Reaching every student with Read&Write
in line with CAST's UDL guidelines
Transforming teaching & learning through UDL
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can have a transformational effect within any school, college or university.
Are you curious how Read&Write could help you incorporate the UDL framework in your teaching? Check out the handy toolmatcher guide below to discover how different features of Read&Write align to CAST's UDL guidelines.
Multiple means of Engagement (Affective Networks) The WHY of learning
Self Regulation
Text-to-speech
Allows for reflection and the ability to listen to work for improvements. It also helps to reduce cognitive load when reading text as well as enabling additional focus on comprehension. Students can also listen to questions to help with more accurate understanding and develop better question/answer and assessment preparation skills.
Speak as I type
Enables students to self check words and sentences as they are typed.
Dual highlighting
Supports students' reading by associating a highlighted word with the audio as it's being read aloud.
Screen mask
Enables students to concentrate on one area of text at a time, and increases focus and understanding when used as a reading guide.
Dictionary
Allows students to access in-learning help as it's needed with definitions plus audio playback - all in context.
Check it
Helps students find grammar, spelling and homophone errors, and provides help and corrections when students are on task.
Voice note
Allows students to self-reflect and provide audio feedback on their own work, in their own time and in a way they best understand.
Recruiting Interest
Toolbar
Provides students with access to a wide range of tools that can be tailored to their individual needs. Support is provided as, when, where and how it's needed - in the heart of learning.
Vocabulary builder
Serves as a scaffold; to create pre-lesson reading, with the 'notes' section used to create connections to other subjects and real world examples.
Text-to-speech
Reduces cognitive load to allow students to focus on understanding the text in a way that suits their own learning style.
Talk and type
Enables students to express and articulate their learning and understanding of topics.
Screen mask
Adds an overlay on a students' screen to help increase focus and reduce distractions. It can also be used as a reading guide.
Simplify page
Reduces distractions and clutter to help focus on the most important content.
Sustaining Effort & Persistence
Simplify page
Students can self-determine the level/amount of reading material being displayed on webpages and then increase, as needed, for more content absorption.
Voice note
Makes it easy for students to take part in peer assessment and allows educators to leave feedback in an alternative format to written text. Voice note also provides opportunities to self-reflect by recording observations and thoughts.
Text-to-speech
Encourages 'proof listening' to review and reflect on written work - giving students another way to check and change errors.
Multiple means of Representation (Recognition Networks) The WHAT of learning
Language & Symbols
Vocabulary builder
Helps students with vocabulary identification and provides them with the chance to explore, understand and build context around new words or terminology when used as a pre-lesson scaffold.
Highlighters
Gives the ability to highlight nouns and adjectives and then use 'collect highlights' to create new resources and references to help guide and support students.
Dictionary
Allows students instant access to definitions and picture references to help with new words and phrases.
Text-to-speech
Helps reduce cognitive load and provides greater focus on understanding when the student can hear content read aloud.
Dual highlighting
Encourages students to follow what's being read aloud on screen, to further help with their understanding.
Translation, Dictionary, Text-to-speech
Read&Write has multiple user interface localizations, allowing students to select help in their native language. Access to single world translation enables vocabulary development for new words. Students can also get help with translation, definitions and pronunciation via text-to-speech.
Picture dictionary
Gives students the opportunity to choose pictures and symbols to help with visual understanding.
Perception
Simplify page
Reduces distraction and clutter to help focus on the core content.
Highlighters
Helps students to draw out key parts of text, create summaries and group content by area of interest, level of understanding or unit of work.
Picture dictionary
Helps students to understand text context by inserting pictures and symbols to create visual referencing.
Audio maker
Provides an alternative means of distributing information by making content available in audio format.
Text-to-speech
Enables students to listen to content, helping them to understand the text.
Screenshot reader
Allows students to hear text labels in diagrams and images.
Comprehension
Highlighters
Helps to highlight key parts of text, create summaries or group content by areas of interest, level of understanding or unit of work.
Voice note
Enables both students and educators to expand on key points and provide audio feedback with context.
Text-to-speech
Helps with comprehension and builds oral fluency when added to modelled work.
Screen mask
Allows students to add an overlay to their screen, helping to reduce distractions and increase focus on understanding onscreen content.
Multiple means of Action & Expression (Strategic Networks) The HOW of learning
Executive function
Vocabulary builder
Provides students with pre-lesson reading around specific terms and allows them to create connections to other subjects and real world examples in the notes section.
Highlighters
Helpful for creating summaries or grouping content by area of interest or level of understanding. They're also great for helping to order revision notes and research tasks for planning writing.
Audio maker
Creates the ability to provide resources in alternative formats. It's also useful for creating audio revision notes.
Voice note
Provides a method for educator-led feedback on assignments while students are working and creates opportunities to provide assessment for learning. Adds self-reflection and opportunity for peer assessment.
Text-to-speech
Equips students with 'proof listening' abilities - providing tools and encouragement to listen back to their writing as they work towards a final draft.
Practice reading aloud
Creates opportunities for students to read aloud at various levels, to practice, reflect and improve on any content. Work can be fed to educators to allow monitoring of progression.
Speak as I type
Allows students to self check words and sentences as they are typing and to correct based on voice feedback.
Comprehension
Picture dictionary
Provides access to visual references through symbols and images to support text.
Dictionary
Helps to construct improved writing by building understanding of new vocabulary.
Practice reading aloud
Creates the opportunity for students to read aloud at various levels, to practice, reflect and improve on any content.
Voice note
Provides a method for educator-led audio feedback on assignments while students are working and creates opportunities to provide assessment for learning.
Physical Action
Toolbar
Provides a wide range of assistive tools to help all learners, giving support directly at the point of learning.
Talk and type
Gives students the option to speak their words, rather than typing or handwriting.
Prediction
Presents useful writing prompts of words in context - great for helping to kick off a writing assignment for even the most reluctant writers.
"We love that Read&Write encompasses inclusive education and as we move to UDL (Universal Design for Learning) this extension fits the brief by being useful to everyone from a challenged reader in Year 9 to a History research Scholar in Year 13".
Got a question? You can contact our Texthelpers for further information on any of our products.