ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the spanning across and blurring microsystems and mesosystems, rendering them impossibilities as separate spaces and realms, through the exploration of the ways in which young children make sense of and in their neighborhoods and communities–interactionally and physically. It considers notions of appropriateness—albeit foundational to the field of early childhood education as traditionally conceived — are deeply cultural. Young children make sense of multiple contexts, literacies, and cultural practices at once, many times in multiple languages. The chapter explores the notions of appropriateness—albeit foundational to the field of early childhood education as traditionally conceived — are deeply cultural. It describes cultural practices within the context of communities as important participatory literacies to be repositioned in schooling. The chapter also explores the ways in which early childhood teachers leveraged participatory communities of practice particular to the neighborhoods in which the children they taught lived to promote meaningful learning.
