Rapid Automatic Naming/ Phonemic Awareness Moore Public Schools PreK, Kindergarten, and 1 st grade Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel

What is it? RAN or Rapid Automatic Naming is one of the 6 strong predictors of reading readiness. The Six Strong Predictors of Reading Readiness alphabet knowledge (AK): knowledge of the names and sounds associated with printed letters phonological awareness (PA): the ability to detect, manipulate, or analyze the auditory aspects of spoken language (including the ability to distinguish or segment words, syllables, or phonemes), independent of meaning rapid automatic naming (RAN) of letters or digits: the ability to rapidly name a sequence of random letters or digits RAN of objects or colors: the ability to rapidly name a sequence of repeating random sets of pictures of objects (e.g., “car,” “tree,” “house,” “man”) or colors writing or writing name: the ability to write letters in isolation on request or to write one’s own name phonological memory: the ability to remember spoken information for a short period of time.

Why is RAN an important part of our literacy program in PreK, Kindergarten, and 1 st grade? If your student is being tested for reading, executive functioning issues or slow processing speed, you may hear the term rapid automatized naming (RAN). It refers to the ability to quickly name aloud a series of familiar items on a page. These include letters, numbers, colors or objects. Other names for it are rapid automatic naming or rapid naming.slow processing speed Performance on a RAN test is based on how fast a child can name in order all the items presented on the page, compared to other kids her age. Kids with reading issues are frequently slower on RAN tests. So the tests are often used as part of a comprehensive reading evaluation. They’re also used for the early identification of kids who are at risk for reading problems.

Why RAN? (cont) Experts agree that RAN tests can tell us a lot about kids’ reading skills. The belief is that RAN affects reading because it involves how well we can retrieve phonological information. Research shows that kids who struggle in this area are very likely to struggle with reading. They believe reading brings together a number of complex processes. These involve our verbal, visual and motor systems. Experts say RAN covers all of them, serving almost as a small-scale version of reading even before kids actually learn to read.

Why RAN? (cont) Kids with problems in both RAN and phonemic awareness have what’s called a “double deficit.” They usually have more severe reading problems. And they may have a harder time improving their reading than kids who only struggle with phonemes, the smallest unit of sounds in words.phonemic awareness

How do you do a RAN assessment? RAN tests generally show four types of items: objects, colors, letters and numbers. Small sets of items in the same category (for example, five small squares of several different colors) are presented in rows on a page. But the order in which they appear changes from row to row. The examiner typically starts by going over the names of the set of items with the child. Then, for the test itself, the child has to name all of the items aloud as quickly as possible, from first to last, row by row.

How do you do a RAN assessment? Both the time the child needs to name the items and her accuracy are recorded. But the time is what’s of interest. RAN tests don’t measure vocabulary knowledge. Nor are they about recognizing letters and numbers. They’re really tests of fluency. That’s why, to get the best information from a RAN test, the evaluator should test only items the child knows well. For example, a preschooler may not know her letters or numbers. So she might be shown only colors and objects.

Some RAN resources… files/ranexercises.pdf for grades files/ranexercises.pdf xia/Arkansas_Rapid_Naming_Screener.pdf xia/Arkansas_Rapid_Naming_Screener.pdf This screener uses colors only so it is appropriate for any student who cannot identify letters or numbers. PreK and Kinder: you can use this!!

More RAN Resources… Resources for both RAN and phonemic awareness This is a RAN sheet using pictures only. Just right click on it and go to document object and open. It is a Word file so you can change it if you would like to do so. It also includes a teacher tracking page.

More RAN resources… (cont) RAN sheet with tracking using numbers. RAN sheet with tracking using shapes.

One important things to remember about RAN… You do not have to merely track RAN…you can use it as an instructional tool with the whole class. Look at this video to see how Amanda York from Fairview uses it as part of her morning routine: Go to minute mark 2:06 to see how she uses a RAN technique notebook to help students learn the alphabet, non-sense words, math facts, ect. You don’t even have to track RAN if you think you do enough assessment. I would try tracking any child that you suspect has a learning disability because your RAN info could be helpful as they move along in the RTI track.

Phonemic Awareness The terms Phonemic Awareness and Phonological Awareness are generally used interchangeably in instructional literature. It is simply the awareness and ability to hear phonemes or individual units of sound. It has long been recognized that students who do not have Phonemic Awareness have a much harder time learning to read. It is probably important to note here that hearing and sight occur not just through the ears and eyes. Specific parts of the brain also determines what you can see and hear. A student who does not hear individual units of sound could have some sort of a brain dysfunction.

Phonemic Awareness (cont) It is also important to note that phonics and Phonemic Awareness are inextricably woven together. You can have Phonemic Awareness without phonics but you cannot have phonics without Phonemic Awareness because the sounds cannot be “heard” or understood in the auditory area of the brain. It could also be a dysfunction of the ears if a child has scar tissue from many ear infections. Phonics and Phonemic Awareness do work hand-in-hand however. Students learn to read best with explicit instruction of both sounds and letter sound relationships.

Phonemic Awareness Skill Sequence The ability to distinguish words in a sentence Example: I like apples. (3 words) The ability to recognize rhyme, complete rhyme, and produce rhyme Example: Does pick rhyme with stick? What word or pretend word rhymes with ball? The ability to blend, segment, and delete syllables Example: foot and ball together say (football); Clap the word parts in rainbow (2 claps); say cupcake without cake (cup) The ability to recognize initial and final sounds in words Example: What is the first sound in the word dot? (/d/); What is the last sound in the word sun? (/n/)

Phonemic Awareness Skill Sequence The ability to blend onset and rime Example: What is this word? /t/ /op/ (top) The ability to blend, segment, and delete phonemes Example: /p/ /i/ /g/…what is the word? (pig) Example: What are the sounds you hear in pot? /p/ /o/ /t/ Example: Say take without the /t/… (ake) Example: Say big without the /g/…(bi) The ability to add or substitute phonemes Example: Say /it/. Now add /s/. (sit) Example: Replace the first sound in back with /t/. (tack)

Skill Typically Mastered in which Grade? Concept of spoken wordPreK or Kindergarten Rhyme recognitionPreK or Kindergarten Rhyme CompletionPreK or Kindergarten Rhyme productionKindergarten Syllable blendingKindergarten Syllable segmentationKindergarten Syllable deletionKindergarten Phoneme isolation of initial soundKindergarten Phoneme isolation of final soundKindergarten or first grade Phoneme blending – onset and rimeFirst Grade Phoneme blending – all phonemesFirst Grade Phoneme segmentationFirst Grade Phoneme deletion of initial soundFirst Grade Phoneme deletion of final soundFirst Grade/second grade Adding phonemesFirst grade/second grade Phoneme substitution of initial soundSecond Grade

Sample activities to practice Phonemic Awareness in the classroom Most phonemic awareness activities will be done with the whole class. The exception would be if you have noticed that a student seems to be struggling to hear sounds. Then you would more explicitly teach skills to that student in a small group or individually. Count the words or Clap the words: say sentences and have students count or clap the words, use manipulatives to mark each word spoken Rhyming: say three words where two rhyme and one does not…have students identify the word that does not rhyme. Read couplets (2 lined poems) have students tell you the missing word: Example: I like to look at my green plant….I don’t like stepping on an ___________.

More Sample Activities to practice Phonemic Awareness (cont) Play Did you Ever? Example: Did you ever see a cat wearing a ____? Read a book that rhymes and stop before the second part of the couplet end so students can tell you words that rhyme. I’m thinking of a word: Example: I’m thinking of a word that rhymes with dot. It is used for cooking food. The word is _______. Silly Simon says: Example: Simon Says to touch your belbow, what he means is touch your ___________. Rhyme Bingo To practice syllables: read a book and take some of the words and have students clap or tap out the syllables.

Sample Activities (cont) You can right click choose document object and open to print this out for use in your classroom. You can also edit it for new pictures to keep using it as a resource. This is a multipage activity where student can color or X out the dots to equal the syllables or you can use it to have students sound out each phoneme in the pictures. Also editable. Picture sets that you can use for Phonemic awareness activities and can be edited.

Books and web sites to recommend for Phonemic Awareness Much of the research concerning the phonemic awareness in this Power Point is from the book: Phonological Awareness by Yvette Zgonc ISBN Reading Rockets: