Spoken Content on iPads

In the days of Chromebooks I remember using an extension called Read&Write, which allowed users to highlight text and have the computer read it aloud.  The iPads have this feature built into its operating system, and it works great!  This feature is called Spoken Content. It is considered an Accessibility feature and is a great companion for students who benefit (or require) read-alouds for text.

To activate Spoken Content, open Settings and then select Accessibility.  From there you can select Spoken Content.  You will want to toggle on Speak Selection and Speak Screen.  Speak Selection will activate a Speak button whenever text is selected.  Speak Screen allows the iPad to speak the entire screen whenever you swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen.

Spoken Content works with all text, be it a website, a word processing document, and many PDFs.  In the settings you can switch on a Speech Controller, which provides a floating toolbar for quick access to Spoken Content.  You can also change the voice and the speaking rate.  I personally went with the Australian pronunciation.  Surprised?

Example of Spoken Content on iPad:

See me if you need a hand with implementing Spoken Content with your students.  I'm happy to help!  🙂