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title: 20 tips to learn how to better read and write with the iPad
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# 20 tips to learn how to better read and write with the iPad
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**Yann Houry**


- teacher
- director of Academic Research & Innovation
- author of [Ralentir travaux](https://www.ralentirtravaux.com)

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As as student, the iPad can help you **overcome many difficulties** and offers you **many solutions** to help you with your writing or improve your ability to read.

These solutions are classified into three parts:

1. **Read**,
2. **Write**
3. **Understand**.

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Here they are. And they are all free! :star-struck:

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## <i class="fa fa-leanpub" aria-hidden="true"></i> Read
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### 1. Use Speak selection
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You can make the iPad **read any piece of text**. Handy when you can't pronounce or recognize a word.


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Go to `Settings > General > Accessibility > Speech > Speak selection` to activate Speak selection.

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:::warning
### 2. Use Shortcuts
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Use [this shortcut](https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/732c6a84562a4389a03b357adc591d8e) to display a web page with the **Open Dyslexic font**. Useful if you are dyslexic and you have a problem reading online.


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:::warning
### 3. OpenDyslexic font
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Download the [OpenDyslexic font](https://gumroad.com/l/OpenDyslexic) to display all your documents with this font specially designed for dyslexic students.


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:bulb: If you don’t know how to install a font, visit this page: [How to use custom fonts on iPhone and iPad](https://9to5mac.com/2019/06/12/ios-13-how-to-use-custom-fonts-on-iphone-and-ipad/).

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:::warning
### 4. Reader mode
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Read comfortably using **Reader mode**.


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To do this, tap the **four small lines** in the address bar in Safari. You will thus avoid any unnecessary distraction (advertisements, navigation menus, etc.).


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:::warning
### 5. Convert a web page into a PDF
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By doing this, you will be able to export the page, read it in **offline mode** and even **annotate or highlight** passages you want to remember.


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To do this, since iOS 13, take a screenshot and choose `Full page` then save your PDF with the app of your choice.

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:::warning
### 6. Office Lens
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With Office Lens from Microsoft, you can take a picture of a document (a book for instance) or a whiteboard and scan it.


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From now on, you can share this picture to the built-in Immersive Reader and **change the font** (the Comic Sans is great for dyslexic students), change the **size**, **detach syllabes**, **display** nouns in purple, verbs in red and much more. You can use **Picture Dictionary**, **translate**, **read out loud** the text as well.

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## <i class="fa fa-pencil" aria-hidden="true"></i> Write
:::

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:::warning
### 7. Use the Speak recognition fonction
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It may happen that you cannot write a word and you cannot find its spelling in your dictionary.

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In this case, **record your voice**. The iPad will recognize the word for you and at the same time give you its spelling.


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To do this, **press the small microphone** at the bottom of the keyboard next to the space bar.

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:::warning
### 8. Create shortcuts
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If you have trouble typing quickly, **create shortcuts**.


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For instance, to write your email address quickly, create a shortcut like "yh" and by writing this you will get "[e-mail]".

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To do this, go to `Settings > General > Keyboard > Text replacement`.

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:::warning
### 9. Turn your handwriting into block letters
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Hand write with Notability and **turn your handwriting into block letters**.


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Write by hand, select your text using the ✄ icon, press the selection and in the menu that appears, choose `Convert To Text`.

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:::warning
### 10. Fluently
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As one can read on the [website](https://fluently.so/trybeta):

> Fluently is an online text editor with a multilingual translator, dictionary, and thesaurus built-in.

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So if you need to **write** (and not only to **translate** like you would using Google Translate) and format a document, your are at the right place.


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:::warning
### 11. Google Docs
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Everyone knows [Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/?tgif=d) but it’s worth remember it: **you are not alone**.

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If you get through the blank page anguish, remember that you can share your document with a friend who can help you. Also remember your teacher can read what you are writing and provide you feedback and advice. So think of it!


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:::warning
### 12. MindNode
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Traditional note-taking may be difficult for youngest students.

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With [MindNode](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/mindnode-mind-map/id1218718027), which is a mind mapping app, you can **jot down your thoughts**, create some kind of picture of your ideas and **export them as rich text**.


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## <i class="fa fa-lightbulb-o" aria-hidden="true"></i> Understand
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:::warning
### 13. Check your spelling
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**Check your spelling**, if you are a French speaker, with [le bon patron](http://bonpatron.com/). Of course, you can find many spell checkers (such as [Grammarly](https://www.grammarly.com/m) or [Language Tool](https://languagetool.org/)).

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But the reason why I’m suggesting my students to use Le bon patron is that they can get **explanations both in French or in English** so when they are more confident with one or other language, this is helpful.

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The English version of Le bon patron is [SpellCheckPlus](https://spellcheckplus.com/).


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:::warning
### 14. Use a dictionary
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For French speakers, go to [Larousse](https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais "Larousse") and search for the word you want to know the spelling. Also think to check conjugation as well with the [Bescherelle](http://bescherelle.com/).

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To avoid typing “Larousse” ou “Bescherelle” every time you need to visit these pages, create **a favorite**.


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To do that, press the **rectangle icon** located in the upper-right corner of your screen (the one with a little arrow pointing to the top) and choose `Add to favorite`.

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:::warning
### 15. Phonetic search
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For French speakers only.

Do a **phonetic search** by using the [Académie française](https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/) dictionary.


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Type the word you are looking for spelling and choose `Mots proches`. The dictionary will find the right spelling for you!

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:::warning
### 16. Built-in dictionary
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Use the **built-in dictionary** (to add a dictionary, go to `Settings > General > Dictionary`).


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To use it, **press a word** to make it appeared and **choose `Look up`**.

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:::warning
### 17. Create your own dictionary
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**Create your own dictionary** and memorise the vocabulary you’ve learn while working or reading.

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In **Notes**, create a folder labelled Dictionary and create as many notes as there are letters in the alphabet. To sort these notes in an alphabetic order, go to `Settings > Notes > Sort notes by`.


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:::warning
### 18. Google Translate
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Translate words you don’t understand. Use [Google translate](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-translate/id414706506?mt=8) or [Word reference](http://www.wordreference.com/) to find the meaning of a word.


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:bulb: Don’t try to figure out the meaning of a complete text. Instead, try to understand a word, a group of words or even a sentence. You can however translate a paper document with the **augmented reality** feature of the app.

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:::warning
### 19. Google translate in a spreadsheet
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By using [the formula Google Translate](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093331?hl=en) in Google sheets, you will be able to get a translation of the words you don’t know.

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Depending on which language you want, the function should look like that:

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You can even create some kind of automatic research of the translated word by using this function:

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By doing this, you create swiftly and automatically a dictionary without having to write a lot of things!


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:::warning
### 20. Otter
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Having a Zoom videoconference with your students? Consider using [Otter](https://otter.ai/) which provide a **real-time transcript** so students don’t have to take notes and can keep focused on what you say. Transcribing your Zoom meeting can also **help those that are deaf or hard of hearing**.

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Moreover, you can listen to your transcript of course but you can also **highlight text** or **comments** it. Very convenient!


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:shrug: Only for English teachers (Otter only supports English) using their computer.

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:pray: Thanks for reading this!

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