Writing Supports in Google Docs or Word Online

Word Prediction is a tool that supports people who struggle with spelling. By typing or more letters of a word, read&write will provide suggestions of words that the user may be trying to spell. The tool is based on initial letter sound recognition and eliminates words based on subsequent letter sounds. It is also possible for the word prediction tool to make phonetic guesses even if one or more letters are not contained in the actual word. For example, "jiraf" will still prompt the tool to suggest "giraffe" and "lfnt" will prompt the tool to suggest "elephant."

The Dictionary tool allows the user to look up the meaning of a word they may be unfamiliar with. Users can have the word and/or the meaning of the word read out loud. The definition opens up in a pop up box which can be left open or closed by clicking on the 'x' in the top right hand corner.

For some students for whom English is not their first language or may suffer from language deficiencies, the picture dictionary tool provides them with a visual representation of the word. Not all words may have a picture available.

Screenshot Reader is a tool that recognizes text that is imbedded within a picture on a webpage that might otherwise not be read out loud. For instance, a website may host a diagram of the water cycle. This diagram is actually a graphic file which the reading tools would not otherwise recognize. By activating the screenshot reader, the cursor is replaced by a crosshair symbol which is used to draw a boundary around the desired image. read&write will not be able to recognize the text that is imbedded within the image. Note that this tool requires installation of an additional Chrome extension called Screenshot Reader before it can be used.

There are times when a student may wish to listen to a lengthier piece of writing such as a novel at a later time. The Audio Maker tool allows students to create an audio file in .mp3 format of selected text that is downloaded onto the student's computing device. This file can then be transferred to a more portable device such as an MP3 player or a phone for listening to at a later time.

The Screen Mask tool assists students who either get distracted or who may have difficulties tracking. When the tool is activated, the display on the computer is replaced with an overlay of a white strip bordered by translucent gray masks above and below to block out any potential distractions. The white strip is mouse operated and follows the vertical movement of the mouse. It remains activated until the tool is clicked off.

The Talk&Type tool is another name for dictation, or VoiceTyping. It allows users to use their voice to replace the physical task of typing words. This tool is useful for students that struggle with conventional spelling or have physical impairments that make writing difficult or impossible. Refer to the section on dictation prerequisites and tips for best results.

The Translator tool translates single words from one language to another language. Including English, there are currently six languages available.

There are four highlighting colours available for students to markup digital text. There are many reasons for which a student might wish to use highlighting including note-taking, identifying new vocabulary, identifying main points of an article and supporting details. To use the highlighting tools, students simply highlight the selected text and then choose the colour of their choice.

The Clear Highlights tool sweeps away any selected highlighted text. It is like an eraser tool. To remove all highlights, select all text (Ctrl/Cmd A) and click the icon.

The Collect Highlights tool is a powerful study tool that takes all of the highlights in the selected colour(s) and extracts them into a separate Google Docs page. Students are prompted to select the colour(s) of the highlighted text that they would like extracted and whether they would like the extracted information to be sorted by order or by colour. This allows students to reference material once the browser is turned off as the Google Docs page is automatically saved on the student's Google Drive. Students can always reference the source of the highlighted content as there is a link created at the bottom of the Docs page.

The Vocabulary tool is somewhat similar to the collect highlights tool. However, instead of extracting large amounts of text, the vocabulary tool is meant to be used for words that are unfamiliar to the student. These highlighted words are then compiled into a Google Docs page (stored automatically in Google Drive) accompanied with the definition and a picture representation (where possible).

The final tool is the Practice Reading Aloud tool which creates a recording of the student's reading. This recording can be configured so that it is automatically sent to the teacher for evaluation.