In this paper, I report on a school‐university collaborative research project that investigated which practices and knowledges of Canadian Aboriginal students not acknowledged in school may provide these students with access to school literacy practices. The study, which took place in a small city in Western Canada, examined ways to merge the out‐of‐school literacy resources with school literacy practices for minority language learners who struggle with academic literacies. Drawing on the third space theory, in conjunction with the concept of “funds of knowledge,” I explain how students' linguistic and cultural resources from home and community networks were utilised to reshape school literacy practices through their involvement in the Heritage Fair programme. I analyse a representative case study of Darius, a 10‐year‐old boy who explored his familial hunting practices for his Heritage Fair project. This illustrative exemplar, “Not just sunny days,” highlights the ways in which children's out‐of‐school lives can be used as a scaffold for literacy learning. In conclusion, I discuss implications for educators and researchers working to improve literacy learning for minority students by connecting school learning to children's out‐of‐school learning.

This article examines community practices, in particular oral discourse practices, in a junior high school classroom in an urban area of Western Canada. The purpose of the research was to determine what contribution a ‘community of practice’ (COP) framework could make to the study of social interaction in a classroom setting. Qualitative research methods were used to explore student-student and student-teacher interaction in a culturally and linguistically diverse Grade 9 classroom. Of particular interest was why a language arts teacher who claimed to love teaching through dialogue rarely initiated classroom discussion. Study findings demonstrated that the teacher's practices were shaped by the social structure of the classroom community. The article explores the teacher's role in disrupting cultural practices that limit students' participation. In conclusion, the article makes an argument for scaffolding to be added to the COP framework if it is to be utilized to advantage in classroom settings and suggests incorporating hybrid literacy practices in multilingual contexts.

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In this article I explore ethical issues in relation to