. G76 2013 Copy 2 a m *ns f ?.r, ■ ... *%i*£ Growing Young Minds : <^<XXKX><X><X><X><X><><xXK><>OO<>00<X>OOC<k library of congress Institute of Museum and Library Services 1800 M Street NW, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20036 202-653-IMLS (4657) www.imls.gov www.facebook.com/USIMLS Twitter: @US_IMLS IMLS will provide visually impaired or learning-disabled individuals with an audio recording of this publication upon request. Printed June 2013 in the United States of America Project Team Produced by the IMLS Office of Strategic Partnerships, under the direction of Marsha Semmel, Director, in conjunction with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. Mamie Bittner, Director, Office of Communications and Government Affairs Allison Boals, Program Specialist, Office of Strategic Partnerships Mary Lynn Howard, Consultant and Author Andrea Camp, Consultant CONTENTS A Call to Action 4 America's New Learning Landscape 9 10 Ways Museums and Libraries Support Community Early Learning Efforts 14 More to Be Done: Toward an Agenda for Further Research 26 Recommendations for Action 26 Success Spotlights 29 Endnotes 42 List of Contributors 44 0OO<XX>O<><X>OO<><X>OO<>C><><><><X>O<><X>O<X><><X><>©OOO<>OO<><><><>(><><><>O<W tudy after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road ... So let's do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let's give our kids that chance. -President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, February 12,2013 (XX>OO<XX>C^><><><><>0O<X><><><><><X><><><><>O<XX><><>OC<><X><><X>O<XX><X><><><X><><X><><XX>O<XX>O<><>^^ A CALL TO ACTION Libraries and museums can play a stronger role in early learning for all children. As our nation commits to early learning as a national priority essential to our economic and civic future,1 it is time to become more intentional about deploying these vital community resources to this challenge. documents that an overwhelming percentage of parents of young children, especially those with annual incomes Libraries and museums are trusted, welcoming places under $50,000, believe that libraries are “very impor¬ where children make discoveries, deepen common tant” for their children, and are eager for more and interests, expand words and knowledge, and connect varied family library services.2 their natural curiosity to the wider world. Neurosci¬ entists tell us that the type of learning that occurs in We have to work to ensure that more children and par¬ these institutions—self-directed, experiential, content- ents, especially those at low socioeconomic levels, can rich—promotes executive function skills that can shape tap into the learning resources of libraries and muse¬ a child’s success in school and life. The experiences, ums. According to a recent IMLS analysis, only 36 per¬ resources, and interactions provided by libraries and cent of children with the lowest socioeconomic status museums build brains and fuel a love of learning. visited libraries in their kindergarten year, compared to 66 percent of children in the highest; for museums, Parents know this and flock to museums and libraries these figures are 43 percent versus 65 percent.3 Recent not only to support their child’s learning but also to research points out that the disparity of access to learn¬ bolster their important role as their child’s first teacher. ing resources between children of affluence and those The Pew Research Center’s recent report, Parents' and in poverty has created a knowledge gap with serious Children's Special Relationship with Reading and Libraries, implications for students’ economic prosperity and social mobility.4 These data underscore the urgency of this report. Libraries—public and school—and museums of all types—art, history, and children’s museums; science centers; nature centers and gardens; aquaria; and zoos—form an extensive, diverse infrastructure of informal learning that is equipped to deliver critical early learning resources to young children and families, especially those most in need. Yet, in too many communities, museums and libraries are not “at the table” helping to craft the policies and practices that link children and their families to early learning resources. It is critical to act now to incorporate, and leverage, our This report calls upon communities to engage libraries well-established informal learning system as an essen¬ and museums as a key partner in comprehensive early tial component of our nation’s early learning network. learning strategies to grow young minds. It highlights It is a wise use of limited resources, both funding and the exciting work these institutions are doing around human capital, that will help our nation develop the the country in partnership with communities to shape potential of every child and result in a stronger econ¬ children’s outcomes in school and in life. We need to omy, a more effective workforce, and a nation of learn¬ do more, especially for those low-income children who ers. With an increased focus on their capacity, these need more. If we can strengthen the country’s network institutions can be more essential early learning part¬ of museums and libraries to be a greater force for early ners at the community, state, and national levels. learning, effective learning opportunities for all chil¬ dren can deepen and grow. Libraries and museums in communities across the country are expanding learning opportunities that prepare our youngest children for a lifetime of learning and success. ooo<x*>x><>c>oo<><><><x><><><x><>o<x><x><>&<><x<><>x>c><><x><><><><x><x><><x^ IN NEW YORK CITY, recess becomes a scientific experience: playground equipment created at the New York Hall of Science allows children to learn about the science of light in the walk-in kaleidoscope or the physics of sound sending messages on the giant telephone tubes. oooo<xx>oo<><xxx><><xx><x>oo<><x>o<x><xx>o<>o<><>o<><><>c<K>(><>o<x><x><xx><x><>c^><x><><yy^^ IN COLUMBUS, immigrant families attend at-home parties where, among peers, public library staff present reading readiness materials for parents to use with their children at home. ckxx><x><><x><>x>o<><>ooo<>o<><><><x><><>o<><><><><>o<x><x><><x><x><><x><><x><>^ IN MINNEAPOLIS, after hearing the story "Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story about Colors and Counting," children tour the Institute of Arts, hunt for a really big dog in a work of art and play with colors and counting. 000<XX><X>00<><X><><K><><><><><KKX><><X>0<>00<XXK><X><><X><KKK><><X><>0000<>0<><yy><>C<KKK>0<>0^^ IN ATLANTA, children visiting the Children's Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens participate in cooking classes in the Edible Garden outside kitchen. c<xx><>o<>o<>oo<>o<>oo<><><><><><>c><><x><><><><><><>ooo<x>oo<>oo<>c><><x><><>o<>c>^^ IN SALT LAKE CITY, children check out backpacks at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts full of puzzles, games, and activities and explore exhibits about Egypt, India, Europe, and America. Growing Young Minds — IN RICHMOND, young readers are maintaining and gaining skills, and beating the odds against summer slide, as they participate in the public library's research-based summer reading program. X>0<>5000C>0<>00<><>>0<><X>0<><W>0<><X>0<>©<><><X><X><X>00<><><X><><X><><^^ IN WASHINGTON, D.C., at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC), educators take babies into different Smithsonian museums every day, exposing them to the objects, artifacts, artwork, and exhibitions to help build connections between the children's known worlds and the larger world around them. < xx>oooooooo<>x><>x><x>o<><><>o><><>x><>o<>o<>>s<>o<x><><x><x><><>> IN CHARLOTTE, North Carolina's ImaginOn Center Story Lab, a joint venture of the Charlotte- Mecklenburg Public Library and the Children's Theater of Charlotte, young readers gather at workstations and use software that guides them through the process of creating a theatrical scene, inventing a storyline, and designing the set and costumes. >o<x>oo<x><><><>c><>oo<>o<><x><><><x><x><x><>o<>oooo<>o<x><x><>o<><>c>c*x><><><><><x>^^ IN CHICAGO, at the Hamill Family Play Zoo, part of Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, children and families touch animals, build habitats, paint murals, examine animal x-rays, and dress up like birds while building new understandings of animals. i>ooooooooooooooooc<><>^<>o<>oo<x><x><x><>o<x><>ooc<>o<x><>o<><><x><x><x>ooo<><><>o<>o<><>o<x><>oc><>ooo<><x^ oooooooocx AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO MEET EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGES, OUR NATION'S 1 23,000 LIBRARIES AND 17,500 museums are: Community anchors, cornerstones of our democracy, that provide safe and accessible civic spaces promoting lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and civic engagement, especially for underserved and vulnerable families and their children. Connectors that bridge the generations and bring children, their parents, and their families together in fun and nonthreatening settings that build mutual knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy. Innovative learning specialists that create "teachable moments" through exhibits, outreach programs, and environments that invite hands-on experiential learning. Stewards of rich cultural, scientific, environmental, and historical heritages, which offer robust collections of resources appealing to all disciplines and levels of learners. Digital hubs that provide guidance for navigating new technologies and identify trusted online resources to help close the digital divide for all children, their parents, and caregivers. Growing Young Minds CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS BUILT INTO THE ARCHITECTURE OF THEIR BRAINS A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that emotional development begins early in life and is closely connected with the emergence of cognitive, language, and social skills. Early emotional develop¬ ment lays the foundation for later academic performance, mental health, and the capacity to form suc¬ cessful relationships. Despite this knowledge, most policies related to early childhood focus exclusively on cognitive development as it relates to school readiness, neglecting the importance of such capacities as the ability to regulate one's own emotions and behavior and to manage successful interactions with other people. A report from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child presents an overview of the scientific research on how a child's capacity to regulate emotions develops in a complex interaction with his or her environment and ongoing cognitive, motor, and social development. It then discusses the implica¬ tions of this research for policies affecting young children, their caregivers, and service providers. Source: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Children's Emotional Development Is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains: Working Paper No. 2. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu xxx><x><>o<><x><>o<><>c>oo<><><x><x><x><><><x><x>o<x><><x><x>o<x>o<><>^^ AMERICA'S NEW LEARNING where skills are developed across domains and knowl¬ LANDSCAPE edge is transferred from one situation to another, ulti¬ mately building the capacity to work in a world where “how to know” is as important as “what to know.” ' Libraries and museums have a long history of serving young children. They are virtually everywhere—from New Skills for Learning the smallest tribal community to the largest metro¬ politan area. As community repositories of literature, Contributing to this expanded view of where, when, and science, and heritage, museums and libraries build on how learning takes place is a growing body of research how children learn best, by designing and delivering that draws attention to an important set of foundation content-rich, play-based experiences that link early skills, anchored in children’s early social-emotional learning best practice to books, exhibits, and collec¬ development. Known as executive function, these skills tions. Their resources prompt parents and caregivers are key to a child’s earliest brain development, building to explore, pose questions, make connections, exchange focus and self-control, perspective taking, communica¬ information and ideas, and instill in young children not tion, and making connections. In the process of devel¬ only a love of learning, but also the skills for learning. oping these executive function skills, children use their It is this established expertise that makes museums and social, emotional, and cognitive capacities in pursuit of libraries such valuable assets in community-wide efforts goals. These skills are the “how” of learning, enabling to promote early learning. The emerging learning land¬ children to master the “what” of learning—reading, scape makes their participation imperative. writing, social studies, and science, technology, engi¬ neering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts. Taken This new landscape redefines where, when, and how together, they help children become self-directed, learning occurs, calling for innovative environments engaged learners. 000<><><X><X><><>0<X><X><>00<>00<>C<><><><><>^<><X>0<>0<>0<><X><><><><X><><^^ ibraries and museums can tackle barriers to reading proficiency. As trusted local institutions, museums and libraries have the convening and staying power to help communities do the hard work of surfacing, connecting, linking, and replicating best practice and building local capacity. -Ralph Smith, Managing Director, The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and Senior Vice President, The Annie E. Casey Foundation oooooooo WHY START AT BIRTH? Human Brain Development Neural Connections for Different Functions Develop Sequentially Source: Harvard University Center on the Developing Child