Young children bring rich social, cultural, and political knowledge to school, cultivated in their homes and communities. This knowledge, ranging from household skills to multilingual practices, is often marginalized in schools that value different norms. Drawing from ethnographic studies in Illinois and New York kindergarten classrooms, this…

The purpose of this study is to explore how to raise awareness of, validate, and value the diverse knowledge bases that mother-prospective teachers have based in their prior experiences from within their families and backgrounds. Using a funds of knowledge (FoK) for teaching mathematics (Aguirre et al. 2012; Civil, 2007; Foote, 2009; Gonzalez, et…

Mathematics instruction tend to center solely on mathematics or children's mathematical thinking and not also on connecting to their interests or their home and community knowledge and experiences. To be responsive to students, teachers must make an intentional effort to integrate a focus on mathematics, children's mathematical thinking, and…

To enhance understanding of factors that might improve STEM career participation, we assessed students' self-perceptions of competency and interest in science/math, engagement in STEM activities outside of school, and knowledge of STEM career requirements. We show that the primary positive influencer directing students to a STEM career is high…