Tag Archives: dyslexia

Increasing the Readability of a Webpage

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Not all web pages are created equally. Some provide information in a clear and concise manner. Others are cluttered including extensive text, numerous graphics that might or might not add to the understanding of the content, or advertisements that detract from the content. This can be frustrating for any user, but especially so to those who are working on limiting distractions, focusing on goals around decoding and comprehension of text, and people with certain visual impairments.

TextHelp’s Read&Write for Google Chrome extension is available to all LCPS staff and students and has a tool that can help alleviate these issues called Simplify Page. It reduces visual clutter from Chrome web pages, simplifies the text on the page, and has features to make the web page even more visually accessible.

When on a Chrome web page, select the purple puzzle piece icon Read&Write Purple Puzzle Piece on the menu bar to open the Read&Write for Google Chrome toolbar.

Read&Write for Google Chrome Toolbar

Then, select the Simplify Page Simplify Tool tool. A new tab will open showing a simplified version of the page and the available features.

Simplify Page Toolbar

Simplify: The amount of text displayed on the page can be summarized or shortened by selecting the minus (–) icon. If you’ve decreased the text too much, you can select the plus (+) icon.

Discover: This feature underlines key words in purple. When the words are selected, a brief description or graphic appears, similar to a dictionary.

The visual contrast can be modified by changing the text and background color. Choices include Black on White, White on Black, Blue on Yellow, and Yellow on Blue.

The font size and style can be changed, including the Open Dyslexic font.

The spacing between the lines can be also changed to Single, 1.5, or Double.

Check out this video for more information and enjoy exploring this amazing tool!

Syllable Markers in Immersive Reader

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Immersive Reader is a literacy support tool from Microsoft. One of its many features is the ability to break words into syllables which can help a user decode, recognize, and pronounce the individual word. This video titled Improving Your Reading With Immersive Reader shows how to activate this feature along with other literacy support options.

Screenshot of words with dots between syllables

Syllable Support in Immersive Reader

Screenshot of Grammar Options in Immersive Reader

Grammar Options in Immersive Reader Including Syllable Support

Text Preferences in Immersive Reader

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Immersive Reader is a literacy support tool from Microsoft. One of its many features is the ability to alter text in a variety of ways based on the preferences of the user to customize their experience. The user can increase or decrease the font size, change the font, change the spacing, and change the theme including altering background colors. Anyone can choose the combination that works best for them!

Screenshot of text preferences in Immersive Reader

Text Preferences in Immersive Reader

Isolating One Row of Text At A Time Using Line Focus or Screen Masking

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Highlighting one row of text at a time can help a reader focus on that text by reducing potentially distracting content. This feature is known as Line Focus in Immersive Reader and Screen Masking in Read&Write for Google Chrome.

Read&Write for Google Chrome Logo and Screen Mask Icon

Screen Mask icon in Read&Write for Google Chrome

Screenshot of Line Focus in Immersive Reader

Line Focus Settings in Immersive Reader

Line Focus in Immersive Reader

Example of Line Focus in Immersive Reader

Same Content, Different Font

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Choice of font is an important factor in personalizing the learning experience. When reading text on paper, students are forced to access that text using the font that was predetermined by the publisher of that text. When text is made accessible, students can alter how the text is presented without changing any of the content. For example, two different students can experience the same content using different fonts. These preferences might help a student more easily access the text.

Some people with dyslexia have stated they prefer a font that is thicker on the bottom. Students (and educators!) can go to the Google Chrome Store to get the OpenDyslexic Font extension. Once added to Chrome, a user can select the icon in the extensions bar and toggle on the use of the OpenDyslexic font. For compatible websites, the text will convert from the default to the OpenDyslexic font. Any student in LCPS can be given the option to try this font to see if meshes with individual learner preferences.

Screenshot of the OpenDyslexic Font Extension

Screenshot of the OpenDyslexic Font Extension

Two screenshots of the same block of text from the LCPS Pupil Services home page. The image on the left is the default text. The image on the right shows the same content using the OpenDyslexic font.

Two screenshots of the same block of text from the LCPS Pupil Services home page. The image on the left is the default text. The image on the right shows the same content using the OpenDyslexic font.

Captions On For Literacy!

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Video is a common modality for educators to share, teach, and reinforce concepts. Captions exist to help individuals with hearing impairments experience the audio portion of the content. Evidence suggests that turning the captions on for video content can also help students, with or without hearing impairments, improve reading abilities. Pairing text with audio and visual content helps reinforce the meanings of words while simultaneously representing how they are spelled. 

Strategies can be used to encourage educators and parents to turn on the captions whenever students are experiencing video content. Consider crafting a “Captions On!” campaign for your learning space, grade level, or school promoting the idea that captions help improve literacy. Here are some potential action steps:

  • When choosing video content, encourage educators to only select video that has captions.
  • Invite parents to turn on captions at home whenever watching television or videos.
  • As students make meaningful contributions to the world by participating in authentic learning experiences, they might choose to create videos. When they do so, encourage students to consider an audience with diverse abilities by captioning their created video content.
  • Google Slides and Microsoft Powerpoint both have a live captioning option for when giving presentations. Encourage staff and students to turn on this feature to have the text displayed on the screen when using these tools to present in-person presentations.

Adopting and practicing a “captions on” mentality will help improve individual literacy skills while simultaneously working toward building a more inclusive and accessible future for all. 

Google Slide with captions on

Google Slide with captions on.

Learners at Algonkian Elementary Install Literacy Support Extensions

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LCPS returned to 100% distance learning on December 15th, 2020. Just prior, educators at Algonkian Elementary School worked to ensure that students installed the literacy support extensions of Read&Write for Google Chrome, Texthelp PDF Reader, and Texthelp Screenshot Reader. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Instructional Facilitator for Technology, Specialized Instructional Facilitator – Assistive Technology, and the Specialized Instructional Facilitator – Reading, learners also participated in experiences where they practiced how to use the tools to support their own learning. These extensions are available to anyone in LCPS! Install and use them today!

Way to go Algonkian learners and educators!

Learners in a classroom behind Chromebooks giving a thumbs up

Learners in a classroom behind Chromebooks giving a thumbs up

Text to Speech & The Purple Puzzle Piece

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Text to speech is a function of technology that allows users to hear accessible digital text. Learners can listen to content with a click of a button. Text to speech allows users to experience text with their ears in addition to their eyes, and provides a way to edit their own written work in a way that allows their ears to catch the mistakes their eyes miss. Text to speech allows users to learn words they might otherwise have trouble decoding and experience curricular content regardless of reading ability. 

Text to speech is a feature of the Read&Write for Google Chrome extension available to any person in LCPS. Go to the Chrome Web Store and do a search for Read&Write for Google Chrome. Then press “Add to Chrome” to add the extension to your Chrome browser. A purple puzzle piece will appear to the right of the URL bar. Click on it and follow the onscreen instructions to enable the extension. Then, start exploring the toolbar including the text to speech tool.