Read&Write for Google

A popular language-assistant extension for Chrome.

Each of the tools on the toolbar are explained below

Read&Write for Google (R&W) is a browser extension developed by Texthelp, not Google. It's a great addition to the Chrome browser for translating, highlighting, speech-to-text, and many other language-based tools.

The best way to learn the functions of each tool is to try it and Texthelp has put together a comprehensive set of helpful pages and videos. Below I will attempt to briefly outline each tool but I highly recommend you test them out as you go.

Step 1 - Installation. Then come back to this page (unless, of course, you have it installed already).

Use the table of contents (on the right if using a desktop browser) to find what you're looking for. For the purposes of brevity, the term "documents" will refer to any sort of file with text and/or media, whether it be a Google Doc, Slideshow, text-based PDF, etc.

I'm aware that my information below is missing the Prediction Tool. I'll get to it...

Reading

Hover Speech

With the Hover Speech tool, you move your mouse over a section of text and R&W will read the text to you. Every time you move your mouse, it will read whatever is under it. Works on websites and documents.

Text-To-Speech

The Play, Pause, and Stop buttons control the text-to-speech tool

One of the very first tools available in R&W was the Text-to-Speech buttons. By highlighting a section of a website or document you can play whole paragraphs, partial sentences, or entire documents. The voice and speed will depend on your settings in the Options.

While I could write about how it works, you are better off trying it yourself. Test different speeds, voices, and highlighting sections of a site or document.

Screenshot Reader

This nifty tool uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to pick text out of a photo. Straight from Texthelp themselves:

Not all content on the web is made equal. Text that is embedded in images, websites using flash, and other inaccessible formats can be difficult for many to access. Using Read&Write for Google Chrome’s new Screenshot Reader tool, users can simply draw a box around the content they need to read, and enjoy text to speech with highlighting just like on accessible documents and web pages.

Screenshot Reader requires separate installation the first time you use it.

Once installed, you can use the tool to select images on websites or documents and it will make every effort to analyze the photo for text. Then you can have the text read to you by pressing the little play button in the bottom-right corner. Considering what this tool does, I'm amazed at how accurate it can be. Results will vary based on the clarity of the text in the image.

Audio Maker

The Audio Maker tool allows you to download a sound file (MP3) of the voice reading of the currently selected text. This is a great way to convert text to audio and make it available to students, avoiding the use of R&W over and over on the same text. Convert a short-story, article, or entire book into an audio recording.

Here is a sample audio file of the paragraph above made using the Audio Maker tool.

Practice Reading Aloud

The Practice Reading Aloud tool lets you record yourself through the microphone of the computer and play back your audio to hear your own reading. You record as many times as you want and play it back to critique your own ability.

You can even send the audio to your teacher when you think you have done a good job.

Comprehension

Dictionary

Pretty much what you'd expect. Select a word / text and the dictionary will attempt to give you a definition.

The Dictionary tool in action

Translator

Exactly what it sounds like, the Translator Tool takes a selected word and gives as many translations as possible. The idea is to give the reader a translation of the word that might match their first language. It is another attempt at giving the reader context of a word.

The Translator Tool in action

Vocabulary

The Vocabulary Tool requires knowledge of the highlighters (see the Visual Aids section below).

Once you have words or phrases highlighted to your liking, this tool will create a new Google Doc of each word, the definition, and the picture dictionary explanation. Below is an example of the tool in use:

Highlighting a Document	Google Doc of Vocabulary
	Link to Document

Simplify Page

The Simplify Page tool creates a new tab with all media removed (text only) and a simplified reading experience, reducing the complexity of the content. It's actually a redirected website at Texthelp.com doing all the work.

You can adjust the complexity of the text as well as change the colour and contrast for accessibility. This sort of tool is best experienced / tested live. Here's a science article, for example, and here is the simplified version of that article.

Visual Aids

Picture Dictionary

This cute little dictionary gives images instead of a written definition. I'll admit that sometimes I don't really see how the picture describes the word, but other times it does a great job.

Picture Dictionary tool in action

Screen Mask

The Screen Mask Tool helps the reader focus on a certain area of the screen. It creates a darkened background with a horizontal band of light that moves with your mouse cursor. As explained in the Options section, you can adjust the height, the colours, and the brightness of this tool to your liking.

The Screen Mask tool in action

The Highlighters

The Highlighters Section has many utilities and uses. They can help highlight words or phrases for reading, assist with comprehension, and simplify research.

The simplest utility is the ability to highlight any text on a web page or document, using different colours as you work. The four colours perform the same function but allow you to organize your thoughts however you like.

You can clear individual highlights by selecting the text in question and clicking Clear Highlights or the entire page by selecting all text before clicking Clear Highlights. Highlights will remain if used in a Google Doc but is important to note that your highlights will disappear if you refresh or travel away from a web page you are visiting.

More information about the highlighters is covered in the Research section.

Research

Highlighting

The Collect Highlights Tool is one you'll wish you had in University. After highlighting sections of a text with the highlights (discussed above in Visual Aids), you can collect all of those highlights in to a Google Doc. This tool really needs to be used to get the full effect but here are some screenshots:

Highlighting Work	Collected Highlights

Web Search

Arguably one of the simplest tools, the Web Search Tool does exactly that - it will perform a Google search (in a new tab) on whatever you have highlighted at the time. Google Chrome has very similar functionality by right-clicking and selecting "Search Google For...".