Early+Years+Learner+and+Funds+of+Knowledge

EARLY YEARS LEARNER AND FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE

Funds of knowledge is a term used to define and describe the knowledge, experiences and events that children have before they enter the classroom. As Moll et al (1992) discusses, these funds of knowledge ‘are historically acumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well being'.

During this semester we have learned about early learners and how their funds of knowledge can influence their ability to learn. Early learners are Primary School children from prep to grade two, ranging in ages from approximately five to eight. These learners come to school with their own individual funds of knowledge. This knowledge can be social and cultural experiences, shared activities, family and community based influences. By using these funds of knowledge and knowing what children participate in after school hours you can tailor your teaching methods and cirriculum to the children's advantage.

Each member of our group conducted interviews with an early learner to explore and discover their child’s own experiences and surroundings that contribute to their funds of knowledge. The children that were interviewed came from different family backgrounds, lived in various suburbs, were all in grade 1 or 2 and attended the local Primary school in their area. All of the children had younger or older siblings and all but one lived at home with both their Mother and Father. The children's interests varied in the activities that they participated in and enjoyed. Some played sport for local clubs or associations such as Auskick, soccer, swimming and tennis. Others enjoyed craft and more creative activities like drawing, making things or dancing. Going to the park with the family and playing with friends was a common activity that most children surveyed participated in.

Most children were from mixed cultural families with other languages being spoken at home or within the extended family, however English was the primary language spoken in all the children’s homes. One child understood and could speak some Armenian, another could understand and speak Indonesian and Hakka, one spoke Tagalog and one had a Maltese background however did not know the language. The children were all read to at home by their parents or their siblings and most enjoyed reading from a variety of different texts.

Technology plays a large part in the children’s lives, with every child enjoying some form of technology whether it be a Play station, ipad, ipod or the computer. All the children enjoyed watvhing a variety of television shows although some children's viewing time was monitored or limited.

It is evident that, upon reflection of the results of the interviews, how different each childs funds of knowledge are. A classroom is an extremely diverse environment with every child coming from different social and family backgrounds with their own cultural beliefs and traditions as well as their own life experiences and knowledge. It is important to embrace and accept this diversity to gain a better understanding of each individual child to assist and enhance their literacy learning experiences. As up and coming teachers it is vital to keep connected and engage with early learners to gain an insight into the most appropriate and successful ways to educate them.