Adapt reading materials to support focus and comprehension

Students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities may experience dense or visually complex text as overwhelming, which can affect engagement and comprehension. Educators often personalize structure, pacing, and presentation to reduce cognitive load and support understanding. Tools like Copilot can assist with reorganizing or simplifying text during preparation, while Immersive Reader offers features such as line focus, adjustable spacing, and text‑to‑speech that students can use when it supports their learning preferences. These tools complement instructional decisions already made by educators.

Imagine preparing a science article on ecosystems for a student with ADHD and dyslexia. Rather than changing the learning goal, the focus is on adjusting how the content is presented. By breaking text into manageable sections and offering auditory support, educators create additional entry points to the material while maintaining control over instructional intent and accessibility choices.

1. Open the article in Microsoft Edge:
   • Launch Microsoft Edge and navigate to the science article or passage you want to use.
2. Use Copilot to simplify and scaffold content:
   • Open the Copilot sidebar in Edge.
   • Enter this prompt: “Summarize this article in plain language and create three guiding comprehension questions aligned with [insert lesson objectives].”
   • Copilot will generate a simplified summary and questions to help students focus on key ideas.
3. Create an accessible version in Word
   • Copy the summary and questions from Copilot.
   • Open Microsoft Word and paste them into a new document. The save the document.
   • This gives students a structured, easy-to-read version of the content.
4. Activate Immersive Reader in Word for accessibility
   • Go to the View tab and select Immersive Reader.
   • Turn on Line Focus to highlight one line at a time.
   • Adjust text spacing and choose a calming page theme to reduce distractions.
   • Enable Read Aloud so students can listen while following along visually, reinforcing comprehension through multiple channels.
5. Engage students
   • Ask students to respond to the guiding questions generated by Copilot. This helps them connect ideas and demonstrate understanding without feeling overwhelmed by the original dense text.