How to Use Read&Write to Support Struggling ReadersSupporting struggling readers requires a combination of the right strategies, consistent practice, and tools that meet learners where they are. Read&Write (by Texthelp) is an assistive literacy tool designed to help students with decoding, comprehension, writing, and study skills. This article explains how to use Read&Write effectively with struggling readers, offering practical steps, classroom strategies, lesson ideas, and tips for personalization and progress monitoring.
What Read&Write Does Best (quick facts)
- Supports decoding and fluency with text-to-speech and highlighting.
- Improves comprehension with vocabulary support, definitions, and picture dictionaries.
- Aids writing through speech-to-text, prediction, and grammar support.
- Helps study skills with highlighting, audio notes, and vocabulary lists.
- Works across platforms (Chrome extension, Windows, macOS, iPad).
Getting started: set up and initial checks
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Install and sign in
- Choose the correct version for your device (Chrome extension for Chromebooks or browsers, desktop apps for Windows/macOS, or the iPad app).
- Have students sign in with school accounts if available to sync settings.
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Baseline assessment
- Observe reading behaviors (decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary).
- Use a brief reading inventory or running record to find current level and specific needs.
- Ask the student about their challenges and preferences (e.g., do they prefer hearing text aloud?).
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Customize Read&Write settings
- Adjust voice (speed, pitch) so audio is clear and comfortable; slower speeds often help struggling readers.
- Turn on “Follow along” highlighting to show words as they are read.
- Enable the picture dictionary for vocabulary support where helpful.
- Set the toolbar to show the most-used features for the student (minimize clutter).
Core Read&Write features to use with struggling readers
Text-to-Speech (Read Aloud)
- Use to model fluent reading and to provide access to grade-level content above the student’s independent reading level.
- Have students follow the highlighted text while listening to support word recognition, pacing, and phrasing.
- Strategy: listen while reading aloud afterward (echo reading) — student repeats phrases after the audio to build fluency.
Picture Dictionary and Definitions
- Tap on unfamiliar words to see images and simple definitions; great for ELLs and students with limited vocabulary.
- Strategy: create a short vocabulary list from a passage and use the picture dictionary to anchor meanings visually.
Speech-to-Text (Dictation)
- Allows students to compose without the barrier of handwriting or typing skills.
- Encourage students to dictate ideas first, then use the prediction and grammar tools for revision.
- Strategy: use dictation during brainstorming and draft stages, then move to editing with writing supports.
Word Prediction and Homophone Support
- Word prediction speeds up writing and reduces spelling errors.
- Teach students to check predicted words and use the context to choose correct homophones (their/there/they’re).
Study Tools (Highlighters, Collect Highlights, Vocabulary List)
- Use colored highlighters to mark main ideas, details, and vocabulary. Collect Highlights compiles text excerpts automatically.
- Strategy: model how to highlight key sentences (topic sentence, supporting detail) and then have students create summaries from collected highlights.
Read&Write for PDF and Web
- Read aloud works on PDFs and web pages; built-in OCR for images/pdf lets students access text that’s otherwise locked.
- Use with digital textbooks and worksheets to reduce decoding load.
Pronunciation and Audio Maker
- Use Audio Maker to export spoken versions of text for repeated listening at home or during independent practice.
Lesson ideas and small-group activities
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Guided reading with audio support
- Select a short passage. Play Read Aloud while students follow along. Pause to ask comprehension questions and model think-alouds.
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Echo and choral reading
- Play a sentence or short paragraph, then have students repeat together (choral) or one-by-one (echo) to build fluency and confidence.
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Vocabulary stations
- Station 1: students use the picture dictionary for target words.
- Station 2: match words to definitions or images.
- Station 3: use Collect Highlights to assemble sentences using target words.
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Dictation-to-revision writing cycle
- Students dictate a short paragraph. Use the prediction and grammar check to revise. Finish by reading the final text aloud.
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Comprehension scaffolding with highlights
- Teach students to highlight topic sentences in one color and supporting details in another. Use collected highlights to write a 3–4 sentence summary.
Differentiation and personalization
- Beginner decoders: use slower audio speed, smaller text chunks, and more frequent echo reading. Provide pre-teaching of vocabulary with the picture dictionary.
- Students with attention difficulties: shorten tasks (two- to five-minute reading segments), remove unnecessary toolbar items, and use the Read&Write toolbar’s focus mode if available.
- Multilingual learners: use bilingual dictionaries (where available) and picture support; allow extra time for processing.
- Older students with skills gaps: keep content age-appropriate but use Read&Write supports (text-to-speech, dictation) so they can access curriculum while building skills.
Monitoring progress and data-informed adjustments
- Regularly reassess fluency (words correct per minute), accuracy, and comprehension through brief running records or curriculum-aligned checks.
- Track qualitative changes: increased willingness to read, reduced frustration, more independent writing.
- Adjust Read&Write settings based on progress: increase audio speed, reduce prediction reliance, or shift from heavy scaffolding toward editing and independent strategies.
Classroom management and implementation tips
- Teach toolbar routines explicitly: model each tool in a mini-lesson, then give guided practice.
- Create anchor charts of when to use which tools (e.g., “Use Read Aloud when the text feels too hard; use Dictation when you have ideas but can’t type them.”).
- Encourage peer support: pair students so one reads aloud while the partner follows and checks comprehension questions.
- Communicate with families: share Audio Maker files and simple instructions so students can practice at home.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Overreliance on audio: combine Read Aloud with active reading strategies (highlighting, retelling, summarizing).
- Ignoring explicit instruction: Read&Write is a tool, not a program substitute — pair it with phonics, decoding, and comprehension instruction.
- One-size-fits-all settings: personalize voices, speeds, and toolbar options to match each student’s needs.
Sample 4-week plan (middle school reader struggling with fluency)
Week 1
- Baseline fluency measure; set audio speed to 80% of normal.
- Lessons: model Read Aloud + echo reading; practice 10 minutes daily with short passages.
Week 2
- Introduce picture dictionary and highlighters; build 8-word vocabulary list.
- Lessons: vocabulary stations; repeated reading with audio support.
Week 3
- Add dictation for short responses; teach Collect Highlights and summarizing.
- Lessons: dictation-to-revision cycle; comprehension checks using highlights.
Week 4
- Gradually increase audio speed; reduce teacher support during guided reading.
- Measure fluency again and compare WCPM; set next goals based on data.
Final notes
Read&Write can significantly lower access barriers for struggling readers when used purposefully alongside evidence-based reading instruction. Personalize settings, teach tool routines, and pair Read&Write with explicit skills teaching to move students from supported access toward independent reading and writing.
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