TOLEDO, OH.- Museums across the country are beginning to offer tours to the youngest members of their audience, and the Toledo Museum of Art is leading the way. In the past year the Museum began offering monthly baby tours designed by one of the world’s foremost experts on how babies’ visual experiences can fuel learning and cognitive development.

The innovative tours for 2-to-18-month-olds are the brainchild of Dr. Kathy Danko-McGhee, director of education at the Toledo Museum of Art. Dr. Danko-McGhee’s groundbreaking research centers on how infants and toddlers respond to art and the impact of early art experiences on literacy and critical thinking skills.

“Being literate in the arts gives young children an advantage in learning to read and write,” said Dr. Danko-McGhee. Separate research cited by Dr. Danko-McGhee indicates that students involved in the arts score higher on standardized tests.

Studying interesting shapes, lines and colors promotes early neuron connections in the brain and lead even the youngest children to observe and decode symbols in works of art. During the tours caregivers are encouraged to name and describe different characteristics in a work of art. Dr. Danko-McGhee explains that comprehension and vocabulary are developed through social interaction, so the tours serve as a bridge to literacy.

Dr. Danko-McGhee, who received her Ph.D. in art education from The Ohio State University, has been published and has presented her research nationally and internationally. She also has received numerous awards and honors for her work. Her research has become the basis for early art education programs around the world. Her book, The Impact of Early Art Experiences on Literacy Development, was co-authored by Ruslan Slutsky and published by the National Art Education Association in 2007.

A stimulating environment, which can escalate brain growth, is important for babies and young children because much of the brain develops during the first few years of life. The visual system, in particular, develops rapidly over the first few weeks.

“Children are aesthetic beings with an inborn visual processing and response system,” said Dr. Danko-McGhee. “During our tours, we talk about brain growth in the early phases of development and how parents can interact with their children to promote engagement with works of art,” said Dr. Danko-McGhee.

“Providing visually stimulating experiences for babies is critical for early learning and development,” she continued. “That ‘aha!’ or ‘wow!’ moment, when something clicks in our brain, is central to all modes of learning and occurs much more readily when we are presented with material that captivates us.”

The monthly baby tours are part of the Toledo Museum of Art’s sustained commitment to help all visitors develop Visual Literacy—the ability to construct meaning from the images we see in the world around us. Connecting art and education has been at the center of the Museum’s mission for more than a century.

Baby tours at the Toledo Museum of Art began on an experimental basis in 2012. Because of their success, they are now part of the Museum’s regular schedule of Docent-led public tours. The tours, which incorporate works from the Museum’s permanent collection and, on occasion, special exhibitions, are approximately 30 minutes to accommodate babies’ limited attention spans.