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21 Chrome Extensions for Struggling Students and Special Needs
Technology can be a powerful tool to assist students with special needs or any sort of learning challenge. In particular the Chrome web browser allows users to install a wide variety of web extensions that provide tools that can help all learners, regardless of ability level.
- In this blog post we will take a look at 21 Chrome web extensions that can assist students in five main categories:Text to Speech
- Readability
- Reading Comprehension
- Focus
- Navigation
Some of the tools fit into more than one topic, but each is only listed once. Certainly this list does not cover all of the useful web extensions available for struggling learners, but it is a great place to begin. In addition to the list of extension, I have also linked in the video and help guide from a webinar I did a while back on "Google Tools for Special Needs".
Text to Speech extensions
1) Read&Write for Google Chrome
The "Swiss Army Knife" of extensions with tools including word prediction, dictionary, picture dictionary, text to speech, screenshot reader, speech maker, screen mask, translator, highlighters, voice note, and more. Works on webpages, PDFs, Google Docs, and Google Slides.
Note: There is a paid version with all the tools and a free version with a subset of the tools. Educators can get the paid version for a year at no cost by filling out the form at: http://rw.texthelp.com/drive/home/RegisterTeacher
2) SpeakIt!
This text to speech tool will read aloud any selected text from a website, with the options to adjust the voice, speed, and volume.
3) Announcify
This is another text to speech tool that not only reads a webpage, but also removes distracting elements from the site. The only drawback is the inability to select specific text to read, as the entire page is read aloud.
Readability extensions
4) Just Read
Make any website easier to read by removing ads, comments, and all other distractions, so just the core content remains. Users can also adjust the font size and color scheme of the new text. (For a list of 10 extensions that clean up webpages, see here: http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/11/10-readability-alternatives.html)
5) OpenDyslexic
Override all fonts on a webpage with the OpenDyslexic font, making the text more easily readable.
6) BeeLine Reader
This tool creates a more readable version of a web page by removing all the ads, comments, and other extra distracting items, and then applies a color gradient to the page text guide your eye from one line to the next. (Limit of 5 articles per day for free version.)
7) ATbar
Toolbar with features including color overlays for webpages, dictionary, text to speech, word prediction, and more.
8) MagicScroll Web Reader
Turn web pages into a flippable e-book with easy clickable or keyboard control, as well as control over font size and page color as well.
9) Readline
Although originally designed as a speed reading tool, you can slow the WPM rate down so students can use this to focus on one word at a time when reading to not lose their place.
10) Visor
This screen overlay tool darkens out the page except for a horizontal band you can move up and down as you read, helping the student focus.
11) High Contrast
This tool can make webpages easier to read by changing the colors to increase contrast, invert the colors, or switch to gray-scale.
12) Color Enhancer
For people who are partially color-blind, this tool can help adjust and improve webpage colors.
Reading Comprehension extensions
13) Google Dictionary
Don't get stuck on an unknown word. Double-click on any word to get a pop-up definition, as well as spoken pronunciation for many words.
14) sentiSum:Smart Summarizer
This extension takes an entire webpage and create a short summary in a few sentences to give the reader a quick overview of the content.
Focus extensions
15) Simple Blocker
This tool helps students to stay focused on their work by blocking distracting websites. The user can choose the sites to block, how long to block them, and optional password protection.
16) uBlock Origin
A simple but powerful ad-blocking extension to help remove distracting ads from websites, making pages less cluttered and easier to read.
17) Move It
For students who need a break, this extension can be set to periodically have them stop working and do something physical for a moment.
Navigation extensions
18) Click-free Browsing
For users who have a difficulty clicking a mouse, this extension adds on-screen navigation buttons the user can simply hover over to use.
19) Vimium
Provides keyboard shortcuts for navigation and control for someone with difficulty using a mouse.
20) CrxMouse
Use mouse gestures to navigate including forward, backward, scrolling, refreshing, switching tabs, and more. The user can even program their own custom mouse gestures to open programs and perform other tasks.
21) Caret Browsing
This extension gives you a movable cursor in any web page, allowing you to move through the text with your arrows keys and select text with the keyboard.
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