Introduction – my journey

Many of my life skills and values became embedded growing up as a child in a small rural community. My family were very involved in community life, learning new skills and contributing their own knowledge. Later in life as a new parent I joined the Playcentre movement where I embraced the philosophy of families growing and learning together, empowered by the guidance and experiences shared by fellow Playcentre members as indicated by Densem and Chapman (2000). Completing my early childhood education (ECE) training and moving to employment in a community preschool further embedded my enjoyment of gaining new knowledge and skills imparted by others.

Reflecting on my twenty plus years in ECE, under the umbrella of the New Zealand early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa (Ministry of Education [MoE], 2017), I am confident to say that learning about, and drawing on, the funds of knowledge approach (Moll et al., 1992) has been inspirational. Being curious and growing trusting connections with children, families, and colleagues has elicited ongoing rewards, fostering my own learning whilst simultaneously supporting the development and achievements of children. I hope the ideas in this article prompt all ECE teachers to ensure an interest in funds of knowledge is included in their kete of tools. I begin with an overview of the funds of knowledge of children and families in the context of ECE. I then discuss the value of teachers’ own funds of knowledge in curriculum making.

Children’s and families’ funds of knowledge 

Funds of knowledge are defined as “historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household functioning and well-being” (Moll et al., 1992, p. 133). Examples of funds of knowledge may include knowledge of shopping duties, the skills required for baking, or gardening tasks. The theoretical concept of funds of knowledge developed from research into issues of social justice related to meeting the learning needs of ethnic minority children. Working closely with families, which included visits to family homes, increased teachers’ understandings of the skills and knowledge children acquire through participating in family and community life (Gonzalez et al., 2005). These ideas align with Te Whāriki which views the child as a competent learner and values the wider context of children’s lives.

Funds of knowledge highlights the importance of teachers learning from families about children’s existing skills and knowledge and using this information to support the acquisition of new knowledge (Cooper & Hedges, 2014; Gonzalez et al., 2005). Thomson (2002) names these experiences and competencies a child’s virtual schoolbag, a collection of what children know and can already do. Te Whāriki embraces this understanding, guiding teachers in opening the contents of each child’s schoolbag through connecting with the everyday skills learnt in the context of the home (MoE, 2017). Consequently, when teachers are in tune with these existing skills and knowledge, this information may be used to inform curriculum planning and integrated into activities that support children’s ongoing learning. 

Whilst a teacher’s understanding of a child’s knowledge is specific to the educational context, the knowledge a parent has is much broader and not confined to a specific setting. Through collaborating with parents, teachers can incorporate knowledge from the home environment to deepen their understandings (Chesworth, 2016; Cooper & Hedges, 2014; Hedges et al., 2011; Hedges et al., 2017). Connecting with, and building on, children’s funds of knowledge happens over time, positioning teachers as learners and facilitating “a potentially rich tapestry of teaching and learning possibilities” (Hogg, 2016, p. 53). Thus, in preparing to teach, it is important teachers consider how funds of knowledge are identified and built on. 

Being curious and connected – looking beyond

Te Whāriki embraces the child as confident and competent, a notion teachers uphold as they work to recognise and build on children’s existing interests and skills (MoE, 2017). This prior knowledge is often embedded in play experiences, sometimes in ways that are not immediately obvious. Hedges et al. (2017) suggest looking beyond initial interpretations, remarking that “knowing how to observe and interpret children’s interests and work with families’ funds of knowledge in meaningful ways are central to the endeavour of providing a responsive curriculum” (p. 9). I offer the following vignette from my experience as an example: 

Over time I noticed Sam’s repeated and focussed play with tractors. From building a trusting relationship with Sam’s Mum, including regular exchanges of dialogue and photos, I learnt Sam was deeply engaged with his father, often involved in farming tasks and riding in the tractor with him. Early words spoken by Sam included “stuck, stuck”’, describing his participation in the daily routine of feeding out to animals in sometimes muddy hilly conditions. Such depth of understanding of the child’s prior knowledge allowed me to authentically support Sam’s growing identity by providing an environment rich with materials for loading and transporting, encouraging him to share his expertise with his peers and listening carefully to the ideas Sam was developing through his play. Therefore, being genuinely curious and engaging in regular collaborative dialogue with family can benefit the authentic interpretation of a child’s interests. 

Being curious about children’s learning interests by seeking multiple perspectives is a prime undertaking for teachers (McLachlan, 2018; MoE, 2017; Niles, 2016). While the study by Moll et al. (1992) included home visits, time and organisational restraints in ECE mean learning from families today is mostly through informal conversations and documented formats. Te Whāriki (MoE, 2017) suggests multiple modes of gathering information to learn about children’s everyday activities. Carr and Lee (2019) advocate for learning stories, a narrative story of learning, intended to initiate conversations with families and make links between settings. Additionally, video footage shown to families has also supported authentic interpretations of children’s interests (Chesworth, 2016; Cooper & Hedges, 2014). In my centre we are continually refining our methods of gathering and exploring information. One way of doing this is using a notebook in which teachers record and share daily with parents their child’s interests. This information exchange is a prompt for reciprocal parent-teacher conversations and learning more about a child’s involvement in daily tasks. Practices have evolved to ensure children are active participants in the dialogue with photos of meaningful people, places and things made accessible. These pictures help identify what and who, are important to children, highlighting the significance of making genuine connections to children’s lives as a key for unlocking their funds of knowledge.

Play experiences which connect with real life events are important for children as they contemplate their developing identity (Hedges et al., 2019). Artefacts that represent cultural practices, including everyday household resources, can help uncover important daily routines or lived experiences in play. It is particularly relevant in diverse learning communities to support connectedness and shared understandings (Gilde & Volman, 2021; McDevitt & Kurihara, 2017; Tong & Kumar, 2022). In my centre children’s Red Band gumboots and real garden tools are examples of empowering artefacts linking children to their rural family experiences and potential funds of knowledge. These familiar everyday resources enable children to practice and strengthen their culturally developed expertise such as preparing ground for planting. Similarly, a rural mural is an artefact prompting conversation as children share their prior knowledge and teachers respond with encouraging questions or extension through added materials. Further curriculum enrichment evolves with teachers drawing on their own lived experiences and related interests, an aspect I discuss next (Hedges et al., 2011; Hedges, 2012). 

Teachers’ funds of knowledge

The funds of knowledge approach has evolved to also include the everyday knowledge held by others in ECE. Teachers hold their own individual cultural ways of being and skills that have evolved over time and this knowledge influences teaching practice (Hedges, 2012; McDevitt & Kurihara, 2017). In her study of two ECE settings, Hedges (2012) explored the nature of teachers’ personal and professional expertise highlighting the intuitive everyday knowledge that teachers naturally interweave into their daily interactions with children. This knowledge may stem from socially situated family and centre-based experiences (informal) or professional community-based (formal) experiences and can effect responses to enrich children’s interests. These ideas are particularly relevant to ECE where teachers contribute to both spontaneous and planned curriculum experiences.

As reflective practitioners, Hedges (2012) suggests teachers’ personal funds of knowledge are often drawn upon alongside their formal and professional knowledge. Consequently, in developing an activity and responding to children’s curiosities, teachers may be influenced by their own lived experiences. In this way teachers’ funds of knowledge act as a resource, enriching the curriculum through contributing their own culturally developed expertise and ideas that align with children’s interests (Banegas, 2022; Hedges, 2012; McDevitt & Kurihara, 2017). For example, a teacher who grew up observing her father coaching school rugby might intuitively support team experiences fostering participation and fair play. Similarly, a teacher raised in a close-knit extended family environment will likely mirror a caring demeanour in understanding children. This affirms the positive benefits to children when teachers recognise and use their own funds of knowledge to progress learning.

Being aware – a curriculum enriched with funds of knowledge 

When teachers practice authentically to their own family and cultural backgrounds, multiple learning opportunities arise. Children, families, and colleagues are exposed to new knowledge and these experiences can strengthen pedagogical skills and consolidate their relationships with each other and with learners (Jenson, 2018; McDevitt & Kurihara, 2017). This might be a teacher from a background different from the predominant culture sharing their expertise in preparing a traditional dish. Contributing skills and knowledge of food, learnt in everyday family life, may provoke identifying comparable funds of knowledge in children. In my centre a teacher of Dutch heritage commented she ‘feels at home’ sharing and building children’s understanding and knowledge of her home language by reading to, or conversing with them, including those with dual Dutch heritage. This suggests being aware of, and actively drawing on teachers’ historically accumulated cultural knowledge can enrich the curriculum.

In seeking to learn about families’ funds of knowledge a safe space for reciprocal sharing needs to be created when teachers offer a little of their own lived experiences (Gilde & Volman, 2021). Teachers sharing their own personal funds of knowledge may act as a catalyst in promoting collaborative inquiry as well as empowering reciprocal information exchange (McDevitt & Kurihara, 2017). For example, in my centre weekend activities. such as gardening tasks, farming activities or sporting events are often a focus of discussion during drop off and pick up times. Conversations involve the child, often extended with an invitation to contribute a photo to support revisiting learning. My own experiences growing up on a few acres of land and being involved in caring for both plants and animals embedded me with a deep appreciation for living things. This foundation of knowledge and continued interest in the natural world has led to strong connections with like-minded families and supported me to actively promote children’s curiosity in nature. Therefore, teachers should be aware of what informal knowledge they intuitively contribute as well as any gaps which may influence being inclusive of all family backgrounds (Chan & Ritchie, 2016; Jenson, 2018). 

Given the team orientated nature of ECE, being aware of each teachers’ funds of knowledge and related interests supports building a responsive curriculum. Consequently, providing spaces for sharing the knowledge and relationships teachers build outside the work environment is an important consideration (Cowie et al., 2022). A recent Internal Evaluation (Education Review Office, 2021) has helped us to reflect on both our personal and professional funds of knowledge to better understand what each of us bring to the learning environment. For example, in acknowledging a colleague’s engagement in gardening with children I learnt her respect for, and knowledge of plants, grew from her lived childhood experiences of market gardening. Another staff member who intuitively supports children’s creative construction believes her skills and continued interest in making things evolved from her parent’s resourcefulness. These exemplars highlight the rich learning opportunities exposed when teachers’ wider life experiences are understood and capitalised on in curriculum making.

Conclusion

Embracing a funds of knowledge approach adds richness, excitement, and meaning to all in the learning environment. Through learning about and building on, the repertoire of skills children, families, and teachers can contribute, a whāriki of rich knowledge is woven. Furthermore, with genuine curiosity and connections the mana of all is enhanced through affording authentically enriching learning experiences. 

Reflecting on my experiences of the funds of knowledge approach I have broadened my understandings of the central role they play in facilitating meaningful learning. I better understand the funds of knowledge I bring and the influence these have on how I respond to learner interests. The value of authentic shared curiosity has been affirmed and I have a greater appreciation for learning about my colleagues and empowering their contributions. I suggest being aware of, and celebrating funds of knowledge is a ‘must have’ kete component, a tool to be actively drawn upon to empower learner identity and lifelong learning for all.

References

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