For what reading levels is this program appropriate? The tests are appropriate to all students from kindergarten to grade 10.
Will it work for Special Needs students? Yes. RAPS works well with special needs students because it is systematic and methodical.
Will it work for ELL students? Yes. RAPS works well with ELL students and it will establish a baseline to measure subsequent growth. Many second language learners are literate in their own language and have literacy skills that transition easily to English. RAPS will identify what the student already knows in the English language and narrow the focus of instruction for the teacher to teach.
How does the program test the student? RAPS is a 100% computerized program that tests the student on his/her ability to clearly distinguish sounds and recognize other rules for pronunciation and spelling. The program also has four cumulative review tests to ensure long-term memory retention.
Is the program difficult for students? With only a brief introduction, a student will be able to complete the tests. Although most students will be preset at the current grade level of instruction, students with difficulty reading may be individually set at a lower level to lessen frustration.
Is the program difficult for teachers to use? No. The RAPS teaching Guide provides easy to follow instructions for inputting students into the program. Once a student is enrolled, he/she will remain enrolled from year to year unless the teacher deletes the name from the file. The program automatically keeps track of where a student is and automatically assigns the appropriate level and skill for on-going assessment.
Who should receive training? Although RAPS is easy to administer, all teachers who will have students using the program, as well as those who will administer the program, should be trained to use the reports. This includes teachers, classroom aids and administrators.
How many students can use the program? On average each workstation may be used to test reading skills of 6 -10 students per school day.
What does the program cost? Please call MindPlay at 1-800-221-7911 x104 for school pricing.
How can you receive future updates of RAPS? A RAPS institution can download updates from our website: www.mindplay.com or call MindPlay and request the latest version within their edition during their first 12 months of use. Thereafter, a nominal fee will be charged. Please see MindPlay’s Maintenance Policy for more information.
If I have a student who has reading problems, will the program accurately diagnose his or her problem? Yes. RAPS provides the tool to easily test and diagnose each student's specific reading abilities and deficiencies. The reports generated from RAPS show error patterns and enable proper student grouping for intervention and remediation.
Is this program self-sufficient or do we need additional resources? RAPS provides the teacher with targeted off-the-computer lessons to support student growth. Suggested reading intervention lessons are provided in black-line copies along with the testing results, and students are only assigned those lessons that specifically target their unique needs. Site based supplemental resources may also be beneficial as intervention for students with reading deficiencies. The frequent testing encouraged by RAPS allows teachers to fine-tune which intervention program or strategy is most effective.
Is this just a phonics test or does it analyze reading comprehension? No, RAPS is not just a phonics test. RAPS assesses in these five areas:
1) Sounds in isolation
2) Vowels
3) Consonants
4) Structure of words
5) Phonetic rules
RAPS can test either isolated sounds or sounds within a word. The new version MindPlay T.E.A.M.™: RAPS 360™ will assess these phonics areas as well as reading comprehension and fluency.
What if there is a technical problem with the program? Technical Support is available between the 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. MST, Monday through Friday. MindPlay is closed on all major holidays. Call (800) 221-7911. Technical Support is free for the first year.
Will the program be boring for middle and high school students? RAPS is not an instructional tool, but an assessment tool. Since the assessment will take anywhere from only 5 - 30 minutes, it is almost impossible for any student to become bored or frustrated. In addition, since students may test frequently and be able to see individual reports tracking their progress, they may even be further motivated to want to test frequently.