FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE IN A HISPANIC HOUSEHOLD: A CASE STUDY OF FAMILY EXPERIENCES, VALUES, AND CONNECTIONS TO EDUCATION

Feild, Kelly A. Funds of knowledge in a Hispanic household: A case study of family experiences, values, and connections to education. Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum and Instruction), December 2013, 117 pp., references, 61 titles. Traditionally, the field of education has often adopted a negative perspective in their views of minority families ’ contributions to the educational progress of their children. However, research embodying the theoretical framework of funds of knowledge attempts to counter that model through its assertion that all families possess extensive bodies of knowledge that have developed through social, historical, and cultural contexts. Teachers carry out studies of familial funds of knowledge in order to understand how family experiences shape the knowledge that a child brings to the classroom. There is then, the potential to use that body of knowledge to create meaningful learning experiences that connect prior understanding and experiences to classroom practice. This research served as a case study of the funds of knowledge existing in the home of a Hispanic family and the connections that existed between that knowledge and literacy. The findings indicated that the family possessed extensive funds of knowledge that develope