ReadSpeaker aids ALL learners in accessing the curriculum. Some learners have difficulty due to language, dyslexia, fluency challenges, phonemic awareness challenges, etc. This means learners need to know where ReadSpeaker is located and what it can do for them.
Helping your learners understand the importance of using ReadSpeaker tools will foster growth in confidence, autonomy, and ownership of their learning. Introducing a few features at a time to learners can lead to impactful change in their academic progress. Be sure to share the ease of use, how to find their tools, and when to use them, which will make all the difference in their journey.
The “who” question is easy - ALL learners. Some learners need ReadSpeaker because of their learning methodology, and others need to remove barriers to have equitable access to academic information. The easy part is that since ReadSpeaker is implemented across Brightspace, every learner can access all the components.
The ideal time to introduce ReadSpeaker is at the beginning of a term. However, if you are implementing ReadSpeaker and the term has already begun, try it out at the beginning of a new unit or a week. The ReadSpeaker webReader is located in HTML Content Lessons, Discussion Topics and Threads, Assignments, and each quiz question.
In your classroom, take a minute or two at the beginning of a class, show the learners where the Listen button is located, and let it play a few sentences. Challenge the learners to try this on their own outside of class so they can see how it works for them.