Do you have accessibility supports for struggling readers, students with IEPs, or ELLs?

CommonLit offers several tools to support students of different reading levels and needs, including special education students with IEPs (Individualized Education Program), ELLs (English Language Learner), and EFLs (English as a Foreign Language).

CommonLit's accessibility toolbar allows students to define, translate, highlight, and hear text read aloud. Students can use their mouse to select any chunk of text before clicking on the dictionary tool to define words (click the dictionary button), hear the text read aloud in English (click the play button), translate a section and hear the translation read aloud (click the globe button), or highlight a section (click the highlighter tool).

We also offer Guided Reading Mode as a tool to support basic comprehension. You can assign to a whole class on a difficult text, or individually to students based on their need for differentiated support. Guided Reading Mode chunks the text into bite-sized pieces and asks students basic comprehension questions about what they've read before they can move on.

CommonLit also offers texts originally in Spanish for Spanish-speaking ELLs and EFLs. Assign these to students to adjust them to the rigor of CommonLit's assessment questions in their native language before assigning English assignments. You can also instruct them to use the translation tool on English assignments.

Have a suggestion for further ways to support your students? We'd love to hear them at feedback@commonlit.org.

Common Accessibility Toolbar FAQs:

Does the highlighting save?

No, highlights do not currently save from one session to another.

Can students start read aloud where they left off?

Yes, students can pick up read aloud where they left off by using their mouse to select the text they want to hear read aloud.

How do my students hear the translation read aloud?

To hear a translation read aloud, students should pick their translation language by clicking the settings cog icon, then select the chunk of text they want to hear translated and clicking the globe icon; a speaker icon will be included in the pop-up window that lets them hear the translation aloud.

Can students access the toolbar on tablets and phones?

No, the accessibility toolbar is not currently available on mobile devices or tablets.