Objective In the preceding studies, we confirmed rapid automatized naming (RAN) tasks and basic reading (Hiragana reading) tasks are useful to evaluate the developmental changes of reading ability in typically developed young children. In this study, we examined the correlation between reading speed and naming speed.

Methods We carried out three kinds of RAN tasks involving two stimuli, digits and line drawings (picture naming, digit naming and alternating picture-digit naming), and three original Hiragana reading tasks (single mora reading task, four syllable word and non-word reading task, and short sentence reading task). We evaluated the results of 207 elementary school children from 6 to 12 years of age. Their performance of and total articulation time for reading were measured.

Results There was a strong correlation between the articulation time for the ‘digit’ naming RAN task and the single mora (Hiragana) reading task (r = 0.59, p<0.01). There was also a strong correlation between the articulation time for the ‘picture’ naming RAN task and the four syllable word (r = 0.58, p<0.01)/non-word (r = 0.64, p<0.01) reading task. The ‘alternating picture-digit’ naming RAN task also correlated with the four syllable word (r = 0.73, p<0.01)/non-word (r = 0.66, p<0.01) reading task.

Conclusions These results suggest that digit naming and single syllable Hiragana reading have close characteristics, and also the process of reading words and naming pictures resemble each other. Present RAN tasks could be a useful tool to evaluate developmental change in both phonological and semantic processes of reading.