What does a museum do with a kindergartener who walks through the door? The growth of interest in young children learning in museums has joined the national conversation on early childhood education. This is the first book for museum professionals that focuses on this intersection. Written by the founding Executive Director of the innovative Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, this concise volume provides essential guidance for museum professionals to plan programming for young children. Sharon E. Shaffer explains the various ways in which children learn, then shows how to use this knowledge to design effective programs using a variety of teaching models. Replete with examples of successful programs and tested activities to employ in your institution, Shaffer presents a set of best practices for developing early childhood learning programs. 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 Learn more about the book directly from author Sharon Shaffer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD7ls9cwYiA.