Phonological sensitivity, rapid naming, and beginning reading

Reading acquisition was related to phonological sensitivity and rapid naming in a longitudinal study with young children. Phonological assessment consisted of rhyme and initial consonant discrimination, while the rapid naming tasks were made up of pictures, letters, and numbers. The subjects were 95 children from two grade levels, primary and first grade. They were tested in the fall and spring of the first year and the spring of the second year. It was found that the phonological and rapid naming tests each predicted unique variance in reading attainment, as measured at the end of the second year of the study. The rapid naming responses became more automatic early in the first grade year, while naming times generally became faster. Although many researchers regard rapid naming as part of the phonological core, the present article discusses the various advantages of considering rapid naming as a separate factor in reading development.