This working group will engage PMENA members to better understanding the nature of mathematical modeling in the early grades while considering the student perspective and recognizing the importance of teachers knowing their students and the contexts that are meaningful to their students. We will investigate how PK-6 teachers demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of mathematical modeling, the diversity of mathematical approaches taken by student modelers, and the multiple pathways the teacher can use to elicit students' mathematical thinking. We will explore how mathematical modeling bridges equity and social community in teaching and learning mathematics for all students. Exemplar tasks that emphasized local contexts and tapped into students' funds of knowledge and student artifacts will be shared to illustrate the child's perspective and the developmental progression. These topics will facilitate group discussions exploring the learning progression for mathematical modeling thinking and habits of mind that can develop for emergent mathematical modelers from an early grade. Finally, based on the interests of the participants, we will devote work time to finding synergistic collaborative topics to pursue for future research and practice. [For the complete proceedings, see ED606556.]