Viewing Art with Babies

Viewing Art with Babies demonstrates how to facilitate quality art viewing experiences with babies from as young as two months old. Such experiences can help to nurture early literacy and receptive language skills, sensory stimulation, and early brain development.

Kathy Danko-McGhee, Ph.D., is the owner of First Encounters, LLC, an art studio that provides educational experiences for babies and toddlers. She is the former Director of Education at the Toledo Museum of Art and led the museum's efforts to be at the forefront of teaching visual literacy. During her tenure there, Dr. Danko-McGhee was responsible for creating Baby Tours, Toddler Tours, and spearheaded the publication of The Art of Seeing Art: A, B, and SEE for preschool children, as well as The Art of Seeing Art for Babies. Under her leadership, the museum provided many interactive learning experiences in the galleries. Dr. Danko-McGhee was instrumental in bringing the 2014 International Visual Literacy Conference to the museum.

Introduction: Art and Babies; Chapter 1 Early Brain and Sensory Development; Chapter 2 Visual Literacy, Aesthetic Responses, and the Aesthetic Preferences of Babies; Chapter 3 Looking at Art with Babies and Building Early Receptive Language; Chapter 4 Setting Up an Environment for Babies to View Art; Chapter 5 Successful Community Art Programmes for Babies; Chapter 6 Successful Baby Tours at Art Museums; Chapter 7 Conclusion: Future Discoveries - Babies and Art.