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

= = =**EARLY YEARS LEARNERS AND FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE **= = = Every child has their own unique set of skills and abilities that they have learnt and acquired before they enter a classroom. These tools, strategies and activities that a child and their family engage in to live their lives is known as Funds of Knowledge (Hill 2012, p 67). This includes all social and cultural life experiences (Moll et al 1992, pp. 133-134) that they intentionally or unintentionally learn from the most important people in their lives.The purpose of exploring a child’s funds of knowledge is to utilise the information directly into classroom teaching practices (Hill 2012, p 68). Knowing and understanding that each child is different and has different funds of knowledge allows teachers to adapt lessons to suit individual needs of students and make learning more meaningful.

Funds of knowledge begin early in a childhood development with their home life and the people around them. Who are the main people in their life? Does the child live with both their mother and father, or just one? Are they the oldest child in the family, or do they have younger or older siblings? Does the child live in an apartment in the city, or do they live in a house with a backyard in the suburbs?



In our first assignments the six of us were asked to interview a child and note down aspects of their life that attributed to their funds of knowledge. There was a mix of girls and boys in the assignment sample with some living with both parents and others living with only one. There were different cultures, which brings diversity in the form of religious beliefs, values, foods and potentially languages. There were children who had siblings, older and younger which can teach children the importance of sharing, compared to children who have no other siblings. Some children loved outdoor activities like soccer, football, riding bikes and playing in the park, while others found themselves playing more often inside with computers, board games and even dress ups. This can be indicative of the child’s personality when comparing those who play team sports on the weekends and those who prefer to play with siblings or on their own. The interest and hobbies of a child greatly impact the way in which they see the world and how they as a student learn and partake in school life. Below is a table of questions that was asked to the six different early years children with their responses -


 * Question || Child 1  || Child 2  || Child 3  || Child 4  || Child 5  || Child 6  ||
 * What do you like to do when you’re not at school? || Go to the park, play with his siblings, watch tv, play games.  || Playing on the iPad, reading emails, talk to people.  || Go to the shops, play with my brother and sister.  || Colour, practice my spelling  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cricket, PS3, reading books  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drawing, playing piano and reading  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are you favourite games? || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Four square, skittles, basketball, football, fruit salad  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drafts  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">iPod and DS :Fruit Ninja Monkey game, Temple run, any adventure game  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like the Wii. The Balance game is fun so is Michael Jackson  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Playstation games – Grand Turismo, Call of Duty  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Monopoly and Cluedo  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What kinds of movies and TV shows do you like? || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Batman, Captain America, Green Lantern. TV shows – Ben 10, Samurai Rangers.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alvin and the chipmunks 3.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hannah Montana, Nickelodeon and Disney channel shows  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tinkerbell is the best movie and I like watching kitchen and home and away with mummy  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spongebob and Rango  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kids shows like Grandpa in my Pocket and Mister Maker  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who do you play with at home? || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By himself, with his siblings and his friends when they go to his house.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Themself  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Older brother, younger sister  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mum and friends  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Older brother and sister  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Themselves  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What technologies do you use? || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Macbook laptos, desktop computers, iPads, iPod touch and Nintendo Wii.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ipad, Ipod, Iphone, Computer, Camera, TV, CD player, Egg Clock, Xbox.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">iPod, Wii, DS, Computer  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Computers, phones, Wii, Skype  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Computer and PS3  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Computer, iPod touch and PS3  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What music do you listen to? || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Listens to the radio. Doesn’t have a favourite band.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No favourites.  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One Direction, dance music, Justin Bieber  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michael Jackson, Hannah Montanna,ACDC  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eminem, LMFAO  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Doesn't really listen to music but if anyone Solena Gomez  ||

As you can see there are similarities and significant differences bewteen the six interview children. With classes of approximately twenty, it is almost a certanty that there will be even more similariteis and greater differences. All of which a teacher must know and understand.

__**<span style="color: #38287b; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 180%;">HOW DOES THIS IMPACT ON THE WAY A CHILD LEARNS? **__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">As teachers, it is integral to understand that each student is not the same and that ‘making connections between children and their families is a way to make the curriculum more meaningful’ for the child (Hill 2012, p 67). Students learn at different rates and in different ways. What may be an ideal teaching method for one child, may not be the best for another. Understanding and embracing a child’s funds of knowledge may enhance the way in which a child engages in the class and activates at school. It makes teaching easier for teachers and learning easier for students. A perfect example of teaching to a student’s strengths and funds of knowledge would be – encouraging students to read by having books or topics they enjoy reading about. Students who like AFL might enjoy reading ‘Specky Magee’ while animal lovers my enjoy reading books about dogs, cats or birds.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Whoever the child and whatever their funds of knowledge, the key things to remember are that every child is unique and in order for them to learn effectively, it is up to teachers to harness their abilities and make learning more meaningful for them.