Teachers need to realize that students will require a considerable amount of time, practice, and modeling in order for them to engage in natural and "grand" conversations about books. The students in this project participated in literature circles over fourteen school months. The researchers agree wholeheartedly with Regie Routman (1994, p. 123): "Students who have not had experience with in-depth interaction with a book over time may need months before they feel comfortable participating in discussions...It is important to allow ourselves and our students lots of time for change and give ourselves credit for taking a risk and trying a new format."

The case studies and the analysis of the effects of this strategy in relation to boys' reading support the initial purpose for including the literature circles strategy in the Boys' and Girls' Literacy: Closing the Gap project. The implementation of literature circles did provide a successful avenue to assess the literacy performance of boys, yet not at the expense of girls in a natural, authentic environment.