The Young Artist as Scientist

This is the first in-depth look at the important connections between the arts and science specifically for early childhood education (pre-K3rd grade). Highlighting their many commonalities, such as the processes involved in creative problem solving, the author draws on what we can learn from Leonardo da Vinci as the supreme artist-scientist. Every chapter begins with a vignette of Leonardo and relates his thinking to the development of childrens ideas in the arts and STEM (STEAM). This fresh look at the interdisciplinary connections of the arts and science offers early childhood teachers and administrators a spectrum of tools for connecting the creative arts (art, movement, drama, and music) to the STEM movement, 21st-century skills, and developmentally appropriate practice. Book Features: Promotes a more vigorous, inclusive, and diverse early childhood curriculum needed for the 21st century. Helps teachers, parents, and administrators make connections between art and science. Examines the connection of the arts to the Next Generation Science Standards (2013) through the Crosscutting Interdisciplinary Concepts. Incorporates Reggio Emilia practices and includes examples from a Reggio preschool classroom.