Continuum Unpacked

Many universal screeners have Letter Naming Fluency subtests. In these measures, students identify as many letters as they can in a short period of time. Letter Naming Fluency is a powerful predictor of future reading success.

Letter Naming Fluency is a predictor, though, not an instructional target. This means we don’t have evidence that indicates that if we teach students to name letters quickly, they will show stronger reading or writing outcomes. Instead, use Letter Naming Fluency as an indicator of risk – if a student struggles on this screening subtest, they are likely at risk, so consider intensifying phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, and spelling instruction.