Google Launches Desktop Version Of Read Along App To Make It Easier For Parents To Teach Their Children To Read

Google launches the Desktop version of Read Along. (photo: ary julianto/voi)

JAKARTA – Through the ability of technology, now it will be easier for parents to teach their children to carry. Google has released a browser version of its "Read Along" Android app. This website, while still in beta, is up and running today.

The Verge reports, The site includes hundreds of illustrated stories at several different reading levels. After children select a story, they begin reading it into their device's microphone.

Words are highlighted in blue after they have read them, and mispronounced words are underlined in red; click the underlined word, and the virtual assistant, Diya, will speak it for you.

There may be math involved in some of these stories, but just a warning.

According to Google, the browsers this app supports are Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, while others (including Safari) are coming soon. Stories are also available in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Google has also added a new story to the Read Along collection, which will be available later this year on web and Android. This includes content adaptations from children's video creators USP Studios and ChuChu TV, as well as alphabet and phonetics books from education company Kutuki.

The Android Read Along app has been used by more than 30 million children since its launch in 2019. The move to desktop will not only give kids more device options, but it will also allow more people to read on a bigger screen.

This is something that teachers have noted as important for young learners, especially those with visual impairments.