A funds of knowledge approach to supporting children’s academic learning: Complexities and enablers in the Australian early childhood context

Educators’ engagement with children’s home lives and their funds of knowledge strengthens learning and development. While Australia’s updated Early Years Learning Framework now expects educators to implement funds of knowledge pedagogy, there is limited research from Australia and internationally to show how such an approach can be implemented in early education contexts to support children’s academic learning. Using social constructionist and social justice conceptual frames, together with seminal funds of knowledge theorising, we aimed to extend this knowledge base through a study that explored how educators engage families experiencing economic adversity in early education. We present and analyse a series of interactions – Respecting Faith – to highlight the complexities involved and the service and structural enablers required to implement funds of knowledge pedagogy to support children’s academic learning.