This article was updated in October 2023.
Microsoft Immersive Reader is a free interactive reading tool designed to help students improve their reading, comprehension, and grammar skills. Although Microsoft designed the tool to help students with dyslexia and dysgraphia in the classroom, it can also be used by any student or anyone who wants to make reading easier on their device.
Microsoft Immersive Reader accomplishes this with features that allow students to adjust font size and spacing, as well as the background color. Additionally, it has a built-in writing coach and a read aloud feature that will read the text to students while highlighting the text being read.
Personally, I have been impressed by the versatility of the tool, particularly the read aloud feature. Highlighting the word being read seems perfect for students who are learning to read or who have difficulty recognizing words. It’s also a very convenient feature for anyone who wants to listen to text instead of reading.
Thanks to relatively recent advances, reading aloud technology has grown by leaps and bounds in general, and immersive reading is no exception. Immersive Reader offers two narrator options, and while each may seem a little mechanical, they both do a good job of conveying the meaning of the text with clear, precise pronunciation.
For this story, I experimented with using Immersive Reader’s Read Aloud feature to read a PDF of an academic article I’ve wanted to read for almost six months. Instead of diving into this right before bed, I put it on while doing the dishes and finished a third of the paper in no time.
Microsoft’s Immersive Reader is also a tool available to many students and educators because it is integrated into popular Word tools such as Word, OneNote, Outlook, Office Lens, Microsoft Teams, Reading Progress, Forms, Flip, Minecraft Education, and the Edge browser. .
Read on to discover everything you need to know about Microsoft Immersive Reader.
What is Microsoft Immersive Reader?
In its center, ai=DChcSEwil_bvD8-uBAxUlwkwCHdbABc4YABAAGgJ0bQ&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7JOpBhCfARIsAL3bobeRWAM_UFr7M_hpGPHRsNR0squfXmh9UuzeT_QlRQErlR3J4gGh8BwaAsAMEALw_wcB&ei=EnwlZcqfCKvj5NoPh8m-kAk&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVuD2Ql2iC2TCC4iRTO65ejA_gJLfraBwbp8k8wiQqbftx4jZ1mZzWwUQ0fEWNTe7qF7DSrrOrERII9gZqESGjZaSkX_lr9z03cGalQ9-FlbKJWXOF7YR&sig=AOD64_1BMEmDxNrjtAH0Q1qdoSSNL4YZfA&q&sqi=2&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjK8K7D8-uBAxWrMVkFHYekD5IQ0Qx6BAgIEAE” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” data-url=”https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwil_bvD8-uBAxUlwkwCHdbABc4YABAAGgJ0bQ&ase=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7JOpBhCfARIsAL3bobeRWAM_UFr7M_hpGPHRsNR0squfXmh9UuzeT_QlRQErlR3J4gGh8BwaAsAMEALw_wcB&ei=EnwlZcqfCKvj5NoPh8m-kAk&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVuD2Ql2iC2TCC4iRTO65ejA_gJLfraBwbp8k8wiQqbftx4jZ1mZzWwUQ0fEWNTe7qF7DSrrOrERII9gZqESGjZaSkX_lr9z03cGalQ9-FlbKJWXOF7YR&sig=AOD64_1BMEmDxNrjtAH0Q1qdoSSNL4YZfA&q&sqi=2&nis=4&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwjK8K7D8-uBAxWrMVkFHYekD5IQ0Qx6BAgIEAE”>Microsoft Immersive Reader reads texts aloud to students and at the same time highlights the word being read. This allows the text to be accessible to students of different ages and abilities, and also helps emerging readers learn to recognize new words.
But that’s just the beginning of the functionality of this tool.
You can choose different narration speeds and voices. Users can also adjust word spacing and font size and highlight specific parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. You can also break word text into syllables, listen to audio recordings of words spoken in different languages, translate text, and view words represented as images.
What Microsoft programs does Microsoft Immersive Reader work with?
Microsoft Immersive Reader is available on the following platforms:
- OneNote online
- OneNote Universal App
- OneNote for Mac and iPad
- OneNote Desktop (as a free add-on)
- word online
- Word desktop
- Word for Mac, iPad and iPhone
- Outlook online
- Outlook Desktop
- Office lens for iPhone and iPad (iOS)
- Microsoft Edge browser
- Microsoft Teams
How can teachers and students use Microsoft Immersive Reader?
The program works perfectly with Microsoft programs that many students and teachers are already familiar with. For example, to access Immersive Reader from Word, select View and then select Immersive Reader. At the bottom of the screen there will be a “play” button. Next to it is a gear to select which voice speaks and at what speed.
In the upper right corner of the screen there are menu options for text preferences, grammar options, and reading preferences.
– Text preferences allow you to adjust the font size and increase the spacing between words, which may help some readers see the text better.
– Grammar options allow you to highlight various parts of speech.
– Reading preferences will allow you to choose the language of the text and have the option to focus on just a few lines of text at a time, which can reduce distractions for certain students.
Tips and Tricks for Immersive Readers
Use it for math
While Immersive Reader is primarily a reading tool, it has the ability to read numbered math problems. This can be helpful for visually impaired students who require accommodations, as well as those who tend to learn better through audio.
Use it to help students learn pronunciation
Have your students use the tool to discover how to pronounce words they are not familiar with, expanding their vocabulary and enunciation skills at the same time.
Use to have students quiz themselves on parts of speech
Immersive Reader’s ability to highlight specific parts of speech is a great way to teach students to recognize them. Additionally, there are many applications for the classroom; For example, you can ask your students to read a short paragraph and bold all the verbs in the paragraph. Then set Immersive Reader to highlight the verbs as you read them. Students can self-assess how many verbs they omitted and why.
Use it to make reading accessible to all students
Immersive Reader is designed to help students of various reading levels. Its translation capabilities are perfect for students learning a new language or a second language. Its features can also help those who require visual accommodations or have difficulty decoding written language.
