Renaissance, a global provider of leading EdTech products, has unveiled a new read-aloud feature on its myON digital reading platform. The new feature will allow students to record themselves reading aloud, and submit the recording to their teacher. Students will also have the option of reviewing the recording before submission.
myON already uses natural-voice audio narration, giving students the chance to hear the text read fluently and the pronunciation of unfamiliar words. With the addition of the read-aloud feature, students will be able to listen to the audio narration, record themselves reading the same passage, and thus compare tone, pace, and pronunciation. The opportunity to self-assess in this way will give students greater ownership of their reading, particularly those learning English as a second language.
The opportunity to self-assess in this way will give students greater ownership of their reading
In the course of developing the new feature, Renaissance spoke to many educators and found that they often do not have enough time in class to allow every student to read aloud as often as they would like. Furthermore, students can often dislike reading in front of peers, if they are struggling readers or dislike being the centre of attention. The new feature also helps tackle both these issues, enabling students to record themselves in the evening or at weekends, and without an audience. Educators will now be able to create reading portfolios to compare how students read at the beginning of the school year to how they read at the end of the year, monitoring the progress each student makes in both the fundamentals of reading as well as its application to understanding and learning.
Each student can access their myON account from any tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, 24/7
With a wealth of innovative features, myON is unlike almost any other online reading platform. It offers every primary student in a school or organisation unlimited access to a library of enhanced digital books, working as both a standalone product and in harmony with other Renaissance products. myON can be used by students whose first language is English as well as being perfect for English-language learners. Each student can access their myON account from any tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, 24/7. Books can also be downloaded to be read offline later when an internet connection is unavailable. Additionally, multiple students can access the same book at the same time. The solution also provides real-time reading data, with teachers and educators able to log into their school’s myON account to see exactly what students have been reading, when, and for how long.
Joan Mill, Managing Director of Renaissance International commented: “Oral reading fluency is an essential part of reading development and growth. But finite class time, and lack of confidence in reading in front of others, can often mean that students don’t get enough opportunity to read aloud. With the addition of read-aloud to myON, our perennially-popular digital reading platform, we are delighted to help address these challenges whilst helping teachers to monitor the reading progress of their students.”