Programs could begin to support the development of new practices by using the four components of practice development that were found in the coffee shop: there was a clear learning purpose, in which students were engaged in real activities; newcomers were assisted and trained by oldtimers through direct teaching and modeling; there was a safe and supportive environment, in which students worked in a collaborative manner, supporting each other and learning from each other; and progress was measured in a variety of ways.

Beyond the program's control are the social environments outside the class in which new literacy practices will be introduced. The ideal situation, as in the example of the recipes, is to introduce a new practice that will be welcomed and encouraged; that has a cultural fit; and that is associated with a practical task, has immediate results, and that is not static. What happens to practices when one or more of these conditions don't exist? Introducing new practices beyond the program is risky. What if a mother makes errors when reading stories to her six-year old and is laughed at? What if an employee begins to write down phone messages and is looked at with distrust because co–workers think he may be recording incidents for the supervisor? There is much to learn about the development of literacy practices, and research is desperately needed in this area. Programs will need to know a) the conditions that need to be in place to support practices, b) the components of practice development, c) how to gauge the readiness of students and instructors to view literacy beyond skills and tasks, and d) the potential risks involved. Essentially, programs will need to understand the significant changes, and impacts of these changes, that need to occur if students are to successfully introduce new practices into their daily lives.

The following figure attempts to further explain the ideas from the discussion that can be used to help programs support the development of new practices that are learned in the program (like the recipe reading) for use in the student's day–to–day life.