Where there was insufficient availability of computers for
all the identified children then in deciding which children
should use the Lexia Reading software, cognizance was given to the ethical issues involved in prioritising children
who are dyslexic over children who have literacy difficulties
due to low ability or social disadvantage. Thus, in
determining which children should use the program for the
purposes of this study, children with the severest difficulties
determined by the lowest test scores, were selected for
intervention, and these children proceeded as the intervention
group. The total number of children inYear 3 (Northern
Ireland) in each of the four schools was as follows: School
A: 15, School B: 103, School C: 35, School D: 38. School
D was the school with the greatest access to computers
therefore all children deemed to require the intervention had
the opportunity to participate. School B had limited access
to computers therefore all the children who were deemed to
require intervention were unable to participate and the previous
criteria was applied. Of the 103 children in Year 3 in
School B, only 15 children could participate in the study
because of limited access to computers.