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SLIS 761: Snap To It



Universal Design for Learning argues for flexible learning environments to support a variety of learners. Students may have learning disabilities, be learning in a non-fluent language, or have a different learning style, but all will benefit from Universal Design. Snap&Read provides flexibility for web-reading and note-taking.

Snap&Read is an assistive technology created by Don Johnston. Once purchased it can be installed as a Google Chrome Extension and used with any website or PDF opened in the browser. Many of its features are also available via the iPad app. Finally, 3.2 million Amazon Kindle books and the Bookshare library are compatible as well (2019). The Snap&Read product page provides video demos for many of its functions. An individual subscription to Snap&Read costs $4.99/month, though schools or districts can sign-up for $0.50-$2.00 per student annually. To subscribe go to https://learningtools.donjohnston.com/product/snap-read/ and select Pricing or download it from the Chrome Web store or Apple app store. 



Students can use Snap&Read to read English and foreign language text aloud. Readers also have access to text embedded in images using Snap&Read. This can support students who struggle with reading and, since they know they have the support, can challenge readers to tackle more difficult texts. It provides "Dynamic Text Levelling" which rewords phrases to be easier to comprehend without changing the meaning. English Language Learners may find this function particularly helpful. Similarly, Snap&Read can translate text into over 100 languages and has a picture supported dictionary, which combines text and icons to make meaning clear.

For students that would like support with organization or note-taking, Snap&Read pulls highlighted text into an outline. Users can highlight and add texts to web-opened PDFs then download a copy or save it in GoogleDrive or OneDrive. Afterward students can further organize or annotate the outline. Color overlay and reading line guides help readers focus on text and track their reading. To further aid focus, Snap&Read minimizes distractions on a webpage. It does this by reformatting the page to remove distracting content, even out lines of text, and adjust font and line spacing.

For educators, Snap&Read analyzes the grade-level equivalent of text on any webpage. It also allows teachers to collect data on student reading, including the level of the text they read. The vast array of adaptability features Snap&Read provides makes it an ideal add-on for Universal Design. It supports users with differing needs, abilities, and learning styles. If installed on school computers it can be beneficial to many users regardless of age, language, or disability.


Reviews & Resources

Don Johnston. (2019) Snap&Read [product page]. Retrieved from https://learningtools.donjohnston.com/product/snap-read/

Wilmot, K. (n.d.) Snap&Read Universal.  Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/snapread-universal

Holzberg, C. (2012). Product Review: Snap&Read. Tech and Learning. Retrieved from https://www.techlearning.com/news/product-review-snapread 






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  1. Shanna HuntOctober 13, 2019 at 10:46 PM

    This technology sounds very helpful. The ability to text level any page it awesome. My school is currently going through some extensive training in reading instruction, and a consult mentioned to us that students needed to be sure that they are getting material on their reading level. The advocate for reading in me wants them to read for pleasure and grab what appeals to them, but it's still really cool that teachers have the option to choose online reading and sites that match the reading level of the students in their class.

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