Rapid Automatic Naming

Definition

Rapid automatized naming (RAN) for objects and pictures involves the assessment of speed in which a person can correctly identify pictures of objects, letters, symbols, etc. RAN has become an important aspect of contemporary reading research in that deficits of RAN have been found to reliably distinguish children with specific reading disabilities. Wolf’s double-deficit hypothesis of specific reading disabilities suggests that RAN and phonological processing are the two key deficits that cause the inability to read. Children who experience deficits in both areas are thought to belong to the “double-deficit” category.

Children who develop proficient phonological awareness skills but experience deficits in RAN often have difficulty with the rate in which they read text. The components required for fluent reading are not integrated and automatized for these individuals. They often read in a slow and dysfluent fashion that has a detrimental impact on reading comprehension...