Fast and slow namers: Benefits of segmentation and whole word training

Poor readers in Grade 2 (mean age 7 years 7 months) were categorized into f ast and slow namer groups based on their performance on a Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) task. The fast and slow groups were then trained to read word s using 3 different training regimes: one that taught onset/rime segmentati on, one that taught phonemic segmentation, and one that used whole word rep etition. The main results were that the slow namers acquired the words more slowly across experiences than the fast namers, irrespective of training c ondition, but they were particularly disadvantaged when trained with word-l evel units. Unlike beginning nonreaders, poor Grade 2 readers showed poorer retention following onset/rime training compared with phoneme or word leve l training, even when final level of learning was controlled. Further, they showed the best generalization to reading new words and nonwords following phoneme training and the worst following whole word training, even when fi nal level of acquisition was controlled. The data are related to the P. G. Powers and M. Wolf (1993, Reading and Writing, 5, 69-85) double-deficit hyp othesis and to the specific deficits associated with early reading failure. (C) 1999 Academic Press.