Guest post by Robert Abraham, opinions expressed are those of the guest author
Dyslexia is a condition that primarily affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells. It is typically recognized as a learning disorder in children. Students with dyslexia find it more difficult to read and spell words, and it can have a major impact on their educational performance in school. Twenty percent, or ONE in FIVE students deal with dyslexia. Fortunately, technology companies like Microsoft and Google are helping in the fight against dyslexia by creating tools to help students deal with and overcome this challenge. Microsoft has developed a suite of tools, and some of these include Immersive Reader and Reading Coach. Google has some extensions for Google Chrome that are beneficial for students with Dyslexia and other vision impairments.
Immersive Reader is a free Microsoft tool available that helps users read and comprehend text. It allows individuals to customize features such as text layout, size, style, font type, and spacing. This makes it an improved and personalized reading experience for individuals with dyslexia and other visual issues. Immersive Reader also employs a text-to-speech feature, which allows users to hear the text read aloud, helping them decode challenging words and improving comprehension. In addition, the tool has a picture dictionary as well as the ability to break down words by syllables, like we used to do by clapping in the classroom. Here are some of their available tools:
Another Microsoft tool that assists students with dyslexia is Reading Coach. Reading Coach is an interactive and fun tool for students that helps teamwork on and improve their reading speed and accuracy. While Immersive Reader helps students with written text, Reading Coach is a tool to help students with oral fluency. It uses a virtual assistant to listen and correct children’s reading mistakes by providing them with personalized practice word lists. It also provides feedback to help improve their reading. Reading Coach, which is built into Immersive Reader also creates focused practice exercises for each student. Students can track their progress, and the tool provides cumulative stats that help identify areas they need to improve.
Google Chrome extensions are programs that can be installed into Chrome in order to enhance the browser’s functionality. They can be found on Google Chrome’s Web Store and most of them are free although some have both free and premium versions. There are many helpful extensions available but I am going to mention a few that students with Dyslexia can use to enhance their learning experience.
Read&Write is a very robust extension that offers teachers and students many helpful tools. There is a free version with limited tools but those are still very helpful for people with vision disadvantages. There is also a free version available for teachers with all of the features available. This allows teachers using interactive whiteboards or screens to use the tools with small groups or full class. There is also a yearly subscription per student as well as a bulk price for schools.
Read&Write has many tools available including opinions for text, content, display, and colors. Students can change the size of text on websites or pdf documents as well as change the font and line spacing. Read&Write can also read web pages to students by page, paragraph, or word and allows for changing the pitch and speed of the spoken text. There are also tools for page translation, a built-in dictionary, and page magnification. It offers Dyslexia tools including ruler, specific dyslexia-friendly fonts, color blindness adjustments and focus tools.
Read&Write is a complete solution but only the full paid version (or free teacher option). There are other Google Chrome Extensions that have some of the options of Read&Write but at no cost. Speakit is a free extension that offers text-to-speech so students can have web pages and documents read to them. It is a simple-to-use extension found on the Google Play Store. Another useful fee extension is Postlight Reader. Postlight Reader strips away many of the busier elements on a website which allows students to focus on the text with less distraction. Here is an example of a webpage without Postlight Reader and the same page with Postlight Reader:
https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2022/10/celebrate-dyslexic-thinking
In conclusion, Microsoft has developed great tools and inclusive technologies such as Immersive Reader and Reading Coach, with the goal of making reading and writing accessible to everyone, including those with dyslexia. These tools help improve reading accuracy, speed, and comprehension. They also empower individuals with dyslexia to achieve academic success. Microsoft offers other effective tools including Microsoft Translate, Reading Progress and Flip, formerly known as Flipgrid. Google has useful extensions to their Chrome browser and many of them are very beneficial to students with visual differences including Dyslexia.
About the Author
Robert is an Instructional Strategist at Teq and an experienced technology coach in education with a passion for helping educators integrate technology into their teaching practices. A former NYC Department of Education teacher with almost 30 years of experience in the field, Robert has worked with teachers and administrators to develop technology-rich learning environments that engage students and enhance learning outcomes. Currently, Robert works for Teq, a technology education company in NY. Teq offers schools and districts a complete solution from planning and purchasing educational products to in-person and online professional development as well as follow-up support. In addition, Teq also offers Project Based Learning solutions, called iBlocks, which are beneficial to teachers in the classroom and in STEM labs as well.
About Rachelle
Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and on Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU available at https://anchor.fm/rdene915.
Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com
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