Every student can Read&Write

Two years back, when COVID pandemic had begun, we all had to learn to live differently. No socializing, no gatherings meant institutions like school had to be closed for in-person learning. In September 2020, my daughter began her Grade 1 in a virtual setting using Google classroom. I was a bit anxious as my daughter had never used a computer before. She was not used to typing or using the mouse, and of course the basic idea of how to open/close a window. However, just like most of the kids at that age she learnt and mastered the basics very quickly with the support of her teacher. She knew what to do when the teacher said, "Join the meet", "Open the file", "Save the file", "Make a copy of the presentation" etc.

 Although she was now independent with the computer, she was still finding her way with the alphabets/numbers on the keyboard. Even when she communicated in the chat window with her teacher and classmates it was hard for her to type simple words like "hello" or "here" for attendance. For one of her literacy classes, the children had to write their opinion about a story. The teacher asked them to install an extension called Read&Write for their Google slides on Chrome browser. Using Talk&Type feature of this tool, the children could talk/say the answer and it would type it in. Although it took us a few tries to get used to it. It certainly helped my daughter complete her work easily and was a lot of fun too. I was amazed that this tool made it so easy for young children to comfortably continue their learning in a virtual setting.

Read&Write offers many applications especially for students who may have reading challenges. With this tool, students can select a challenging word on a page of a website or e-book and listen to the pronunciation. Settings are adjustable to ensure that the speed of the spoken text and voice type are comfortable for the child. It is compatible with Chrome, Windows, Android, and Mac platforms.  It offers features like Text to Speech, Voice notes, Talk&Type, Word Prediction, Highlighters and much more. The digital highlighter feature can be used to encourage the child to highlight particular words or passages based on a skill that they are working on. Digital tools such as this can provide support and options for your students to bridge the gap or challenge with their reading and writing.

Teachers can get a free premium subscription to Read&Write for Google Chrome.  Check out this tool at https://www.texthelp.com/products/read-and-write-education/

To read about it's features, and benefits click here, https://barrsec.sd73.bc.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/Kris-Downloads/Features-and-Benefits-for-ReadWrite-for-Google-Chrome-Windows--Mac---10.2018.pdf

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