Abstract
Despite growing recognition of the importance of early literacy skills, many young children continue to struggle with foundational components such as phonological memory and rapid naming. There is a need for more research that explores how these skills develop in early childhood and how instructional practices can better support children at different developmental stages. This study examines the development of phonological memory in preschool-aged children in the Sacramento area by administering two screenings, the Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) test and a CVC flashcard reading task, once in November and again in February. Participants showed statistically significant improvement in their ability to quickly identify colors, shapes, and numbers as measured by the RAN. Additionally, analysis of the CVC flashcard  assessment revealed that eight students made statistically significant gains in the number of CVC words they could read from the pre-test to the post-test.