Microsoft Gulf today announced the availability of Learning Tools in Arabic language. The tools designed for students with unique learning needs will now be available in Word Online and OneNote Online, creating Immersive reading features through Text-to-speech; on any device to improve their reading skills and stay focused in and outside the classroom.
Dyslexia is estimated to impact one in five people, while 72 percent of classrooms have special education students, and 73 percent of classrooms have readers that span four or more grade levels. Understanding this classroom reality is what led engineering teams at Microsoft to design Office 365, and its inclusive classroom technology like Learning Tools, with accessible learning experiences in mind. The Immersive features help skill up reading for users, including those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, emerging readers or a combination of the broad range of unique student abilities.
Features of the learning tools include:
Read Aloud — Reads text aloud with simultaneous highlighting that improves decoding, fluency and comprehension while sustaining the reader’s focus and attention.
Spacing — Optimizes font spacing in a narrow column view to improve reading fluency for users who suffer from visual crowding issues.
Syllables — Shows the breaks between syllables to enhance word recognition and decoding.
Parts of Speech — Supports writing instruction and grammar comprehension by identifying verbs, nouns and adjectives.
“At Microsoft, we understand the effort of teaching a classroom of students with different abilities, and it is challenging to find and maintain the assistive technologies that teachers need for students to succeed.” Said Ahmed Ameen Ashour, Education Director, Microsoft Gulf. “The Learning Tools in Arabic will help students with learning differences from the region to improve their reading and writing skills.”
By integrating into a tool such as OneNote that is already used in the classroom, the Learning Tools make it easy for teachers to improve learning outcomes for all students, with less disruption or lost instructional time. In addition, Microsoft has recently released an educator guide detailing all of the company’s accessible technologies, empowering learners to achieve more.
