by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) issues a call to action for everyone to utilize museums and libraries which provide quality and effective early learning opportunities for children. This publication focuses on the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading which promotes reading proficiency for low-income students. The report provides examples and success […]
Developing and Supporting Family Learning in Museums and Galleries
This UK publication is a resource for museum staff members who seek to develop family programming. Beginning with a definition of family learning, and some of the benefits of family engagement, author Clare Meade goes on to provide tools including graphs and charts for developing programs in museums. Meade gives examples of museums in the […]
Race to the Top – Boston Children’s Museum
Resources and activities for museum and library professionals to help promote literacy, brain-building, kindergarten readiness, and STEM at their sites.
Teaching Yourself to Teach with Objects
This article was written for classroom teachers by museum educator John Hennigar Shuh. He gives several reasons for why teaching from objects is advantageous. Shuh suggests that the best way for teachers to begin to teach with objects in their classrooms is to start by looking at ordinary, everyday objects
Engaging Parents as Facilitators of Children’s Learning in Science: Materials for Training and Design of Family Workshops
This article is the product of research done by the FEAST (Facilitating Engagement of Adults in Science and Technology) consortium of European science museums and science centers. The report, designed to assist museum educators in supporting parents and caregivers in educating children in informal science institutions, explains how museums can help caregivers become more involved […]
Project Explore: An Evaluation Methodology
Project Explore, a collaboration between Philadelphia’s Please Touch Museum and Harvard University’s Project Zero, describes their evaluation process and experience in trying to determine if “children [are] really learning in children’s museums or are they simply being entertained? If children are learning, what is it that they are learning? What engages and enhances children in the […]
