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🔊 Reading tools

Tools that make lessons easier to read, hear, keep and find.

For littles

Tap an underlined word to see a picture of it. Turn on read-aloud and your device reads the lesson to you.

Picture glossary​

Every baby word the Academy teaches, with a picture and what it means.

  • In a lesson, underlined words are glossary words. Tap one to see its picture and meaning.
  • Open Picture glossary from the sidebar (or the Me page) to browse every word A to Z.

Read-aloud​

Your device can read lessons and stories aloud, sentence by sentence, lighting up each sentence as it goes.

  1. In a lesson, tap Read aloud to switch it on.
  2. Tap Read to me. Use Pause and Keep reading as you go.
  3. Pick a speed: Slower, Normal or Faster.
  4. Tap Turn off read-aloud to hide it again.

Read-aloud uses only your device's own built-in voice. Nothing is sent anywhere. If your browser has no on-device voice, read-aloud doesn't appear. Your choice and speed are remembered on that device.

My notes​

Keep bookmarks, highlights and notes inside any lesson.

  1. In a lesson, open My notes. Bookmark the page, select words to highlight them, or write a note and choose Save note.
  2. See everything in one place under My notes in the sidebar (or the Me page).

A caregiver who is your headmaster can see your notes (read-only). The notes panel tells you so.

Reading offline​

Keep a level's lessons on your device to read with no connection.

  1. On the Me page, under Reading offline, choose Save for offline.
  2. Your current level's lessons are kept on that device. The Saved lessons page lists them.
  3. Answers you give offline are sent when you reconnect.
  4. Choose Remove from this device to clear them.

Saving needs a connection, and a few browsers can't keep lessons offline.

How Schoolhouse looks​

On the Me page, under How Schoolhouse looks:

  • Same as my device: light by day, Nightlight when your phone or computer is in dark mode.
  • Light: always the daytime colors.
  • Nightlight: soft dark colors, easy on sleepy eyes.
  • Easy-read letters: switch from the rounded Storybook letters to Atkinson Hyperlegible, clear letters that help with dyslexia and low vision.

These are saved on that device only.

On a computer, use the search box at the top of the sidebar. On a phone, tap the search button in the top bar. Type at least two letters.

Something confusing?​

At the bottom of a lesson page, tap This was confusing. Say what was confusing if you like (it's optional) and send it. It goes to the Academy team, and your name isn't shown with it.

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