Issue 25: What Is Rapid Naming and How Does It Affect Your Child's Reading? Dr. Erin Pzinski

Research has shown a strong connection between slower rapid naming and reading challenges.

If someone says your child struggles with rapid naming, you may wonder what it means and how it affects their reading. Rapid naming, or rapid automatized naming (RAN), is the ability to quickly name a series of familiar items, such as colors, numbers, objects, or letters. It has been studied for nearly 50 years and is now included in many widely used reading assessments.

Research has shown that children with dyslexia often name items more slowly on rapid naming tasks than their peers, revealing a strong connection between slower rapid naming and reading challenges. In 1999, Wolf and Bowers introduced the "double-deficit hypothesis," suggesting that difficulties in phonological awareness, rapid naming, or both are significant risk factors for dyslexia. Although a rapid naming deficit doesn't mean a child will struggle forever, understanding its impact early can help parents and educators plan adequate support for reading growth.

The History of Rapid Naming

The study of rapid naming traces back to the work of Norman Geschwind in the mid-20th century, when he observed slowed naming speeds in an adult patient with acquired dyslexia. Building on this insight, Martha Denkla and Rita Rudel conducted pioneering research in the 1970s, comparing the rapid naming performance of children with dyslexia to that of their typically developing peers. They found that children with dyslexia consistently exhibited slower naming speeds, revealing a potential link between rapid naming deficits and reading difficulties. Since then, extensive research has confirmed that slow rapid automatized naming is strongly associated with reading challenges and is a robust predictor of future reading performance. Despite this progress, the underlying causes of differences in rapid naming ability remain poorly understood, with some theories pointing to deficits in phonological processing, working memory, and attentional control (Araujo et al., 2015; Norton & Wolf, 2012). Rapid naming remains a critical research focus and a key component of reading assessments, offering valuable insights into early identification and intervention for struggling readers.

What Should Parents Know About Rapid Naming Tests?

Understanding how rapid naming is assessed can help parents feel more confident in supporting and advocating for their child. During a rapid naming test, your child is asked to name familiar items as quickly as possible. Items should be presented in a grid or array and named from left to right and top to bottom, just like reading. Colors and objects are often used for younger children because they are easy to identify. For older children, letters and numbers are preferred because they better predict future reading success.

It's essential that the items in the test are familiar to your child. For instance, a child who hasn't learned their letters yet shouldn't be tested using letters. Valid assessments are crucial for identifying a rapid naming deficit and ensuring your child gets the proper support.

Common Misconceptions About Rapid Naming

Practicing rapid naming is NOT likely to improve reading skills. It's natural to think that practicing rapid naming tasks, like naming items faster, might help improve reading. However, research shows that rapid naming is an indicator of risk, not a skill that should be directly taught. Time spent practicing rapid naming could be better used on reading interventions that target decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills (Kirby et al., 2010).

Slow rapid naming does NOT mean a child will never read fluently. While slow rapid naming can make learning to read more challenging, it doesn't mean your child won't succeed. With appropriate, evidence-based instruction, children with slow rapid naming can develop reading fluency over time (Wolf & Norton, 2012)

Fluency practice is usually NOT the best intervention for rapid naming deficits. Although slower reading fluency is a hallmark of slow rapid naming, fluency practice alone isn't usually the most effective way to address the issue. Fluency often depends on underlying skills like decoding and word recognition. Building automaticity in these foundational skills is often more effective than focusing on fluency drills. "Problems with automaticity in reading fluency are extensions of difficulty with the accuracy and automaticity of word-level skills" (Fletcher et al., 2019, p. 65)

Supporting Children with Rapid Naming Deficits

If your child has been identified with a rapid naming deficit, it's important to understand what this means for their reading journey. Dr. Elizabeth Norton (2020) describes slow rapid naming as a "check engine light" for reading development. It signals the need for close monitoring and structured, high-intensity instruction to support your child's progress.

Effective instruction for children with rapid naming deficits includes frequent opportunities to respond and build automaticity. This starts with focused practice on new skills, such as blending sounds or applying phonics rules. Once a child has practiced a skill enough, they should move on to interleaved practice—mixing the new skill with a previously learned concept. For example, a child learning the silent e rule might practice it in isolation first and then combine it with another phonics rule they've already learned.

It's important to note that the goal isn't to "fix" rapid naming. Instead, the focus should be on building your child's overall reading abilities through targeted instruction. Monitoring their progress carefully ensures that if growth slows, teachers can increase the intensity of instruction to keep your child on track.

Rapid Naming in Action: Chance's Story

When Chance entered kindergarten, he was a bright, curious six-year-old with a strong vocabulary and a love of learning. Thanks to a quality preschool experience, he already knew many letter names and sounds and had strong phonological awareness skills.

At the beginning of the year, Chance took the Acadience reading screener and met grade-level benchmarks. However, his letter-naming fluency was a bit slow, and the screener's rapid naming component flagged him as at risk for future reading difficulties.

By midyear, Chance's teacher noticed that he wasn't progressing as quickly as his peers. This prompted additional testing, which confirmed a significant rapid naming deficit—Chance scored in the first percentile. Armed with this information, his school team developed a plan to provide him with higher-intensity instruction and more opportunities to practice and develop automaticity in newly learned concepts.

Chance received daily intervention in a small group, focusing on reinforcing what he learned in class. Even though his overall screening scores were on track, the team knew that extra support was essential to help him keep pace with his peers. This targeted instruction continued through kindergarten, first, and second grade.

By the end of second grade, Chance was thriving. He exceeded benchmarks in reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension, although he still needed extra support with spelling. Thanks to early identification and intervention, Chance entered third grade reading confidently and fluently, avoiding the struggles many children with Rapid Naming deficits face later in school.

What Chance's Story Teaches Us

Chance's experience highlights the power of early identification and preventative instruction. While rapid naming deficits can make learning to read more challenging, they don't have to lead to long-term difficulties. Children like Chance can achieve reading success with careful monitoring, high-intensity support, and adjustments to instruction when needed.

If you suspect your child struggles with rapid naming or has been flagged by a reading screener, contact their teacher or school. When needed, early intervention can set your child on a path to confident and fluent reading.

References

• Araujo, S., Reis, A., Petersson, K. M., & Faísca, L. (2015). Rapid automatized naming and reading performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(3), 868–883. [doi.org]
• Fletcher, J. M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L. S., & Barnes, M. A. (2019). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Kirby, J. R., Georgiou, G. K., Martinussen, R., & Parrila, R. (2010). Naming speed and reading: From prediction to instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 45(3), 341–362. [doi.org]
• Norton, E. S. (2020). What educators need to know about rapid naming. Northwestern University, Learning Sciences Program.[learnlab.northwestern.edu]
• Norton, E. S., & Wolf, M. (2012). Rapid automatized naming (RAN) and reading fluency: Implications for understanding and treatment of reading disabilities. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 427–452. [doi.org]
• Wolf, M., & Bowers, P. G. (1999). The double-deficit hypothesis for the developmental dyslexias. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(3), 415–438. [doi.org]

Dr Erin Pzinski

Dr. Erin Pzinski is the K-12 Literacy Facilitator for Weston County School District #1 in Newcastle, Wyoming, an adjunct professor at Marian University, and the founder of PZ Literacy. She also works as a National LETRS Facilitator, supporting educators nationwide. A May 2024 graduate of the Reading Science Doctoral program at Mount St. Joseph University, Dr. Pzinski's path was shaped by an early experience in LETRS training, where she recognized gaps in her own knowledge that impacted her ability to assist struggling readers. Motivated by this insight, she has since focused on bridging the gap between research and practice, equipping fellow educators with knowledge to support literacy development for all students.

Extracts from Dystinct Magazine