Abstract
The United States has a large immigrant population, which only seems to be increasing. Many of these immigrants are currently living in poor economic conditions and are achieving academically (as measured by matriculation into a four-year university and completion of a bachelor’s degree) at rates lower than that of native-born students. Some immigrant groups, however, seem to thrive academically in spite of their low economic status. It is the belief of the researcher that if K-12 teachers made more of an effort to reach out to their students and learn about what resources they possess at home that could support classroom instruction, achievement would be greater for all immigrant groups. As such, this study aims to explore what types of “funds of knowledge” (knowledge and experiences they inadvertently gained at home through family activities) four immigrant students possess and how and if teachers utilized these “funds of knowledge” in the classroom.