Early+Years+Learners+and+Funds+of+Knowledge


 * What have you learnt about Early Years Learners and their funds of knowledge through your engagements with early years learners? **

Through our interviews with early years learners, we have seen the importance that a child’s funds of knowledge has with their ability to make connections between their home lives and what they are learning at school. In 1992, Moll et al. described ‘funds of knowledge’ as the tools, strategies, and activities families engage in to live their lives (cited in Hill, 2008, p.57). Basically, ‘funds of knowledge’ is a term used to describe the information that a student brings with them to school from their outside world. It includes things such as their life at home, and experiences they have had, generally with their families. Having these experiences allows them to relate to the subject matter being taught at school. For example, if the class is talking about being sun smart and going to the beach, then a child that has been to the beach is going to be able to relate better to the conversations and activities than a child that has never been to the beach.

As a teacher in an early years classroom it is important to find out exactly what experiences and values make up every students ‘funds of knowledge’. In doing so, it is possible to ensure that each student gets the most out of the lesson. As a teacher the most difficult part is finding out about every child in your class. Knowing what interests your students and what sort of background they are from can go along way to helping them succeed academically. The challenge can often be to get kids to tell you about themselves. Sometimes it may be a gradual process, where by each week you learn a little bit more about them.

The early years learners that were interviewed found it easy to talk about them selves. The advantage of these interviews was that we were one on one with our students and didn’t have 20 others to worry about. It would be a challenge for any teacher to sit down for ten minutes with each of their students, while the other were doing something productive, especially in the early year.

The majority of children that were for our first assignment interviewed were from two parent households and attended government primary schools in Melbourne. They enjoyed reading and it appears that their parents usually set aside time to read with them.

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