This data reveals that 108 of 374 boys in Core English were unsuccessful on the Grade 8 English Language Arts Proficiency Assessment (ELPA). At the same time, 59 of 267 girls in Core English were unsuccessful. While only 3% of boys and girls in French Immersion were unsuccessful. There are more boys enrolled in Core English classes in the province of New Brunswick which makes this research timely.

Currently, there are no broad literacy assessments at the elementary level that provide individual student scores. The province does administer assessments across the grade levels that provide information on whole class performance. Meanwhile, this research study focuses on reading behaviors and attitudes of individual students to better understand the differences between boys and girls as readers. This study also offers classroom teachers, district, and provincial education officials with another perspective of gender differences.

Significance
The small size of the study is important. It allowed the researchers to examine the literacy performance of boys and girls in detail and depth. Thus, our research is what you refer to as a case study: a particular group of students in a particular place and time. In qualitative research, the case relies largely on naturalistic methods of inquiry, although quantitative results are obtained from the students' reading assessments and attitude surveys.

The outcomes of the study will heighten our awareness of the literacy gap between boys and girls. The findings of this study contribute as well to an understanding of the indirect factors which affect the process of reading.

Limitations
We recognize the limitations of this study. The sample size is too small to be generalized to the larger population of grade four and five students in New Brunswick. Another limitation was our research design. Case study methodology does not necessitate a control school.