Home / Guides Make a Chromebook easier to read, write, and use.
Start with the task a student needs to do, then switch on one support and practise it in a real lesson. These built-in ChromeOS features can help a school team test what works without changing the lesson goal.
Start with the learning job Choose one task: reading a passage, writing a response, or navigating a page. Turn on one feature and model it with the same material students will use. Ask the learner whether it helps; keep or change the setting after a short classroom trial. What to try, and what to notice Select-to-Speak Reads a selected part of a page aloud and highlights words as they are spoken.
Try it when: A learner who can follow the passage with audio but still needs to see the printed words.
Open Settings, then Accessibility. Under Text-to-Speech, turn on Select-to-Speak. Select text and press Search or Launcher + S, or hold Search while dragging over text. Read the first paragraph together, then let the student replay only the sentence needed for an evidence question.
Vendor instructions Dictation Enters spoken words into a text field.
Try it when: A learner who can explain an idea orally but needs another way to start a written response.
Open Settings, then Accessibility. Under Keyboard and text input, turn on Dictation. Select the writing field and choose Speak, or press Search or Launcher + D. Have the learner say one complete sentence, check the result against what they meant, then revise it.
Vendor instructions ChromeVox screen reader Speaks screen content and helps a user navigate ChromeOS without relying only on sight.
Try it when: A learner who needs a screen reader for navigation and reading.
Press Ctrl + Alt + Z to toggle ChromeVox. Or open Settings, then Accessibility, and turn on ChromeVox under Text-to-Speech. Practise moving through headings and controls before asking the student to work independently in a new document.
Vendor instructions Screen magnification Enlarges the whole screen or shows a magnified strip at the top while the rest stays visible.
Try it when: A learner who needs larger on-screen content while reading or locating controls.
Open Settings, then Accessibility. Under Display and magnification, choose Full screen magnifier or Docked magnifier. Try both views with the same classroom page. Check whether the student can still find the next line and page controls after changing magnification.
Vendor instructions Display and colour settings Changes display size and offers colour inversion or colour filters.
Try it when: A learner who finds the default display size or colour presentation difficult to use.
Open Settings, then Accessibility. Under Display and magnification, adjust Display size or choose a colour setting. Compare the same page before and after the change. Let the learner choose the clearer version; do not assume one colour setting suits everyone.
Vendor instructions Cursor and focus highlighting Makes keyboard focus or the pointer easier to locate on screen.
Try it when: A learner who loses track of the cursor or the currently selected control.
Open Settings, then Accessibility. Check Keyboard and text input for focus highlighting, or Cursor and touchpad for pointer settings. Navigate the actual learning task to test visibility. Try a short keyboard-only task and ask the learner to point out the current focus.
Vendor instructions Live Caption Creates on-screen captions for supported audio or video played in Chrome.
Try it when: A learner who benefits from seeing spoken content as text.
Open Settings, then Accessibility. Under Audio and captions, open Captions and turn on Live Caption if the device offers it. Test the actual classroom video before the lesson. Check the generated captions for names and subject vocabulary before relying on them in instruction.
Vendor instructions Classroom rollout Model one task. Use a class passage or response prompt to show one feature in context.Practise with a partner. Let the learner turn the feature on and off, then decide whether it helps.Record the choice. Keep a short staff note about the task, setting, and next check. Do not add student details to this site.What to check Schools may manage Chromebook settings; ask your device administrator when a control is unavailable. Feature names and menu paths can change with ChromeOS updates. A setting is a trial, not a diagnosis or a substitute for the student's existing support plan. Milestone Teachers is independent and is not affiliated with Google, Texthelp, or Everway. Product names identify the tools discussed.
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