ReadSpeaker - Student & Teacher Instructions
ReadSpeaker webReader reads website text aloud. This tool is specifically used with Canvas and can help with content support in Canvas, including tests, discussions, and more.
Accessing ReadSpeaker within Canvas
There are multiple ways to access ReadSpeaker within Canvas:
Click the ReadSpeaker button on the left-side user navigation of a Launch Canvas course.
Highlight text within a Launch Canvas course.
Click the “Listen” button on the course content page.
Note: Our development team is still working to get this option added to all courses. If you have an immediate need for this feature, please reach out to Launch Support (see contact information on the Knowledge Base homepage).
Player controls
You can:
Play, pause, or stop the audio
Make the text larger or smaller
Adjust the volume
Adjust the reading speed
You can use the settings button to adjust the size, font, and colors of the text, as well as the line spacing
Move the window by dragging it by the grey bar at the top
Make the window larger or smaller by dragging the bottom right corner
Maximize the window size for easier and undistracted reading
Close the window with the Close button at the bottom or the button at the top right
When you select specific text on a page in Canvas, once ReadSpeaker is active, a pop-up menu will appear with the following features: Listen, Dictionary, and Translate. It is unavailable for that page if you select a text and don’t see this feature.
Features for Selected Text
When you select text on a page, a pop-up will appear with the following features: Listen, Dictionary, and Translate. If you don’t see a particular option, it is not available on that page.
Read Selected Text
To listen to any part of a text, select the text and click the Listen button from the pop-up menu.
Dictionary
To look up a word in the dictionary, select the word and click the Dictionary options from the pop-up menu.
A pop-up window will open, showing the dictionary entry for the selected word. If multiple words are chosen, the dictionary entry for the first word is displayed.
Translate
To translate any part of a text, select the text and click the Translate option from the pop-up menu. A language picker will appear where you can choose the target language. The translation will be shown in a pop-up window.
Please note: The features are available only if you can select the text on the page. This might not be possible if you are using only keyboard controls.