This article is based on the findings of a study which examined the literacy and numeracy pathways for a group of 65 children in the year prior to school entry in Victoria, Australia. The article will discuss key features of the home and community pathways for literacy and numeracy development and learning which were identified in the study. In discussing these findings, the contrastive features between the informal and formal early childhood education pathways are highlighted. As a result of our analysis, the notion of crossing boundaries is advocated as a process for making visible and negotiating between the different literacy and numeracy practices and events in the learning communities of home and early childhood institutions.