Chromebook Extensions
Extensions
Search for CHROME WEB STORE to find the extensions. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions?hl=en
The FREE extensions shown on this page are already approved by the Tech Department for anyone to install, including students. Most of the summary content has been cut/copied/pasted from the Chrome store extension's home page to give you a quick idea of what the extension does.
■ OpenDyslexic (Free)
Open-Dyslexic is an open sourced font created to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. This extension overrides all fonts on web pages with the OpenDyslexic font, and formats pages to be more easily readable.
■ Grammarly (Free)
...Adding Grammarly to Chrome means that your spelling and grammar will be vetted on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Tumblr, and nearly everywhere else you write on the web….
Grammarly is now integrated with Google Docs and works "live" with Docs. It is a "freemium" product as well. You can use the basic version for free.
■ ATbar (Free)
"ATbar has been created as an open-source, cross-browser toolbar to help users customise the way they view and interact with web pages. The concept behind ATbar is simple: One toolbar to provide all of the functionality you would usually achieve through the use of different settings or products.
ATbar is free and allows you to change the look and feel of web pages, have text read aloud and spell check forms. It is a simple tool which is available for most popular browsers. There are three versions of the ATbar toolbar."
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/atbar/lihjlachbdicbhpalgegcgknkbmjhicl
One feature especially helpful with this extension is the ability to put various COLOR OVERLAYs on any screen/web page which could help Dyslexic readers. This extension also does Text to Speech.
■ Screen Mask (Free)
Screen Mask is website or web document reading tool that follows your mouse or touch to help eliminate page distractions so that you can focus on reading one passage at a time.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screen-mask/mhccomhlpeimdkagphppaoefhkeopnho?hl=en
■ Equati0 (has free and premium features, premium subscription is $145/year for students. Speech to Text remains free.)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/equatio-math-made-digital/hjngolefdpdnooamgdldlkjgmdcmcjnc
Easily create mathematical equations, formulas and quizzes. Intuitively type or handwrite, with no tricky math code to learn.
Until now, writing equations and math expressions on your computer has been slow and laborious.
EquatIO makes math digital, helping teachers and students at all levels create math expressions quickly and easily.
What's free vs what's premium?
https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/equatio/premium-features/
If you are new to EquatIO, welcome! For the first 30 days of your free subscription, you can try all of our premium features across EquatIO for Google, Windows, Mac and EquatIO mathspace at no charge.
After that time, you can upgrade to a paid subscription to keep those premium features, or you can continue with a free version of EquatIO, which gives you access to the following features across all platforms*:
- Speech input
- Handwriting recognition (2 per day)
- Support for Math Writing Shortcuts
- Static graphing
- LaTeX input
* Additional free features are available within the specific platforms
Plus, we’re always adding more features to EquatIO to make it even better for you and your students! So, take a look and see what’s included:
■ Read&Write by TextHelp (has Free and Premium features, a Premium subscription is $145/year for students)
Boost reading and writing confidence across all types of content and devices, in class, at work, and at home!
Wonderfully intuitive and easy-to-use, Read&Write for Google Chrome™ provides personalized support to make documents, web pages and common file types in Google Drive (including: Google Docs, PDF & ePub) more accessible. It’s designed to help everyone engage with digital content in a way that suits his/her abilities and learning styles.
https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/read-write/read-write-for-google/
https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/read-write/premium-features-student/
- These remain free features
- *PDF Reader free features include text to speech, translator, commenting, Save to Drive, and Classroom integration. All other features within PDF Reader are premium.
- Text to Speech
- Read the Web/Hover Speech
- PDF Reader
- Translator (Single word)
- Practice Reading Aloud
Read&Write Features Matrix (Free vs Premium features across platforms)
How to use Read&Write's premium voices to read Bookshare books.
■ TextHelp PDF Reader by TextHelp (has free and premium features)….personalized support to make documents, web pages and common file types in Google Drive (including: Google Docs, PDF & ePub) more accessible.
*PDF Reader free features include text to speech, translator, commenting, Save to Drive, and Classroom integration. All other features within PDF Reader are premium.
Read Aloud
(Free) "Read Aloud is a Chrome and Firefox extension that uses text-to-speech technology to convert webpage text to audio. It works on a variety of websites, including news sites, blogs, fan fiction, publications, textbooks, school and class websites, online universities and course materials."
For most TEXT TO SPEECH apps you need to be able to select the text before the app will read out loud. The amazing thing this extension can do is read aloud any eBook you've chosen to read online in your browser. Usually you do not have the option to select the text in these Library eBooks, but this app will load the text into a separate window and the read aloud option works. This turns any eBook checked out from the library into an accessible audio book. The app tracks the text with highlighting so you or a student can follow along. You can bookmark the book as usual using the online options but the ReadAloud window will not let you bookmark within the window. You have to fast forward to your previous location each time as it won't remember where you left off like BOOKSHARE books do.
There are a variety of options for voices though and this works if you or your student has an accommodation to have text read aloud, or just would benefit from following along with the highlighted text while the book is read aloud.
Reading Ruler
(Free) This is a simple reading ruler, useful when you are reading long texts on web.
Reading Ruler is a Google Chrome extension that helps you to read long texts on web pages. This tool can assist dyslexic readers to keep their place on the page they are reading.
ScreenMask seems more useful to me as it blocks out the majority of the screen, this tool just highlights a line, but doesn't mask out the screen.
PAID Extensions:
■ Co:Writer (Word Prediction. Cost is $5/month subscription/student; teacher receives a free copy and ability to track data for each student.)
https://learningtools.donjohnston.com/product/cowriter/
Co:Writer helps give you the words and phrases you're intending as you type—even if your grammar and spelling are way off. Just type a letter or two and Co:Writer “predicts” words and phrases in real time.