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

= Early Years Funds Of Knowledge =

A child’s funds of knowledge is one of a teachers most important and useful resources in a classroom. A students funds of knowledge can be “the historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills” (Moll & Greenberg, 2001 pg 133). This translates to; what knowledge and abilities does a child come to school already having acquired from real life experiences at home and out in the wider community. As each student is a unique individual each student will bring to the classroom a fund of knowledge all of their own. Finding similarities between all the students in the class’ funds of knowledge can be vital to relating topics to children so that they become engaged with a specific lesson and as a lesson cannot always be tailored to suit each child it is important to find links. Engaging children is vital to their learning and to do so connections between a student’s home life, families, cultural background and out of school activities with the curriculum is essential. Also understanding a child’s funds of knowledge can play a pivotal role in building a relationship with a child so that they can develop a sense of both trust and respect in you as a teacher.

Hill explains that’s “Funds of knowledge are not taught directly, but come from shared activities with families and communities and the children very often ask questions and pose problems to solve as they engage in these activities.” (Hill, 2006, pg 58). This means their funds of knowledge can be built by many different experiences they may have had in their lives. They could include cultural ones such as food, festivals, religious celebrations, languages and music. A sporting fund of knowledge could also be bought to the classroom by experiences in participating in AUSkick, swimming lessons, Netta Netball, Kanga Cricket or Little Athletics. They could also come from watching sport and supporting an AFL team, NRL team or soccer team. Possibly could come from watching a parent or older sibling play sport at an amateur or professional level. Social skills could also be placed under funds of knowledge and could come from having siblings of different genders, a twin, a broken family, lots of contact with older people, having grandparents in their lives, having a large extended family, living in a rural setting and all the opposites of these. Academic knowledge could come from having parents dedicated to their children’s education by reading to them, taking them to museums, concerts, aquariums, on holidays, overseas or by enrolling them in baby genius lessons. Funds of knowledge can be all these and much more or of course much less. A student could come to school having had very few experiences in the outside which sadly is a very possible reality.

The data below provides a brief overview of the five children’s funds of knowledge interview. Looking at the results from the five children that were interviewed in relation to funds of knowledge it is clearly evident that the ranges of prior knowledge can vary greatly amongst students even the smallest spread of students. I personally have learnt that preps – grade 2 can have a larger fund of knowledge than I initially believed. Not having frequent contact with people of this age level I didn’t realise the knowledge that they could bring to a classroom was so diversified so early. The number of experiences that the prep-2’s that our group had interviewed were quite varied and yet still similar in many ways. All were activie children who had some experience with travel, technology and music. As we all know there are no two children in the world the same and as a result each child will bring something just a little bit different into the classroom environment. The best thing to do with this something is to utilise it and make the children realise that everybody is unique and special in their own way. By recognising this you as a teacher will be able to find ways to engage children with tasks that are being undertaken at the time.

Frequently uses a DS || Loves using a computer, search the web, i-phone || TV and DVD player to watch Bindi Irwin || Barbie Play Laptop, Parents had I-Pad || I-Pod, used mum's I-phone aplications and could use a computer for basics ||
 * Brief Children’s Funds Of Knowledge:**
 * || **Child A** || **Child B** || **Child C** || **Child D** || **Child E** ||
 * **Holidays** || Portland || China, SA, QLD, America, Torquay, Farm || Lorne || Point Lonsdale, QLD, Grampians || Gold Coast, Melbourne ||
 * **Sport** || Footy and Cricket || Dancing || Swimming and Gymnastics || Netball, Basketball, Horseriding || Netta Netball ||
 * **Technology** || Infrequently uses computer
 * **Reading** || Read to by parents || Often read to by parents, babysitter || Loves reading, picture story books, read to by parents || Read well, liked to read Barbie Books || Read and being read to. Picture books by Mem Fox, Possum Magic ||
 * **Excursions/**
 * Places Often**
 * Visited** || Play Ground || Museums, Parks, || Park || Park, Swimming Pool, Gymnastics || Ballarat Soveriegn Hill, Swan Hill (Family There) ||
 * **Music** || Yes. Learning Guitar || Glee || Listens to music at school in class || Wiggles, Hi-5 || Justin Beiber, Glee Music, Saddle Club Songs ||
 * **Siblings** || Little sister who is 4 || Little brother who is 5 || Little Sister who is 3 || Only Child || Older Brother 9 ||
 * **Activities** || Skipping || Trampoline, Painting || Trampoline, Make Jewellery, || Walking Dog || Tap Dancing ||

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