The Littlest Historians: Early Years Programming in History Museums

ABSTRACT

Working with children under five years old and the adults that accompany them is a rapidly growing area within the museum and wider cultural sector, with important emphasis being placed on early learning in both the United Kingdom and United States. For history museums in particular, early learning offers a unique set of questions and challenges, as these youngest visitors barely have a concept of time to begin understanding the content and context of our museums. This article explores the early learning provision at the Museum of London and how it acted as a model for a preschool program at the Senator John Heinz History Center. These programs represent an investment in new audiences in an effort to ensure that they are relevant to an emerging generation, by engaging them in the earliest and most formative years of their lives and contributing their social and cognitive development.

KEYWORDS:

• Early learning
• early years
• pre-school
• historical thinking
• audience development
• gallery programs
• history museums

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

About the authors

Mariruth Leftwich, Ph.D., is the Education Manager at the Senator John Heinz History Center, overseeing student, teacher, and youth programs. Her almost 20 years in history museum education has included tenure as Digital Learning Officer at the Museum of London, Vice President for Education at the Charlotte Museum of History, and educator roles at the Atlanta History Center and National Army Museum (UK). Mariruth holds a Ph.D. in museum education from the University of London’s Institute of Education.

Clare Haywood is the Early Years Programme Manager at the Museum of London. For the past three years, Clare has managed the museum’s program for children under five and their parents, carers and teachers. She has worked at a number of museums, galleries and arts organizations in a learning capacity, working with a variety of audiences including families, schools, young people and community groups and has an MA in Museums and Galleries in Education from the Institute of Education.

Notes

1. British Association for Early Childhood Education, Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage; Davies, Grasping the Nettle; Bowers, “A Look at Early Childhood Programming in Museums.”

2. Much of this article relies on the external evaluation of the Museum of London program, which was conducted by Jo Graham in 2012. In the next year, the Museum of London early years programming will be further evaluated to assess the longer-term impact of their work and the modifications made to the program based on the 2012 recommendations.

3. Howard, Growing Young Minds, 5.

4. Bowers, “A Look at Early Childhood Programming in Museums.”

5. Howard, Growing Young Minds.

6. Bowers, “A Look at Early Childhood Programming in Museums”; Munley, Early Learning in Museums.

7. Most children begin attending a full-time nursery/formal schooling in the UK around the age of 4.

8. Graham, Under 2s at the Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands.

9. Chicago Children’s Museum, Standards of Excellence in Early Learning.

10. Hop into History is designed for two- to five-year-olds and their caregivers, which is a balanced mix of parents and grandparents.

11. Graham, Under 2s at the Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands, 22.

12. Ibid.

13. Cooper, History 3-11.

14. Hodkinson, “National Curriculum and Temporal Vocabulary.”

15. Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood.

16. Cooper, History in the Early Years.

17. The Hop into History program has not yet been formally evaluated as it relates to the cognitive aspect of the programs, but the nature of the observed and anecdotal interactions have made the staff eager to pursue evaluation. The History Center is currently working with the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children to determine appropriate evaluation measures.

18. British Association for Early Childhood Education, Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

19. Graham, Under 2s at the Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands, 5.

20. Davies, Grasping the Nettle, “Communication skills underpin the development of learning and social skills.” See also Heath, Communication Friendly Museums, as studies recognize that without strong speaking and listening skills, children are prevented from gaining further skills and knowledge.

21. Martin, “Education Case Study.”

22. Falk and Dierking, The Museum Experience; Black, The Engaging Museum.

23. Graham, Under 2s at the Museum of London and Museum of London Docklands.

24. Museum of London small-scale study, 2015. Contact author Clare Haywood for more details.

25. Bowers, “A Look at Early Childhood Programming in Museums,” 39.

26. Smith, “Why You Should Take Your Little Kids to a Museum.”