The visual arts provide important and unique learning opportunities for young children. In this chapter, I use the Studio Thinking Framework, developed from research at Harvard University's Project Zero that involved close observation of studio art classrooms to see what teachers intend to teach and how they teach it, to inform how we can think about learning in the early childhood classroom. I describe strategies teachers can use to create a “studio classroom” that fosters children's development of broad “habits of mind,” such as becoming more observant, more engaged and persistent, reflective on their work, and willing to explore and express ideas. I discuss how teachers can use this focus on developing students' habits of mind in the arts to build connections to other learning areas.
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Sheridan, K. (2009). Studio Thinking in Early Childhood. In: Narey, M. (eds) Making Meaning. Educating the Young Child, vol 2. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87539-2_5
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