**1. Introduction**

In today's society, it is critical that every child has the fullest opportunity to become an accomplished reader. Instructional strategies in reading are continually debated as the quality of an individual's life is a ffected by their literacy competence, which in turn is essential for an individual's personal and social fulfilment. The consequences of not learning to read proficiently are enormous, with those failing in this regard facing personal, social and economic limitations [1]. Internationally, there has been considerable interest in identifying ways in which to improve literacy standards and so avert the aforementioned consequences. In Ireland, despite the level of interest focused on improving literacy standards and the magnitude of policies in this regard, many students, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, continue to have di fficulty achieving success in reading [2].
