Microsoft Immersive Reader is an interactive reading comprehension and learning tool. This tool makes text more accessible to learners of all ages and abilities. Using Microsoft Immersive Reader, you can have text read aloud at different speeds and by different voices, change text size, font, and spacing, highlight specific parts of speech (e.g., nouns, verbs), break apart words by syllables, translate text to more than 80 languages, hear audio recordings of the words spoken in different languages, and see words represented as pictures.
Microsoft Immersive Reader can be accessed through Microsoft Tools (e.g., Word, OneNote, Edge) and you can try it out for free on the Learning Tools page of the Microsoft website. Immersive Reader can also be accessed through Flipgrid. This tool can be beneficial for students who are learning English as well as students with disabilities.
Tool Snapshot
| Price | Free demo on the Microsoft Learning Tools page; Integrated into Microsoft tools |
| Learning | Behaviorism, Cognitive Constructivism |
| Ease of Use | ★★★★★ |
| Privacy | ★★★☆☆ |
| Accessibility | ★★★★★ |
| Class Size | Unlimited |
| Login | Not required for the free trial on Website. Required for using Microsoft Online tools. |
| ISTE*S | Empowered Learner |
| COPPA/ FERPA |
Yes |
Ease of Use
Immersive Reader’s usability is outstanding. There are icons at the top right that allows the user to easily open up text preferences, grammar options, and reading preferences to adjust the text to their liking.
Privacy
Microsoft tools are COPPA/FERPA compliant, but as with any major company, there are questions about what they do with the users’ information.
Accessibility
Immersive Reader’s accessibility is exceptional. With the wide range of preferences and languages that are available on the website as well as the multimodal functionality and read aloud features, Immersive Reader stands out from other tools with its support of accessible learning.
Microsoft Immersive Reader Video
Microsoft Immersive Reader & the SAMR Model
Dr. Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR model offers a lens for examining how technology is adopted in a classroom. As you strive to incorporate online tools into your classroom, we encourage you to use this model as an analytic tool.
Here is an example of how Microsoft Immersive Reader might fit within the SAMR model:
- Substitution: Students use Microsoft Immersive Reader to have a paragraph read to them out loud (instead of having the teacher read it aloud to them).
- Augmentation: Students use the tools on Microsoft Immersive Reader to highlight and explore different parts of speech in a paragraph.
- Modification: Students use Microsoft Immersive Reader to translate and view visuals of words to enrich their understanding of the text.
- Redefinition: Students use Microsoft Immersive Reader to individualize their reading and learning experience.
Far too often, technology is used as a direct substitute for other low-tech tools (e.g., pencil and paper). While substitution has some benefits (e.g., students develop their technology skills and knowledge), we encourage you to think about how you might use Microsoft Immersive Reader to modify or redefine learning.
Learning Activities
Math
Count the amount of words read per minute at different speed settings. Count the number of verbs and syllables in a paragraph.
Science
Use Microsoft Immersive Reader to make difficult science texts easier to read. Explore the picture dictionary representation of challenging words.
Foreign Language
Use the tool to promote listening comprehension and reading comprehension. Use it to translate phrases and provide picture representations of words that students do not know. Have students analyze the accuracy of the translations. Microsoft Immersive Reader can also be used to highlight the different parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives from text in another language.
The picture dictionary definition for the word “happy.” The Spanish translation is also visible.
English/Language Arts
Use Microsoft Immersive Reader to make difficult texts more accessible. Use the tool to highlight syllables and support word pronunciation. Or, use the tool to highlight different parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
A screenshot showcasing how Microsoft Immersive Reader can highlight different parts of speech and syllables.
Resources
- Guide for Using Immersive Reader
- Microsoft Education Blog: Immersive Reader posts
- 3 ways to support your students with Immersive Reader
- What is Immersive Reader?
- Leveling the Playing Field with Microsoft Learning Tools
- Learning Tools in Word
How to Use Microsoft Immersive Reader
These steps are for the free online version. If you want directions for how to use it through a different source (i.e., Word), there is information in the Resources section above.
- Go to https://www.onenote.com/learningtools.
- Go to the text box at the bottom and input any text.
- Select the language of the text.
- Then press “Try it Out.”
The location where one inputs their own text to use Microsoft Immersive Reader in browser.
- Clicking on the play button at the bottom of your screen will read the text aloud.
- You can exit by pressing the arrow in the upper left hand corner.
- In the upper right hand corner there are three symbols, each opening their own respective menus with various options.
These are the three menus, from right to left they are; text preferences, grammar options, reading preferences.
Text Preferences
The first of the three upper right menus, provides options for text display settings, including:
- Text Size (font size).
- Font.
- Themes (Slight changes to the color palettes).
Grammar Preferences
The second of the three upper right menus, provides options to explore grammar:
- Display different parts of speech in customizable colors.
- Display syllables.
Reading Preferences
The third of the three upper right hand menus, provides options for changing the text:
- Line focus will adjust how the display when the reader is reading.
- Toggling on/off picture dictionary will turn on/off the picture dictionary (clicking on certain words will show a picture representation of the word).
- Language translation allows you to translate a single word or the entire text.
Research
Broeks, M., Dimova, S., Iakovidou, E., Ilie, S., Jarke, H., Sutherland, A., Thompson, G. (2020). Evaluation of a Technology-based Intervention for Reading in UK Classroom Setting. RAND Europe.
This page was created by Mason Peng, Aviahna Austin, and Joey Ice.