Letter-naming speed was investigated to determine if it measures cognitive speed, a theoretical factor that purportedly influences or limits reading rate. A group of 47 students in Grades 2 through 10 were administered a large battery of computerized tests. A factor analysis of seven rate measures resulted in two factors that correlated .37: a cognitive speed factor (Cs) and a rauding rate level factor (Rl.), with the two measures of letter-naming speed loading highly on the Cs factor. Empirical measures of these two factors were derived by averaging across tests that loaded highly on each factor, and these new measures of Cs and Rl. correlated substantially---.51. Cs correlated near zero (-.18) with a traditional measure of intelligence, called cognitive power (Cp). Thus, cognitive speed and cognitive power seem to be two independent factors influencing reading ability. Whereas cognitive power has traditionally been used to diagnose reading disabilities, it now appears that letter-naming speed can be used to measure an equally important factor, called cognitive speed.
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