Abstract
Intro: Community members have a variety of funds of knowledge they could contribute as specialists in collaborative experiences with teachers. Yet, despite having such invaluable culture capital, specialists are seldom incorporated into the classroom (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992). Research suggests that parents tend to be more involved in their child's learning at home rather than at school (CitationAnderson & Minke, 2007; CitationGreen, Walker, Hoover-Dempsey, & Sandler, 2007). Furthermore, educators experience many challenges as well as benefits when they collaborate with community members to develop and facilitate lessons with shared responsibility (Mediratta & Fruchter, 2001). Yet, these partnerships between community members and school teachers may help young children to learn new skills and develop appreciative dispositions about the content being taught in cognitive apprenticeships (Epstein & Sanders, 2000).