Abstract
Rapid automatic naming (RAN) is commonly thought of as one of the best predictors of reading achievement when compared to phonological awareness and letter name knowledge. Early intensive RAN interventions may minimize the number of resources that will be needed later to remediate developing reading challenges. Schools may be able to reduce the likelihood of an individual developing a reading disability or minimize the effects of one already developed if identified and intervened early. RAN and word reading efficiency was found to improve during an effective RAN intervention. This chapter discusses the Block study and how it could be conducted for the benefit of students with individualized education plans (IEP) or with other qualifying educational eligibilities including autistic-like behavior.
TopBackground
RAN deficits can predict later reading failure. Arnell et al. (2009) found that RAN performance is highly predictive of difficulties with reading rate and comprehension in adulthood, indicating that RAN deficits continue to impact individuals’ reading ability throughout their lives. However, RAN measures are not typically used in schools as a universal screening tool nor as a method of defining intervention. RAN deficits can impact those without a reading disability as well. Therefore, the early discovery of an otherwise neurotypical student with a RAN deficit may indicate a need for more intensive instruction or early intervention than the typical classroom provides. This type of screening would allow the student to receive early intervention, ultimately reducing frustration and feelings of failure or stupidity that may occur without such instruction. Early intensive RAN interventions may minimize the number of resources that will be needed later to remediate developing reading challenges. Schools may be able to reduce the likelihood of an individual developing a reading difference or minimize the effects of one already developed if identified and intervened early (Catts et al., 2013).
Forty-four percent of fourth graders read below the National Assessment of Educational Progress basic achievement level in 2019 (U.S. Department of Education, 2020) despite school professionals emphasizing reading acquisition during the earliest years of learning. These students have difficulties such as reading comprehension and fluency, impacting many other school subjects. In addition to academic issues, struggling readers are at risk for decreased academic self-concepts (Baum, 2017; Kelly & Norwich, 2004; Zeleke, 2004) and stereotype threat (Kelly & Norwich, 2004). Such students often need more extensive and intensive instruction, in addition to general education classroom teaching, to develop key reading skills. Therefore, it is critical to identify readers who require special instruction and emphasize remediation of the underlying processes that contribute to each student’s reading difficulty.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Reading Fluency: Reading fluency is the ability to read with appropriate accuracy, rate, and prosody. Adequate reading fluency is closely correlated with reading comprehension suggesting that those who struggle with reading fluency will likely also experience difficulty extracting meaning from the text. Despite this strong correlation, reading fluency is largely thought of as the most neglected reading component with 40% of fourth grade students being disfluent readers ( Daane et al., 2005 ). This is a statistic that researchers confirm is an accurate portrayal of the current elementary school reader ( Paige et al., 2012 ; Rasinski, 2012 ).This construct is typically measured by requiring a student to read aloud from an unfamiliar passage as a clinician takes note of the total number of words read during a predetermined time period (often 1 minute) and subtracts the total number of errors ( Hasbrouck & Tindal, 2011 ).
Struggling Readers: For the purposes of this study, the term struggling readers refers to individuals reading below their grade level expectations according to the state’s established benchmarks.
Intervention: An intervention is specialized instruction that targets a specific academic content area in which a student exhibits a deficit. The goal is to progress the students' abilities in the area of difficulty so that they meet grade level expectations.
Word Reading Efficiency: Word reading efficiency is the speed at which a student can read individual words. This construct is typically measured with an individual reading a list of independent words one at a time quickly as a clinician records the amount of time the reader required to complete the word list ( Eason et al., 2013 ).
Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN): Rapid automatic naming refers to the speed at which a student can name highly familiar visual stimuli ( Georgiou et al., 2008 ). It is the process that involves instantaneously recalling the cognitive representational link when confronted with the corresponding visual stimuli, which allows readers to achieve automaticity and read fluently. The visual stimuli are often letters, objects, digits, or colors.