Latina Mothers' Cultural Experiences, Beliefs, and Attitudes May Influence Children's Math Learning.

Drawing from a qualitative approach and through individual pláticas (processes of co-constructing knowledge through dialogue) as a linguistic and cultural framework, this work explored informal contextual factors valued by Spanish-speaking Latina mothers of children, three to five years of age and enrolled in a nonprofit California preschool. Results revealed that Latina mothers have cultural forms of knowledge which impact their children's educational experiences and engage in direct and indirect numeracy environments. While personal math experiences and home practices differed, Latina mothers experience and navigate their children's learning based on sociocultural aspects, influencing how they support their children's math learning. This study drew from sociocultural learning theories that value learning embedded within meaningful learning experiences. Patterns of family learning have several implications for educational practice, especially for Latine families whose parent participation is typically not as visible as White American English-speaking parents.

Contributions of naturalistic parent-child conversations to children's science learning during informal learning at an aquarium and at home.

This study examined the naturalistic conversations of 62 parent-child dyads during informal learning at an aquarium and with a subsample at home. Children (M age = 69.8 months) with their parents were observed and audio recorded while exploring an aquarium exhibit, and a subset of dyads returned recorded home conversations reminiscing about the aquarium visit. Parent-child conversations at the aquarium were coded for child science talk and a range of parent talk variables, and parent-child conversations at home were coded for child science talk and talk about the value of the aquarium visit. Results revealed that parents tended to use more elaborative statements compared to other talk types in the aquarium. Yet, the different types of questions and statements that parents used with their children at the aquarium differentially related to their children's science talk in the aquarium and while reminiscing at home. Findings highlight often-overlooked types of parent talk that provide meaningful ways for families to engage in science and may lead to positive child learning outcomes.

Uses of Digital Mediation in the School-Families Relationship During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened the inequalities in our societies. In Spain, we observed that the impact on schooling varied according to socioeconomic, gender and sociocultural variables. In this article, we present a case analysis illustrating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schooling in early educational grades (ages 3-6), which leads us to focus on school-family relationship. First, we present some studies that show the inequalities in education during the lockdown period, the digital divide faced by both schools and families and how digital mediation impacts school-family relationships. Then we will introduce our study, which aims to explore the uses, potentials and limitations of an app intended to facilitate the relationship. Our study took place during September 2020-January 2021, when social restriction persisted. It took the form of a telematic ethnography in which we monitored the meetings of the Early Childhood Education teachers and their interaction with the families via an app-based communication tool. Results have allowed us to identify that most conversations are initiated by the school and their aim is to show families the classroom activities. We have also observed some advantages regarding the use of this app: communication can become more direct and immediate, and teachers have developed strategies to foster proximity in this relationship, as well as to respond inclusively to diversity. Regarding the challenges, we identified the lack of involvement of some families, the need to transform the roles played by families and children, and the difficulty to maintain personalized relationships.

Lessons for child-computer interaction studies following the research challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been experienced differently in and within individual countries and thus has had a different impact on the individual researchers in the child-computer interaction studies. There were several challenges that our research group experienced during the pandemic period, with a rapid transition to digital working conditions and a society managing altered living conditions. The changes happened on all levels of the society, and they affected our key participants - children, teachers, designers of children's digital books and publishers. In this Viewpoint article we highlight the lessons learnt from the changes in our study designs and data collection processes due to lockdown and other restrictions related to the pandemic. We draw on three case studies to showcase the adjustments we made and the impact such changes have had on the quality of data, participants' attitudes towards data collection and the studies' outcomes. The theoretical frameworks of 'funds of knowledge' and 'funds of identity' structure our discussion on the new knowledge, skills and resources that were mobilized during the pandemic from diverse community members. We propose the concept of 'community of practice' to guide future developments in child-computer interaction studies to support and sustain collectives of multi-disciplinary, trusted networks of diverse stakeholders.

A funds of knowledge approach to promoting school engagement / Os fundos de conhecimento para a promoção do envolvimento escolar / Los fondos de conocimiento para promover la implicación escolar

Research shows that the exclusion of families' funds of knowledge (FoK) from the curriculum contributes to low levels of school engagement. This study is part of an ongoing research project aiming to promote school engagement among students from immigrant backgrounds through the strategic use of FoK. We provide an overview of the project design and explain how it has been implemented in the specific context of early childhood education in a school in Catalonia. A qualitative approach is used to assess the effect of the process from the teacher perspective, contrasting positive aspects with some of the difficulties experienced. We conclude that including families' FoK in pedagogical practice can contribute towards improving student engagement and fostering more inclusive educational environments.

Algumas pesquisas mostram que excluir os fundos de conhecimento (FoK) das famílias do currículo escolar contribui para os baixos níveis de envolvimento na escola. Este estudo é parte de um projeto de pesquisa em andamento que visa promover o envolvimento dos estudantes de origem imigrante na escola, por meio do uso estratégico do FoK. Fornecemos uma visão geral do projeto e explicamos como ele foi implementado no contexto específico da educação infantil em uma escola na Catalunha. Foi utilizada uma abordagem qualitativa para avaliar o efeito do processo pela perspectiva do professor, contrastando aspectos positivos com algumas das dificuldades vivenciadas. Concluímos que a inclusão do FoK das famílias na prática pedagógica pode contribuir para melhorar o envolvimento dos alunos e promover ambientes educacionais mais inclusivos.

Las investigaciones demuestran que la exclusión de los fondos de conocimiento (FoK) de las familias del currículum contribuye a bajos niveles de compromiso escolar. Este estudio forma parte de una investigación en curso destinada a promover el compromiso escolar entre alumnos de origen inmigrante mediante el uso estratégico de FoK. Proporcionamos una descripción general del diseño del proyecto y explicamos cómo se ha implementado en el contexto específico de educación de primera infancia en un centro escolar en Cataluña. Aplicamos una metodología cualitativa para evaluar el efecto del proceso desde la perspectiva del profesorado, contrastando los aspectos positivos con algunas dificultades experimentadas. Concluimos que la inclusión de los FoK de las familias en la práctica pedagógica puede contribuir a mejorar el compro miso escolar y a fomentar un entorno educativo más inclusivo.

Rich and purposeful mathematical knowledge of mothers and children in a Torres Strait Islander community.

This paper focuses on a pilot study that explored the situated mathematical knowledge of mothers and children in one Torres Strait Islander community in Australia. The community encouraged parental involvement in their children's learning and schooling. The study explored parents' understandings of mathematics and how their children came to learn about it on the island. A funds of knowledge approach was used in the study. This approach is based on the premise that people are competent and have knowledge that has been historically and culturally accumulated into a body of knowledge and skills essential for their functioning and well-being (TIP 31:132, 1992). The participants, three adults and one child are featured in this paper. Three separate events are described with epiphanic or illuminative moments analysed to ascertain the features that enabled an understanding of the nature of the mathematical events. The study found that Indigenous ways of knowing of mathematics were deeply embedded in rich cultural practices that were tied to the community. This finding has implications for teachers of children in the early years. Where school mathematics is often presented as disembodied and isolated facts with children seeing little relevance, learning a different perspective of mathematics that is tied to the resources and practices of children's lives and facilitated through social relationships, may go a long way towards improving the engagement of children and their parents in learning and schooling.