Analysis of speech and silent intervals in responses to serial naming tasks

What is it about?

Serial naming tasks, in which children are asked to name aloud an array of digits, pictures, or other familiar items, are widely used in educational assessment because they are associated with academic skills and, in particular, predict the development of reading fluency. In this study, we analyze children’s vocal responses to serial naming tasks breaking them down into the duration of the spoken words and of any silent intervals between them. We interpret these durations under a theoretical approach that focuses on the scheduling and control of cognitive processes, that is, how the mind organizes and monitors its functions while going through the array naming the items. We claim that this approach can explain the established associations between naming and reading and can also shed light on the development of reading fluency and potential obstacles to that.

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Why is it important?

Seeing fluency as not only about the automaticity of reading individual words, but also as a problem of cognitive scheduling, can inform our approaches to instruction and assessment by drawing attention to issues of interference and control and directing future research into potential interventions in those domains.

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