Reading

Read&Write for Google Chrome is a Chrome extension with a variety of functions, including those to assist with reading, writing, research, and study skills. Helpful to anyone with reading difficulties, those who speak English as a second language, those who learn best by listening, those who need help focusing on what they are reading, and more.

What does it cost? All LBCC students and staff have premium access to Read&Write features within the Google Chrome Extension.

How to get it: Visit the Read&Write page for more information about to get access to Read&Write for Google Chrome.

Easy-to-use text-to-speech reader. The basic free version reads text from most file types and has a "floating bar" that reads text on webpages. Beneficial to those with reading difficulties, those who speak English as a second language, those who learn best by listening, and those who need help focusing on what they are reading.

From the NaturalReader Online webpage or the desktop software, copy in text or upload a file and press Play. FAQs are available on the NaturalReader website.

What does it cost? Basic versions are free, but there are premium version for Windows and Mac that start at $99.50; NaturalReader Online offers premium subscriptions that start at $10 per month.

How to get it: Visit NaturalReader Online to use the web version. Desktop software can be downloaded from the NaturalReader website.

ClaroPDF is a text-to-speech app that reads text in any PDF document. Beneficial for those with reading difficulties, those who speak English as a second language, and those who learn best by listening.

Simply download the app or software, launch it, and open a PDF document within the program.

What does it cost? The app and software download are free. There is a $10 version of the iOS app that also allows for PDF annotation.

How to get it:

• ClaroPDF on Google Play
• ClaroPDF on the App Store
• Claro website.

Text-to-speech program that could benefit those with reading difficulties, those who speak English as a second language, and those who learn best by listening.

What does it cost? The iOS apps and Chrome extension are free. There is also Speechify Pro for iOS that is $8 per month and allows scanning of a physical document to be read in the program and creation of audio files from the text.

How to get it: Visit the Speechify website or Speechify on the Chrome Web Store to download.

This website takes sentences or passages that are difficult to read and generates simpler versions. Beneficial to anyone who has difficulty understanding what they are reading.

Rewordify replaces difficult words and highlights them in yellow so that you can click them to learn the original word and improve your vocabulary.

What does it cost? Nothing!

How to get it: Rewordify.com