General and Specific Contributions of RAN to Reading and Arithmetic Fluency in First Graders: A Longitudinal Latent Variable Approach

In the present study, we opted for a longitudinal design and examined rapid automatized
naming (RAN) performance from two perspectives. In a first step, we examined the
structure of RAN performance from a general cognitive perspective. We investigated
whether rapid naming measures (e.g., digit RAN and color RAN) reflect a mainly
domain-general factor or domain-specific factors. In a second step, we examined
how the best fitting RAN model was related to reading and arithmetic outcomes,
assessed several months later. Finally in a third step we took a clinical perspective
and investigated specific contributions of RAN measures to reading and arithmetic
outcomes. While RAN has emerged as a promising predictor of reading, the relationship
between RAN and arithmetic has been less examined in the past. Hundred and
twenty-two first graders completed seven RAN tasks, each comprising visually familiar
stimuli such as digits, vowels, consonants, dice, finger-numeral configurations, objects,
and colors. Four months later the same children completed a range of reading and
arithmetic tasks. From a general descriptive perspective, structural equation modeling
supports a one-dimensional RAN factor in 6- to -7-year-old children. However, from
a clinical perspective, our findings emphasize the specific contributions of RANs.
Interestingly, alphanumeric RANs (i.e., vowel RAN) were most promising when predicting
reading skills and number-specific RANs (i.e., finger-numeral configuration RAN) were
most promising when predicting arithmetic fluency. The implications for clinical and
educational practices will be discussed.