Funds of Knowledge are the skills and knowledge gained by daily routines and practices, as well as cultural and historical interactions. It’s the social and cultural “stuff” that students know through personal experiences.

Background knowledge is the amount of information or knowledge someone has on a topic. Both funds of knowledge and background knowledge give us connection points for learning, and they’re both considered types of prior knowledge.

So what does this mean for instruction?

We should leverage our students' - and families’ - funds of knowledge when possible. We can use students' funds of knowledge and continue to build background knowledge on topics of study.

Resources

Episode 170: All About Read-Alouds with Molly Ness
Funds of Knowledge Toolkit from Washington state
Funds of Knowledge for Teaching

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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Episode 173: Quick Q&A: What Are Funds of Knowledge and How Are They Related to Background Knowledge?