Beyond Word Recognition: The Role of Efficient Sequential Processing in Word- and Text-Reading Fluency Development

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Previous studies examining the inter-relations between serial and discrete naming with reading have found that the ability to efficiently process multiple items presented in a sequence (indexed by serial naming) is a unique predictor of word- and text-reading fluency. However, conclusions have been tempered by the concurrent nature of the available data and the uniformly low demands of the materials (words and texts). Here we go beyond previous studies by using more varied materials to examine the relations of serial and discrete naming with the discrete reading of words and the serial reading of word lists and connected text over time.

Method

Two hundred and eight English-speaking Canadian children (51% female, M_age = 7.2 years) were followed from Grade 2 to Grade 5 and were assessed on serial and discrete digit naming and serial and discrete word reading at both measurement points.

Results

Strong associations between discrete naming and discrete reading already from Grade 2 indicated that short and high-frequency words were processed in parallel early in development. By Grade 5, when word recognition was presumably automatized, serial naming accounted for unique variance in serial reading of word lists and connected texts after controlling for discrete word reading. More importantly, Latent Change Score modeling indicated that serial naming was the main predictor of growth in serial reading from Grade 2 to Grade 5.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that, beyond individual word recognition, reading fluency development also requires efficient processing of multiple items presented in serial format (termed “cascaded processing”).

Disclosure statement

Informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all the participants. The study received ethics approval from the University of Alberta (Pro00065133) and was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2024.2360189

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [RES0029061] to Dr. George Georgiou. The work of Athanassios Protopapas is partially funded by The Research Council of Norway, Centres of Excellence, Grant [331640]. The work of Sandra Romero is partially funded by the National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology of Mexico [CONAHCYT, 2020-000017-02 EXTF-00165].