Read Speaker

A screen reader available in Canvas

What is ReadSpeaker?

Text-to-speech technology by ReadSpeaker has been made available to all Canvas users. It does not require software downloaded to your computer, and can be accessed on any internet-connected device including computers, tablets and phones. ReadSpeaker now reads Canvas pages and documents (as long as documents are text-based).

Why ReadSpeaker?

Improve course outcomes
Increase comprehension and retention
Comply with the Universal for Learning (URL) concept
Provide a bimodal learning option

How to Use ReadSpeaker

The ReadSpeaker listen icon at the bottom left of the course enables your students to listen HTML content to be read out loud to them.

The speaker icon will activate the listen button.
Drag the volume arrows to move the Listen button to the desired position.
Click on “?” to learn how to use the button.
The settings button will let you set individual preferences for settings, including reading speed, highlighting colors, text magnifying, and automatic scrolling.
Click the play button to play or pause the audio
Click the stop button to stop the audio
Click the double arrows to collapse/hide the Listen button options

Getting Started with ReadSpeaker

Using ReadSpeaker Document Reader New!

The new ReadSpeaker document reader in Canvas offers many of the same functions for documents as it does for content that is available directly in Canvas. You will see the ReadSpeaker icon next to document links. Click on it and give it a try!

The document reader opens the document in a separate browser tab. Features include:

Reading any document format out loud, such as EPUBs, PDFs (as long as they are text and not scanned photos), and Microsoft Office documents (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), OpenOffice Documents (text, spreadsheet, presentation), and Rich Text documents.
Can read entire document or selection.
Left-side heading and page table of contents for easy navigation
Zooming to read at large sizes for those with limited vision
Inline text highlighting with text-to-speech playback under extended toolbar options.
Page Mask and a Reading Ruler help with learner focus under extended toolbar options.
Customizable settings by the user, including font choice, font size, male or female voice, and reading speed under extended toolbar options
Highlighting with color options with option to show or hide highlights in extended tool options
Downloadable audio files for offline listening.
Built-in guide for help (under question mark).

Watch this short video for an overview of the Canvas docReader from ReadSpeaker: