Component processes of rapid serial naming in pre-readers: relationships with phonological short-term and long-term memory

Talk;pre-reading

Friday stream 5 Session 09.50 - 11.10 Length 25 minutes

Component processes of rapid serial naming in pre-readers: relationships with phonological short-term and long-term memory

Shirley Cobbold

Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education shirley@cobbold4.screaming.net

Abstract

Research evidence suggests that poor serial naming is a recurring characteristic of impaired readers. Wolf & Bowers (1999) discuss the desirability of determining which elements of rapid serial naming are associated with reading disability. This longitudinal study investigates the components of serial naming of pictured objects in children aged 4:0 to 4:6 years using the speed of naming sub-test of the Dyslexia Early Screening Test (DEST) (Nicolson & Fawcett, 1996). Computer analysis measures the time taken to articulate each word, and the time from the end of articulation of each word to the beginning of articulation of the next. From these data, it is possible to calculate overall speed of naming time, articulation time, inter-stimulus interval time (ISI), ISI for pictures located at the beginning of a row and ISI for pictures not at the beginning of a row. The results suggest that speed of naming can be viewed as a two-factor construct comprised of articulation time and ISI time. End-of-line transition time was not a significant element. Significantly more variability was found in children's ISI times than articulation times. Isolation of ISI time gives a more exact measure of the speed at which children can retrieve phonological codes from long-term memory during serial naming than has previously been available. There was a moderate, significant relationship between ISI time and phonological short-term memory, as measured by digit-span.