Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) and Rapid Alternative Stimulus have been proven to be an effective and enjoyable activity to do with young children.

The RAN and RAS Tests are individually administered measures designed to estimate an individual's ability to recognize a visual symbol such as a letter or color and name it accurately and rapidly. The tests consist of rapid automatized naming tests (Letters, Numbers, Colors, Objects) and two rapid alternating stimulus tests (2-Set Letters and Numbers, and 3-Set Letters, Numbers and Colors). 

In the 1960s, neurologist Norman Geschwind studied various cases of individuals with alexia to determine both what kind of brain damage led to their reading difficulties and exactly what aspects of reading were affected. 

Based in part on the foundation of Dejerine’s earlier findings as well as Wernicke’s notions of connections among cerebral areas, Geschwind’s (1965) pa- per “Disconnexion Syndromes in Animals and Man” conceptualized the core deficit in alexia as a disconnection between the visual and ver- bal processes in the brain. 

Geschwind also reported the case of a patient with alexia who also experienced great difficulty with naming colors despite the ability to perceive colors accurately (Geschwind & Fusillo 1966). 

Geschwind was interested in the slow and effortful processing required for this individual to come up with the names of colors, and he devised a timed test of color naming. 

When doing RAN assessments, color splotches, familiar objects in the child’s environment, basic shapes, numbers, and letters are generally used. 

RAN and RAS Tests are considered to be the "gold standard" of naming tests.

The two most widely used standardized tests of RAN in the United States are the Rapid Automatized Naming-Rapid Alternating Stimulus (RAN-RAS) Tests developed by Denckla and expanded by Wolf & Denckla (2005; published by Pro-Ed), and the rapid naming subtests of the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Pro- cessing (CTOPP), by Wagner and colleagues (1999; published by Pro-Ed). 

These tests reflect three decades of clinical evidence and research across all parts of the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Asia, and Australia that have examined the relation between processing speed and reading. This wealth of research evidence added to the fact that the tests are simple, fun, and quick to administer (i.e., five to ten minutes for all six tests) make tests an important addition to any prediction battery or diagnostic assessment of oral and written language from age five to adulthood.

Reading has been compared to rocket science and to conducting a symphony, yet we expect children to have mastered this deeply sophisticated set of skills by the age of seven. 

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about reading is that children develop reading skills seemingly in spite of nature. 

Reading began so recently in the evolutionary history of our species that we have no innate biological processes devoted specifically to reading. 

Fluent reading depends on a complex set of cognitive processes that must work together in perfect concert. Rapid automatized naming (RAN) and Rapid alternative stimulus (RAS) tasks provide insight into this system, acting as a microcosm of the processes involved in reading.

How it will be use in our Belizean class?

RAN and RAS can be used in our class in reading comprehension and fluency reading. This heps us teacher to keep track the level of our students in reading. This system helps us to find out which students suffer language disorders. 

Language disorder in children refers to problems with either: Getting their meaning or message across to others (expressive language disorder), or Understanding the message coming from others (receptive language disorder) Some children only have an expressive language disorder. Others have a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder. This means they have symptoms of both conditions. Children with language disorders are able to produce sounds and their speech can be understood. 

In Belize we need to take in consideration this issues that we have. Maybe some teachers do not know what to do with this children that need to improve their language. That it is for, that RAN and RAS help us as teachers to help the children to develop their ability in communicate, reading, writing and expressing their ideas. 

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages of RAN/RAS Test

It assess children's and adolescent's ability to percieve a visual symbol and name it accurately and rapidly, effectively aiding in the identification of children who have reading disabilities. A rapid, alternating stimulus (RAS) naming measure was designed to study the developing ability in dyslexic readers to direct attention to contextual patterns while performing a rapid serial naming task. RAS performances differentiate both average from impaired readers and dyslexic subgroups from each other.

RAN and RAS are designed to: 

• Measure naming speed
• Ability to perceive a visual symbol and verbally name it
• Looks at accuracy and speed of naming o 6 subtests:
• RAN Objects 
• RAN Colors
• RAN Numbers 
• RAN Letters
• RAS 2-set
• RAS 3-set
• Patient looks at visual presentation of different objects and has to quickly and accurately name them in order
• Used for ages 5 yo to 18 years 11 months 

Disadvantages of RAN/RAS Test

The use of RAN and RAS activities can help teachers to identify retrieval challenges that may interfere in student's process of reading. Some of the disadvantages include that it does not measure vocabulary knowledge nor are about recognizing letters and numbers in a complete form. 

RAN/RAS scores may not tell you very much about the children needs. But RAN tests can help teachers to find out whether students have a reading problem. Another disadvantages it is also that it will be a little challenge for some students, that can make them feel stressed if we tell the student that we are taking time. We need to be careful with this and when we use this test, tell the student that she/he will have fun at reading the content. 

Video RAN/RAS Test Evaluation

RAN and RAS sample were used to evaluate our reading ability using shapes, forms, letters, colors and numbers. These sample tests consist in three different pages that the first page is to identify the different colors and shapes as fast as we can read. The second page is to read all the numbers and letters in a variety order. The third page has an integration of shapes, numbers, letters and colors. The level of challenge gets higher in a different sequence purpose. 

Evaluation sample of the tests

• The first participant that was evaluated got a current time of 19 seconds at the first page, at the second page she got a score of 23 seconds and at the last page with 30 seconds. She said that she had some trouble with the last page that it is to recognize shapes, colors, numbers and letters together. 

• Second participant has 18 years old, she got a score of 23 seconds at the first page, 23 at the second and 18 at the last page. She was a little anxious when she was evaluating. 

• Third participant, got a score of 23 at the first page, 22 at the second page and last page.

• Fourth, got a score of 25 seconds at the first and second page, 21 at the last page.  

• The Fifth participant got a score of 27 at the first page, 23 at the second and 18 at the last page. 

All of us we had fun doing the test. We think it is a good tool to use with our students. We felt like it was a little challenge for some of us. Tests are important to measure the competence of the students and to help them to improve in their language skills. 

This video was made for educational activities and for the understanding of how to use the RAN and RAS test. How children will feel, and if it is going to be a challenge or a stressing form of assessment for them. 

You can get this sample FREE by clicking here

Belize

Belize is and independent country located in Central America, part of the Caribbean Sea and its lovely waterfalls. 

Belize achieved full independence on September 21, 1981. It is now a member of the British Commonwealth, the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. Diplomatic relations have been established with many countries. Belize is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and related institutions.

You can also taste our delicious food in Orange Walk at Nahil Mayab.  What is Nahil Mayab? In Spanish means "Casa Grande del Maya" 

You can also see the reviews in TripAdvisor

In Corozal we have our lovely Caribean Sea with beautiful manatees swimming around. 

More information about Belize at LonelyPlanet

Marlin Espadas is poised to take advantage of this growth and moderate competition in the industry, with a dedicated and experienced staff, excellent networking, and effective management and marketing. Marlin Espadas intends to provide travel and adventure packages to tourists. Services provided by Marlin Espadas will initially include pre-arranged tours, custom packages according to client’s specifications, travel consultation, and reservations for lodging among other related services.

Our focus in Belize, Mexico & Guatemala are mainly: 

• Adventure tours
• Eco tours 
• Snorkeling tours
• Jungle tours
• Cave tours
• Ruins tours
• Colonial tours

Interest in travel and visit Belize? 

Click  

Marlin Espadas

for more information

Rapid automatic switching (RAS)

Rapid Automatic Switching (RAS) - Letters, colors, and shapes are located in different areas of the brain, so when you switch from colors or shapes to letters and back again it’s referred to as RAS. 

RAS activities can help teachers identify retrieval challenges that may interfere in students’ process of reading. Such activities involve connecting visual, verbal, attentional, and cognitive processes. Letter names are not accessed in the same location in the brain as colors, or shapes RAS (rapid automatic switching) shows how well students can make the switch from colors or shapes to letters, and back again.  

A rapid, alternating stimulus (RAS) naming measure was designed to study the developing ability in dyslexic readers to direct attention to contextual patterns while performing a rapid serial naming task. The results from a 3-year longitudinal investigation of 98 children indicate three trends. RAS performances differentiate both average from impaired readers and dyslexic subgroups from each other. The largest, most impaired subgroup can not complete the RAS tasks in kindergarten; the smaller subgroups have little name access speed deficits. Early RAS performances are highly predictive of later reading, particularly at the single-word reading level. Implications for understanding the development of automaticity and the relationship between retrieval speed and reading are discussed.

Type of difficulties may students will have.

When a child begins learning to read, many assume that to accurately decode each word of a simple story aloud represents reading. In reality, simply to translate printed words into a stream of speech is but the beginning step, however necessary, of reading. Indeed, even the initial comprehension that comes next is but a second necessary step. Essentially, one must be able to comprehend the meaning of a text in order to go beyond what is on the page: making connections to existing knowledge, analyzing the writer’s argument, and predicting the next twist in the story. 

• Fluency

It is here that the way we define successful reading is important. The term “fluency” has been used to describe the speed and quality of oral reading, often emphasizing prosody, yet this definition does not en- compass all the goals of reading or reflect the fact that most of our reading is done silently rather than aloud. We conceptualize fluency in a more comprehensive way.

In this blog, we examine reading fluency in the sense of what has been called “fluent comprehension”: a manner of reading in which all sublexical units, words, and connected text and all the perceptual, linguistic, and cognitive processes involved in each level are processed accurately and automatically so that sufficient time and resources can be al- located to comprehension and deeper thought 

(Wolf & Katzir-Cohen 2001). 

• Dyslexia

Define as unexpected difficulty learning to read despite adequate instruction, intelligence, and effort (Lyon et al. 2003).  

There is no single test and no absolute criteria for diagnosing dyslexia. This is in part due to the fact that there are so many processes in reading that can break down to cause reading failure. Inaccuracy at any level of language or processing or a lack of automaticity in connecting any of these circuits can lead to poor reading. More than 100 years of research into developmental reading difficulties has yet to reveal anything resembling one single explanation for all the symptoms of dyslexia, yet such pursuits continue unabated today. 

Children with dyslexia not only show poorer academic performance, but also socioemotional and behavioral effects such as lower self-esteem and higher rates of entry in to the juvenile justice system. (Grigorenko 2006, Humphrey & Mullins 2002, Svensson et al. 2001). 

Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN)

Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) is the ability to rapidly name a sequence of random objects, letters, shapes, numerals, or words. 

Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) has been proven to be an effective and enjoyable activity to do with young children. When doing RAN assessments, color splotches, familiar objects in the child’s environment, basic shapes, numbers, and letters are generally used.

Use of RAN and RAS activities can help teachers identify retrieval challenges that may interfere in students’ process of reading. Such activities involve connecting visual, verbal, attentional, and cognitive processes. Letter names are not accessed in the same location in the brain as colors, or shapes RAS (rapid automatic switching) shows how well students can make the switch from colors or shapes to letters, and back again. RAN and RAS are predictive of reading and writing performance, particularly reading fluency.

More information or RAN by clicking here

Rapid Automatized Naming and Rapid Alternating Stimulus Tests (RAN/RAS)

Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) has been proven to be an effective and enjoyable activity to do with young children. When doing RAN assessments, color splotches, familiar objects in the child’s environment, basic shapes, numbers, and letters are generally used. 

Reading has been compared to rocket science and to conducting a symphony, yet we expect children to have mastered this deeply sophisticated set of skills by the age of seven. 

Literacy has become so deep-rooted in our culture that we often take for granted the complex cognitive abilities that are required to read effortlessly in so many contexts, from sharing a Dr. Seuss story with a child to enjoying a favorite novel via an e-reader on a busy train. 

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about reading is that children develop reading skills seemingly in spite of nature. 

Reading began so recently in the evolutionary history of our species that we have no innate biological processes devoted specifically to reading. 

Fluent reading depends on a complex set of cognitive processes that must work together in perfect concert. Rapid automatized naming (RAN) tasks provide insight into this system, acting as a microcosm of the processes involved in reading.

RAN/RAS Test Online (Buy)