1. New Page Type: Add Two Images on One Page

You asked—we listened! Teachers and students can now add two images on a single book page. This new layout option allows for more creative expression, better visual storytelling, and enhanced comprehension—perfect for comparing ideas and showing sequences. Captions can be added to each of the images. Teachers can disable this option from the settings (Premium feature) 

2. Audio Feedback from Teachers

Students can now hear their teacher’s voice alongside written feedback. With our new audio feedback feature, teachers can give spoken encouragement, clarify instructions, or highlight areas for improvement—helping students feel more connected and supported. Available for all free and paid users. Just log in and start providing feedback.

3. Read-Aloud Speed Control

Every learner is different. That’s why we’ve added read-aloud speed control, so students can adjust the pace of the reading to suit their comfort level. Whether they need it slower to follow along or faster to review, it supports self-paced, inclusive learning. Students will see this option when reading or editing a book.   

These updates reflect our continued commitment to improving literacy instruction with a tool that is simple, meaningful, and science-based. Stay tuned—more exciting features are on the way!

Try the new features now at https://app.writereader.com/login/educator

WriteReader takes the guesswork out of differentiation, giving teachers a straightforward, effective tool for meeting each student’s needs without overwhelming them.

Here’s how WriteReader can support differentiation in your classrooms:

1. Helping Struggling Readers and Writers Improve

For students who struggle with reading and writing, building confidence and motivation is crucial. WriteReader allows these students to engage in literacy activities without feeling overwhelmed.

• Boost Confidence: Students can create their own books using both text and images, allowing them to express ideas even if their writing skills are still developing.

• Phonics and Vocabulary Support: WriteReader’s structure supports phonics (key letter names and sounds), vocabulary acquisition, and comprehension skills, giving struggling readers a solid foundation for literacy growth.

• Teacher Scaffolding: Teachers can add adult writing alongside the student’s text, providing guidance and scaffolding that helps students learn the correct structure and spelling without limiting their creativity.

With these supports, WriteReader empowers struggling learners to take meaningful steps toward literacy, building both their skills and their confidence in a fun, creative way.

2. Enhancing Performance for Advanced Students

For students who are already performing well, WriteReader provides opportunities for further growth and enrichment.

• Creative Expression: WriteReader gives advanced students the space to push their writing skills further by creating longer, more complex stories and using a broader vocabulary.

• Incorporating Research and Critical Thinking: These students can use WriteReader to develop research projects, personal narratives, or even create informative texts. The platform’s flexibility allows for differentiated tasks that challenge advanced learners.
• Teacher Feedback and Revisions: WriteReader’s built-in teacher tools enable timely, personalized feedback, encouraging students to refine their work and reach new levels of writing mastery.

By offering an open-ended platform, WriteReader allows high-performing students to continue growing and developing their literacy skills at a deeper level.

3. Supporting Students with Dyslexia

Students with dyslexia often face unique challenges in reading and writing, but they also have the potential to thrive when given the right tools and support.

• Multisensory Learning: WriteReader allows students with dyslexia to use both images and text, catering to their learning strengths. They can convey ideas through pictures while continuing to develop their reading and writing skills.
• Speech and Voice Technology: With WriteReader’s integration of audio recording, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech features students can get support to make the learning process more accessible and engaging.

These features make WriteReader an inclusive tool, helping students with dyslexia engage with the same content as their peers while receiving the support they need.

4. Simplifying Differentiation for Teachers

One of the biggest challenges in differentiated instruction is providing personalized learning opportunities for every student in the classroom. WriteReader simplifies this process, making it easier for teachers to cater to diverse needs.

• Adaptive Platform: WriteReader’s flexibility allows teachers to assign book templates at varying levels of complexity, meeting each student where they are in their literacy journey. Whether a student is working on basic sentence construction or crafting a detailed story, WriteReader adapts to all levels.
• Literacy Progress Monitoring: Teachers can track student progress and provide feedback, helping students improve as they work. This allows for quick adjustments in instruction and personalized support.

• Personalized Literacy Growth: Teachers can select key literacy features like speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and speech synthesis, and decide which students should have these features enabled, allowing for a fully personalized approach to literacy development.

Conclusion: WriteReader as a Key Differentiation Tool for Your School

By implementing WriteReader in your school, you’ll equip your teachers with a versatile resource that simplifies differentiation and drives student success. Plus, with its research-based approach and user-friendly design, it’s a tool that teachers will love using to inspire all students, no matter their ability.

Are you ready to see how WriteReader can transform your classrooms? Reach out to us today at info@writereader.com to learn more about integrating WriteReader into your school’s literacy program! 

WriteReader in action

Introducing WriteReader into our curriculum has made a remarkable difference. From the moment we started using the platform, I witnessed a newfound enthusiasm blooming in my students. Within just a few days, they were crafting their own stories and even creating multiple books—albeit short and simple ones. The unique feature of being able to add personal pictures and voice recordings has turned the writing process into an engaging and enjoyable activity that my students genuinely look forward to.

Transformative results through daily writing

One of the standout practices we implemented was keeping a daily diary through WriteReader. This activity allowed my students to express themselves more freely while taking ownership of their words. Watching them grow in confidence as they experimented with writing has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career. It is heartening to see them embrace this newfound skill and engage meaningfully with their own ideas.

A recommendation for educators

For any teacher seeking to enhance their students’ literacy skills while keeping them motivated and engaged, I wholeheartedly recommend WriteReader. Its user-friendly interface is perfect for young learners, and it fosters creativity in ways that nurture a love for reading and writing that extends beyond the classroom walls.

Erik Nelson is an English teacher at the Chicago Futabakai Japanese School in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

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Would you like to share your own WriteReader story? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at info@writereader.com.

Through this collaboration, WriteReader’s platform will support language preservation by enabling students and educators to create and share books in their native languages. By integrating these languages into everyday learning, we aim to empower young learners to embrace their cultural identity and ensure the survival of these languages for future generations.

As a part of the partnership we will create an image bank in WriteReader that is based on the cultural heritage of Native Americans and this image bank will be accessible to all WriteReader students in the US. 

WriteReader provides our students with a powerful tool to create stories in their own languages, helping them strengthen their identity and connection to their heritage.

Said Velma Prettyontop-Whitemanrunshim, Ed.D., Cultural Education Coordinator at St. Labre Schools and continues:

By using this platform, we are ensuring that our Native languages are not only preserved but actively used and celebrated by the next generation.

Together, WriteReader and St. Labre are committed to making language learning accessible and preserving the voices of Indigenous communities for generations to come.

Stay tuned for more updates as we work together to make a meaningful impact!

Learn more about St. Labre Indian School: https://www.stlabre.org/

Writing Insights is a result of six years of collaborative research with educational and data scientists. We are so excited to launch this tool for you!

Key benefits

Time-saving assessment:
Analyze and visualize students’ writing over time, reducing time spent on manual assessments.

Personalized literacy support:
Identify strengths and challenges for all learners, from struggling writers to high achievers.

Encourage student creativity:
Students write and publish their own books while teachers get actionable data and a growth timeline to target literacy support.

Join thousands of educators who use WriteReader to engage all students!

Rowan-Salisbury School District has rolled out WriteReader for 600+ teachers, benefiting 18,000 elementary students. 

Start using Writing Insights today and unlock your students’ potential. Request a free trial or online demo: Contact info@writereader.com

Award-winning & research-backed learning tool

Writing Insights is an add-on to WriteReader, a science-based literacy tool, recognized by New Schools, MITSolve, UNICEF and supported by the Gates Foundation for its innovative approach to reading and writing instruction. 

Explore below how WriteReader supports UDL based on 8 examples to inspire teachers in kindergarten-5th grades.

Engaging All Learners Through Personalization

One of UDL’s core tenets is offering multiple means of engagement, allowing students to connect with learning in ways that resonate with their interests and motivations. WriteReader fosters engagement by letting students create content based on their own lives, interests, and ideas.

Example 1: Personal Story Projects

Encourage students to create a book about a topic they’re passionate about, such as their favorite animal, a memorable family trip, or their dream career. For younger students, they might illustrate a “Day in My Life.” Personalizing content ensures learners feel a sense of ownership and relevance, which boosts motivation and engagement.

WriteReader contains template books and image bank categories to inspire and support the students in their writing process.

Example 2: Collaborative Storytelling

Pair students together to co-author a book. One student might write while the other illustrates, or they can take turns writing alternate pages. This collaboration fosters social engagement and enables peer learning—a cornerstone of inclusive teaching.

Representing Content in Multiple Ways

The UDL framework emphasizes presenting information in diverse formats to accommodate different learning styles. WriteReader provides a multimodal platform where students can combine text, images, and audio to express their ideas.

Example 3: Visual Supports for Comprehension

In WriteReader the students have four different ways to find and upload pictures to accompany their text, offering visual context to enhance comprehension. For instance, if they’re writing about the body, they can:  

• use images from the image bank containing +40 carefully selected categories with 16-40 rights-free images each
• make a safe search among 2 million rights-free images from Pixabay 
• use the device’s camera feature to take pictures of the surroundings, a self-made drawing, or anything else
• download any image on the device or images from a shared online folder

All options reinforce visual support for the learning subject and context to enhance comprehension.

Example 4: Audio Narration for Accessibility

WriteReader allows students to record audio narrations of their books. This feature is particularly beneficial for students with reading difficulties or English language learners, as it provides an auditory element that supports comprehension and pronunciation practice.

Supporting Varied Levels of Literacy Development

WriteReader is uniquely suited for classrooms with diverse literacy levels, as it includes features to scaffold learning for students at different stages of development.

Example 5: Educator Text Model

Teachers can use the “educator text field” in one of the page types to model proper grammar, vocabulary, or sentence structure on each page. This support allows emerging writers to see correct examples while still encouraging them to try writing independently.

Example 6: Differentiated Tasks

Assign tasks based on individual student needs. For example, advanced writers might create a detailed narrative, while beginning writers focus on labeling images or writing simple sentences. Check out WriteReader’s Template library with +50 templates created to scaffold and differentiate students’ writing.

Fostering a Growth Mindset Through Publishing

Publishing books on WriteReader gives students a tangible sense of accomplishment and reinforces a growth mindset by celebrating effort and improvement.

Example 7: Class Library

WriteReader automatically compiles student-created books into a digital class library, where students can read each other’s work, fostering a sense of community and pride. Highlight each student’s unique contributions, emphasizing that everyone’s voice matters.

Example 8: Family and Community Involvement

With WriteReader’s printing feature it’s easy to create small booklets to share hard copy books with parents or guardians, encouraging family members to engage with their child’s learning. 

The books can also be displayed and lent out from the school library or public library to make the students real and proud authors. Learn about WriteReader’s book fair concept here. 

These connections strengthen the home-school partnership and community engagement while at the same time boost students’ confidence in their abilities and motivation to create more books.

Scaffolding Literacy and Empower Students to Succeed

WriteReader is an excellent tool for supporting the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in grades K-5. By engaging students through personalized content, offering multiple means of representation and expression, and scaffolding literacy development, WriteReader empowers all learners to thrive. With its diverse features and flexibility, WriteReader helps educators create an inclusive and dynamic learning environment where every student can succeed. 

Start exploring WriteReader today at app.writereader.com to unlock your students’ creativity and potential!

Inspire a Love for Reading and Writing

At WriteReader, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling. World Read Aloud Day is the perfect opportunity to combine reading, writing, and sharing. By encouraging your students to write their own books in WriteReader and read them aloud to classmates, friends, or family members, you can empower them to become authors and storytellers.

Ways to Celebrate with WriteReader

Interactive Reading

Have students read a book (or their favorite book!) and then create their own book to share their understanding. They can answer questions about the story, like:

• • What do you notice about the cover?
  • What do you think the story is about?
  • Who are the main characters?
  • What do you think will happen next?

Author Spotlight

Have students create short stories or poems in WriteReader and host a “Read Aloud Hour” where they share their creations.

Family Storytime

Invite parents or guardians to join in by reading their children’s WriteReader books aloud at home.

Collaborative Storytelling

Create a class book in WriteReader, with each student contributing a page. Then, read it aloud together.

Reading aloud strengthens comprehension, builds confidence, and, most importantly, makes learning enjoyable. So, grab a story—whether it’s a favorite book or an original WriteReader creation—and let your students’ words take center stage this World Read Aloud Day!

Happy Reading (and Writing) Aloud!

What Is WriteReader?

WriteReader is an educational platform designed to empower young learners to become authors. With its user-friendly interface, students can create books by combining text and images, fostering creativity and literacy skills. Teachers can provide feedback directly within the platform, making it an ideal tool for guided learning.

Creating Book Reviews in WriteReader

Encourage students to choose and read books that interest them. You can introduce the idea of creating book reviews or recommendations by utilizing the lesson plan below. Give them opportunities to plan and reflect before they begin writing.

Click here to view the lesson plan.

Book Recommendation Template

Teachers may also consider providing this book template for students to use to guide their writing. This template can be found in the WriteReader Template Library and can be used as is, or teachers can edit and adapt for their own students. Templates help to ensure students have included all necessary elements into their stories.

After books are written, have students share their reviews with classmates to receive feedback. Teachers can also utilize the feedback feature in WriteReader to comment on students’ writing.

Create Book Awards

This 2nd grade class created book awards for their favorite books, which is an idea adapted from the Units of Study. Students brainstormed award categories such as:

• Best Character
• Most Exciting Adventure
• Funniest Story
• Prettiest Pictures

Students then utilized WriteReader to create a book and celebrate the story and award they chose. The title of the book is the award name, and images include drawings or pictures of the book and award. Students then explained why the book deserved that particular award. This is a fun and engaging way to have students share their favorite stories and why they love them! For extra fun, you can host a Book Awards Ceremony where students present their awards to the class.

Click here to read Ezekiel’s book.

Share Their Stories

The key to this project is sharing student stories and book recommendations with others. This provides not only the opportunity for students to write, but also to gain peer-reviewed recommendations for favorite books to read! 

Some ideas for sharing include:

• Creating a Reading Room of book recommendations to share with others
• Print books and display in classroom or school library
• Make books available at your local library for students from all over your town or city to enjoy and spark reading inspiration

Tips for Success

• Model the Process: Create your own review or award as an example.
• Differentiate Support: Offer sentence starters in the template book or graphic organizers for students who need extra help.
• Celebrate Creativity: Emphasize effort and imagination over perfection.
• Connect Home and School: Share the students’ creations with families to foster a home-school connection.

Click here to read Ms. Mathew’s students’ book recommendations

Using WriteReader to create book reviews and awards transforms literacy activities into interactive, creative, and rewarding experiences. It not only develops essential reading and writing skills but also instills a lifelong love for books and storytelling in your young learners.

Personal narrative writing

Students embarked on their journey by drafting personal narratives highlighting significant connections between their current lives and pivotal events from their past. This reflective exercise focused on “seed moments” that have influenced their values. Through WriteReader, students transformed their narratives into digital books, enriching their stories by uploading personal images corresponding to each paragraph. This approach facilitated reflection and personal growth and fostered a safe space for sharing, allowing teachers to gain insights into students’ backgrounds and tailor lessons to resonate with their lived experiences.

The intersection of art and writing

In art class, students created portraits representing their personal narratives, integrating elements from their stories into their artwork. This cross-disciplinary approach enhanced both their writing and artistic expression, illustrating the interconnectedness of their experiences. By exploring how art and writing complement one another, students discovered that creativity is a multifaceted process relevant to any field where communication and expression are vital.

Community engagement through writing celebrations

To culminate the project, students participated in a writing celebration, sharing their digital books with their parents. This event emphasized the importance of community and connection. Through WriteReader, parents engaged with their children by listening to audio recordings of their narratives or reading printed copies. For those unable to attend, we ensured that links to the digital books were shared, allowing all families to celebrate their children’s accomplishments. This celebration reinforced the significance of connectedness through shared stories, fostering a sense of community.

Documenting and record-keeping for student-led portfolios

Utilizing WriteReader, we effectively documented students’ writing and artwork, enriching their understanding of both disciplines and serving as a valuable tool for teachers in maintaining accurate records for student-led portfolios. Incorporating students’ artwork as covers for their narratives or as images with captions at the end of their digital books brilliantly showcased their work and achievements, making this project an excellent addition to their portfolios.

The power of storytelling

This experience underscored the power of storytelling in building relationships and understanding diverse journeys. It demonstrated the impact of sharing their work, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment crucial for collaboration. Through these interconnected activities, students not only honed their writing skills but also strengthened their ability to connect with others.

Dina Hegazy is a fifth-grade homeroom teacher and K-5 Math facilitator at The American International School of Egypt—West Campus. With 14 years of experience in the classroom, she utilizes educational technology to enhance her teaching practices. Hegazy is committed to addressing her students’ diverse abilities by using technology to bridge learning gaps and foster an inclusive educational environment.

What is WriteReader?

WriteReader is a web-application designed to encourage young learners to develop their literacy skills by creating stories, and publishing their work. It’s been widely used in classrooms to help children practice writing and reading, offering an interactive and enjoyable experience. The platform allows students to compose narratives, create books, and even record their voices to bring their stories to life.

How AI-Generated Images Are Used

AI powered image generation tools like Adobe Express and Magic Media within Canva give students the opportunity to generate images based on the characters, scenes, or objects they describe in their stories. Students need to more deeply think about the elements of their stories in order to create descriptive prompts that create relevant visuals to incorporate into their WriteReader stories.

For example, if a student writes a sentence like, “The dragon soared above the mountain with its wings spread wide,” they can utilize AI to generate an image of a dragon flying over a mountainous landscape, perfectly illustrating the scene. This dynamic addition enriches the student’s creative process by allowing them to visualize their ideas and seamlessly integrate these visuals into their written work.

How Teachers Can Use This Feature

For teachers, combining writing and AI-generated images offers new ways to support student learning. Here are some ways educators can take advantage of this feature:

Inspiring Writing Prompts: Teachers can use an AI image generation tool as a springboard for writing prompts. For instance, they can show students an AI-generated image of a fantastical creature or a dramatic landscape and ask students to write a story inspired by that image.

4th grade teacher Johanna Trout utilized image generation in Adobe Express to inspire her students to create imaginative images to write about. The images inspired creativity and topics that the students were excited to write about. Mrs. Trout was impressed by the amount of writing and their enthusiasm for writing about the images they generated.

Storytelling Exercises: Teachers can guide students through exercises that focus on enhancing their storytelling abilities. Having the AI generate visuals based on their written descriptions encourages students to be more precise with their language. They must describe scenes and characters in enough detail for the AI to produce an accurate image, which in turn helps improve their writing skills. By practicing conveying their ideas clearly, students become more adept writers, as evidenced by Charlie’s example below.

Peer Feedback: The AI-generated images can be used in peer review sessions. When students share their stories with one another, the visuals can help peers better understand each other’s work and offer more specific feedback.

Personalized Learning: The AI tool offers opportunities for differentiation in the classroom. Students at different reading and writing levels can benefit from tailored prompts and images that match their individual abilities and interests.

Blending AI and Writing Creativity

Integrating AI-generated images from tools like Adobe Express and Canva into WriteReader stories represents a breakthrough in how students approach writing. By combining their words with visuals, students gain a deeper understanding of narrative techniques while engaging more creatively with their work.

Whether it’s enhancing creativity, fostering engagement, or improving writing skills, the use of AI in this context offers a powerful tool for enhancing storytelling in the classroom. As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for blending AI and education are limitless—empowering students to become better writers, more confident creators, and imaginative thinkers.