Transforming relationships and curriculum: Visiting family homes

Parent–teacher partnerships are critical to enacting the principles of Te Whāriki: relationships, family and community, empowerment, and holistic development. Our project used “funds of knowledge” as a theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical tool to explore partnership connections for children between the contexts of home and centre. This article discusses teachers’ experiences of visiting children’s family homes and ways these visits transformed relationships and curriculum. The teacher-researchers’ words illustrate the potential power of such visits to stimulate reflection, challenge assumptions, and spark changes. We therefore argue that visits to families be re-ignited to enhance relationships and curriculum.