ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on effective play-based pedagogies for literacy and numeracy developed by early childhood educators from western Sydney and Chile, who participated in professional learning projects offered through collaborative practitioner research framed by socio-cultural theory and a 'funds of knowledge' approach. The design of the Chilean and Australian projects might best be described as multi-layered practitioner action research, informed by research about the benefits of practitioner research and collaborative participatory action research. The chapter provides examples of what is possible when educators work within a socio-cultural approach to develop relationships with families and communities and acknowledge families' 'funds of knowledge' and draw on these in the classroom to reinforce and validate children's 'funds of identity' and extend their learning. It presents some of the findings under the following headings: 'family engagement', 'locally responsive pedagogies' and 'educators and children as co-constructors of knowledge'.
