📚 Reading apps and reading coaches · 🔊 Reading aloud and accessibility · 🧩 Learning differences
Read&Write
By Everway (formerly Texthelp). Visit Read&Write
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Read&Write is a literacy toolbar for students who need help reading and writing, including those with dyslexia. It reads text aloud on web pages, documents and PDFs, offers picture and text dictionaries, simplifies hard text, predicts words while typing, turns speech into text, checks writing, translates, and masks the screen to help focus. It works as a Chrome and Edge extension and on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Schools usually buy it; teachers get it free.
Our take: A solid support tool for kids with dyslexia or reading gaps, usually best gotten through school; families buying alone pay $184 a year.
| Ages it suits | grades K-12 and adults |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Individual buyers must be at least 18. A school that lets students under 13 use it must get verifiable parental consent first. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Individual license $184 a year; K-12 group $18.30 per student a year (150-seat minimum); district $2.75 per seat; free for K-12 teachers; a free version with fewer tools (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | Web, Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | A school account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | An AI Simplify tool rewrites text in plainer words, and newer AI voices read text aloud. |
What's good
- Text-to-speech almost everywhere
- Free for K-12 teachers
- Tools built for dyslexia
- Works on most devices
Watch for
- Broad browser permissions
- Individual license is costly
- Features differ by platform
- One-year minimum term
Data and privacy
Everway's product privacy policy says users are identified by their Google or Microsoft email and data is stored on AWS and Microsoft Azure. The Chrome extension asks to read and change data on all websites, and the Edge version reads browsing history to decide where to show the toolbar. Everway states COPPA and FERPA compliance. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
Maker's own claims only; Everway publishes a Glasgow report claiming a 78% rise in reading confidence. No independent controlled study found.
In the Big Index
Alternatives to Read&Write
Desk researchFree
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes · ages 18+ only
Useful for blind or low-vision adults, including parents; children should not use it, by the maker's own terms.
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Bloom Library
SIL Global · ages mostly early readers; some books for adults (health, farming)
A standout for families reading in a home or heritage language; parents should filter by topic, since religious and adult titles mix with children's books.
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Bookshare
Benetech (nonprofit) · ages all ages (PreK-12 students through adults)
A free, practical library for US students with a documented print disability; families without that need should use a public library app instead.
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C-Pen Reader
C-Pen (sold in the US by Scanning Pens) · ages school-age readers and adults
Worth a look for a child with dyslexia who reads paper books and worksheets; ask the school first, since many lend them.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Cboard
Cboard (Comunicacion Aumentativa Chile SpA) · ages all ages (children and adults who need AAC)
A low-cost way for families and therapists to try AAC on existing devices; families who need a fully supported, ad-free system funded through insurance may prefer a dedicated AAC product.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Kami
Kami (Kami Limited, also maker of Book Creator) · ages grades K-12 (about 5-18), plus adults
A practical school tool for marking up and turning in work, especially for kids who need read-aloud or translation; parents rarely need it at home.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.everway.com/products/read-and-write-education/
- https://www.everway.com/products/read-and-write-education/pricing/
- https://www.everway.com/products/read-and-write-education/free-for-teachers/
- https://everway.cdn.prismic.io/everway/aj5fb1bRV8_Qf6X9_EverwayTermsofUseV4USMarch2026-1-.pdf
- https://www.everway.com/privacy/
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRIGcRvVhKEyVmycbu4WGuLaIOPilX5DBLTixplHNdy1sPTuj_xcTJVyROCkF8yKpkSAO4ZIWl9uzJS/pub
- https://www.everway.com/about/responsible-ai/
- https://www.everway.com/research-and-policy/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.