Speed of word recognition as a distinguishing characteristic of reading disabilities

Theories of reading consider efficient world recognition a necessary if not sufficient condition for comprehension of texts; however, most studies of the word reading of reading disable (RD) studients have focused on accuracy, not speed. This paper reviews studies of the word-reading of RD or dyslexic students that include measures of reading speed. The results of the 17 studies are presented according to whether the RD students were matched with groups of the same chronological-age, or both. Overall, the results indicate that, regardless of the comparison group, RD students are slower at naming words and nonwords. The results of lexical decision tasks are les consistent, in part because of variations in methodology. Recommendations for effective measurement of word reading speed are given.