Text-to-speech and line reader | PowerSchool Learning and Engagement

AMP and Everway (formerly TextHelp) customers can enable Text-to-Speech and Line Reader/Screen Masking for both course assessments and managed assessments (AMP).

If you are interested in text-to-speech for course assessments, contact your Schoology representative to learn more about Everway (formerly TextHelp).
For instructions on customizing syntax and pronunciation for the text-to-speech reader, refer to Create questions for accessibility (text-to-speech).

Text-to-speech

Turn on text-to-speech

The text-to-speech toolbar, which also includes screen masking (line reader) functionality, is turned off by default on all assessments.

AMP admins can turn on the toolbar for managed assessments from the Settings menu. When this setting is on, any student starting or resuming the assessment will have access to the functionality.
Course instructors or assessment authors can turn on the toolbar for course assessments from the Setup tab. Students starting or resuming the assessment will then have access.

Use text-to-speech

Students can access text-to-speech functionality within the assessment. The toolbar is expanded by default when a student starts the assessment and can be collapsed by clicking the arrow icon.

Text-to-speech functionality showing the toolbar expanded by default.

Options	Details
Drag handle	Move the toolbar anywhere on the screen.
Pointer	Click the pointer, and then select a location on the page to start reading from that point.
Play	Read from the start of the page or from a selected passage.
Stop	Stop the screen reader.
Pause	Pause or resume speech. Reading continues until the question, or passage with multiple questions, is fully read.
Translate	Highlight a word and click Translate to convert it from English to Spanish. The translation can also be read aloud.
Dictionary	Highlight a word and click Dictionary to display the definition. The definition can also be read aloud.
Picture dictionary	Highlight a word and click Picture Dictionary to display a pictorial definition.
Screen masking (line reader)	Shade portions of the page to guide reading. Refer to Screen masking (line reader) for details.
Magnifying glass	Enlarge text as it is read aloud.
Settings	Customize the text-to-speech experience.
Collapse/Expand arrow	Collapse or expand the toolbar.

Student settings

Click the settings button to display the text-to-speech options that students can modify.

Speech settings for voice speed, text highlight color, and speech mode.

Student text-to-speech details

Settings	Details
Voice speed	Controls how quickly words are read aloud.
Text highlight	Determines how words and sentences are highlighted during reading. Each option uses a background color and a text color. The sentence is highlighted in one color, and the word being read is highlighted in the other.
Text magnifier size	Controls how large the text becomes when the text magnifier is selected.
Speech mode	Determines how students start reading text aloud from any location on the page. When set to click, students click the pointer button and then click the sentence or word they would like to hear. When set to hover, students hover over any text on the page to begin speech after the pointer has been enabled.

The default settings for every student are:

Voice speed: Medium
Text highlight: Yellow and navy
Text magnifier size: XL
Speech mode: Click

Changes to these settings do not persist across student sessions.

Images

Enter Alternative Text in the question editor if you want the image included when text is read aloud.

Embedded images will not be read by screen readers unless alternative text is provided.

The question editor displaying an image and the option to enter Alternative Text.