The Young Artist as Scientist: What Can Leonardo Teach Us?

This is the first in-depth look at the important connections between the arts and science specifically for early childhood education (pre-K-3rd 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 children’s 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.