Engaging Young Children in Museums

Sharon E. Shaffer is currently a museum consultant specializing in providing programming to younger children. Previously, she served fifteen years as Executive Director of the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center. She is the only educator ever to receive the Smithsonian Institution Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service. Shaffer regularly teaches workshop on educating young children through museums and has consulted on this topic both in the United States and abroad. She has a Ph.D. in education from University of Virginia and was on the faculty of the George Washington University Museum Studies Program.

• Understanding the Audience of Young Children in Museums, Past and Present; Chapter 1 Children and Museums: An Introduction; Chapter 2 The History of Children and Museums in America: A Brief Overview; Chapter 3 Learning Theory and the Early Years; Shaping Programs that Engage Children in Constructing Meaning; Chapter 4 The Early Childhood Classroom and Museum Learning; Chapter 5 Best Practice: Key Concepts; Chapter 6 Best Practice: A Foundation for Early Childhood Programming in Museums; Making a Difference: The Promise of the Future; Chapter 7 Making a Difference: The Promise of the Future;