The Screen Reader Curriculum

Everything you need to learn and teach JAWS, NVDA, and ChromeVox! 

Working With Text logo

Part 1: Working with Text

Everything you need to read, write and edit text using a screen reader. Watch the video below to learn more!

Let’s Start with Reading

Commands 

We start out by learning how to read. We teach you a basic pattern to learn and remember the four main reading commands, character by character, word by word, line by line and paragraph by paragraph.

Moving on to Cursor Placement

Why do your documents come out looking like a mess? Because you need to learn how to place your cursor! Learn the pattern “look to the right” to get this concept under your belt.

“Finish up with Formatting”

We’ll end with formatting commands, like bold, underline and italics, making lists and copy and paste so that you are ready to take your documents to the next level!

Exclusive Edition of “Through the Magnifying Glass”

A 10-chapter children’s book. As you complete each module read a chapter in the book and complete activities in the companion workbook “Julia’s Journal”. You’ll be excited to find out what happens next as you practice your screen reader skills.

Screenshots - reading commands
Screenshots - Cursor placement
Screenshots - formatting text
Through the Magnifying Glass Book Cover
So, what are your questions? Click here to find your answers!
What does the Working With Text course teach?

Working with Text teaches you how to read, write and edit text with a screen reader. In this course we teach you using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but know that the skill you will learn will apply to any text anywhere on the computer. 

What is the difference between Working With Text and Basic Internet Navigation?

The topic; Working with Text covers skills related to reading, writing and editing. Those include reading commands, document navigation, cursor placement, deleting and backspacing, and formatting. Basic Internet Navigation teaches you our 3 methods to navigate the internet with a screen reader.

Do I need to complete Part 1 of the Screen Reader Curriculum in order to properly complete Part 2?

No, both courses come with a prerequisite skills module that will teach you everything you need to know to begin learning. That means that you can start either course without any screen reader knowledge.

Do I need to do the courses in order?

No, if learning the internet is your priority, feel free to begin with Part 2. If you want to learn reading, writing and editing first, start with Part 1. We have designed both courses to be easy to grasp with no screen reader experience.

I see that there is a Student Edition and an Instructor Edition of the Basic Internet Navigation course. What is the difference between them?

The Student Edition teaches you how to use a screen reader. The Instructor Edition also teaches you how to use a screen reader, but also teaches you how to TEACH your learner to use a screen reader. It has everything the student edition has in addition to lesson plans, data sheets, instructor videos, practice activities and more.

Should I purchase the Student Edition for my learner or just the Instructor Edition?

The Student Edition is for “independent learners” or “differentiated learning”. If you are expecting a learner to log in to their own account, and watch videos on their own OR if you have a room full of students who will be watching different videos at the same time, then purchasing student editions for each student, might be a good idea. However, if you have one learner and you will be actively teaching them throughout the entire course, then you should be ok with just the instructor edition.

How much time will it take to complete Working with Text?

This is a hard one. It depends… Our advice: do not rush. There are seven large concepts that we teach in this course. Each of them takes time and effort to understand and retain. Although you could speed through the course in about 2 months, we recommend that you consider taking an entire academic year to teach this material and as always it depends on your learner.

Is the content and information provided within Working With Text transferable across multiple screen readers?

Absolutely! In fact, this course is designed for you to pick your screen reader. If you are using JAWS, NVDA or Chromevox, this course is for you! And because the key commands between each of those are so similar, once you learn the skills with one screen reader, chances are you will be able to switch over to another without any issues.

Do I need any prior screen reader experience in order to complete the Working With Text course?

Absolutely not! Working with Text comes with an optional “Prerequisite Skills” module that will teach you everything you need to know prior to beginning the content. 

Are there any external tools and/or software I need prior to starting the course?

A screen reader… That’s it! As long as you have JAWS, NVDA or Chromevox on your computer, you are good to go! Our courses are all online, so you can access them from any device with an internet connection: that includes, your computer, phone or tablet. No downloads necessary!

Are you purchasing for another person in your district or agency, or will you be paying via Purchase Order? Click the button below!

Part 2: Basic Internet Navigation

Get started with our three methods of internet navigation. . . 

Curriculum Part 2 logo: Basic Internet Navigation

METHOD 1:

Navigate by Clickable Object

We start our journey by learning how to navigate by clickable object. Many know the key command, but few know what it really does. 

METHOD 2:

Quick Keys

Now, let’s navigate by specific element type using Quick Keys! Navigate by heading, button, link, or edit field; perfect for skimming those unfamiliar websites!

METHOD 3:

Elements Lists

And finally we will learn the magic of elements lists.  Using the power of first letter navigation, you can employ elements lists find exactly what you are looking for on any website!

computer screens showing screenshots from the screen reader curriculum. The screenshots show how to move by clickable object with tab and shift tab.
computer screens show 2 screenshots from the screen reader curriculum demonstrating how to navigate by heading with quick keys.
computer screens show 2 screenshots from the screen reader curriculum demonstrating how to use elements lists and first letter navigation to navigate by link.
So, what are your questions? Click here to find your answers!
What does Basic Internet Navigation teach?

Basic Internet Navigation will teach you the three main methods of navigation that you can use on all html-based websites. The three methods are:

    1. Navigating by Clickable Object (Tab)
    2. Quick Keys
    3. Elements Lists

Learning these methods lays the groundwork to begin developing navigation sequences (or routes) for each website that you might encounter.

What is the difference between Working With Text and Basic Internet Navigation?

The topic; Working with Text covers skills related to reading, writing and editing. Those include reading commands, document navigation, cursor placement, deleting and backspacing, and formatting. Basic Internet Navigation teaches you our 3 methods to navigate the internet with a screen reader.

Do I need to complete Part 1 of the Screen Reader Curriculum in order to properly complete Part 2?

No, both courses come with a prerequisite skills module that will teach you everything you need to know to begin learning. That means that you can start either course without any screen reader knowledge.

Do I need to do the courses in order?

No, if learning the internet is your priority, feel free to begin with Part 2. If you want to learn reading, writing and editing first, start with Part 1. We have designed both courses to be easy to grasp with no screen reader experience.

I see that there is a Student Edition and an Instructor Edition of the Basic Internet Navigation course. What is the difference between them?

The Student Edition teaches you how to use a screen reader. The Instructor Edition also teaches you how to use a screen reader, but also teaches you how to TEACH your learner to use a screen reader. It has everything the student edition has in addition to lesson plans, data sheets, instructor videos, practice activities and more.

Should I purchase the Student Edition for my learner or just the Instructor Edition?

The Student Edition is for “independent learners” or “differentiated learning”. If you are expecting a learner to log in to their own account, and watch videos on their own OR if you have a room full of students who will be watching different videos at the same time, then purchasing student editions for each student, might be a good idea. However, if you have one learner and you will be actively teaching them throughout the entire course, then you should be ok with just the instructor edition.

How much time will it take to complete Basic Internet Navigation?

This is a hard one. It depends… Our advice: do not rush. There are seven large concepts that we teach in this course. Each of them takes time and effort to understand and retain. Although you could speed through the course in about 2 months, we recommend that you consider taking an entire academic year to teach this material and as always it depends on your learner.

Is the content and information provided within Basic Internet Navigation transferable across multiple screen readers?

Absolutely! In fact, this course is designed for you to pick your screen reader. If you are using JAWS, NVDA or Chromevox, this course is for you! And because the key commands between each of those are so similar, once you learn the skills with one screen reader, chances are you will be able to switch over to another without any issues.

Do I need any prior screen reader experience in order to complete the Basic Internet Navigation course?

Absolutely not! Basic Internet Navigation comes with an optional “Prerequisite Skills” module that will teach you everything you need to know prior to beginning the content. 

Are there any external tools and/or software I need prior to starting the course?

A screen reader… That’s it! As long as you have JAWS, NVDA or Chromevox on your computer, you are good to go! Our courses are all online, so you can access them from any device with an internet connection: that includes, your computer, phone or tablet. No downloads necessary!

Are you purchasing for another person in your district or agency, or will you be paying via Purchase Order? Click the button below!

Curriculum Part 2 logo: Basic Internet Navigation

Diving into Braille Displays

Get started with our three methods of internet navigation. . . 

How to choose a braille display?

We’ll start off by understanding whether or not we even need a braille display to begin with. After that’s figured out, we’ll learn everything you need to look for when searching for a braille display!

How to connect a braille display?

Get a step by step tutorial on exactly how to connect your braille display to you computer!

How to use a braille display?

Lastly, we’ll prepare you on how to use your braille display, from learning how to read documents and webpages, all the way to how to write and edit using your display!

Hand choosing between three options.
Braille display connecting to a computer.
Q teaching how to use a braille display to catch mistakes.

Have a Humanware braille display? You can qualify for a 30% discount by filling out this form! Simply click the button below, follow the instructions, and see if you qualify! If you are having trouble filling out the form, contact us at info@eyetvision.org.

So, what are your questions? Click here to find your answers!
What does Basic Internet Navigation teach?

Basic Internet Navigation will teach you the three main methods of navigation that you can use on all html-based websites. The three methods are:

    1. Navigating by Clickable Object (Tab)
    2. Quick Keys
    3. Elements Lists

Learning these methods lays the groundwork to begin developing navigation sequences (or routes) for each website that you might encounter.

What is the difference between Working With Text and Basic Internet Navigation?

The topic; Working with Text covers skills related to reading, writing and editing. Those include reading commands, document navigation, cursor placement, deleting and backspacing, and formatting. Basic Internet Navigation teaches you our 3 methods to navigate the internet with a screen reader.

Do I need to complete Part 1 of the Screen Reader Curriculum in order to properly complete Part 2?

No, both courses come with a prerequisite skills module that will teach you everything you need to know to begin learning. That means that you can start either course without any screen reader knowledge.

Do I need to do the courses in order?

No, if learning the internet is your priority, feel free to begin with Part 2. If you want to learn reading, writing and editing first, start with Part 1. We have designed both courses to be easy to grasp with no screen reader experience.

I see that there is a Student Edition and an Instructor Edition of the Basic Internet Navigation course. What is the difference between them?

The Student Edition teaches you how to use a screen reader. The Instructor Edition also teaches you how to use a screen reader, but also teaches you how to TEACH your learner to use a screen reader. It has everything the student edition has in addition to lesson plans, data sheets, instructor videos, practice activities and more.

Should I purchase the Student Edition for my learner or just the Instructor Edition?

The Student Edition is for “independent learners” or “differentiated learning”. If you are expecting a learner to log in to their own account, and watch videos on their own OR if you have a room full of students who will be watching different videos at the same time, then purchasing student editions for each student, might be a good idea. However, if you have one learner and you will be actively teaching them throughout the entire course, then you should be ok with just the instructor edition.

How much time will it take to complete Basic Internet Navigation?

This is a hard one. It depends… Our advice: do not rush. There are seven large concepts that we teach in this course. Each of them takes time and effort to understand and retain. Although you could speed through the course in about 2 months, we recommend that you consider taking an entire academic year to teach this material and as always it depends on your learner.

Is the content and information provided within Basic Internet Navigation transferable across multiple screen readers?

Absolutely! In fact, this course is designed for you to pick your screen reader. If you are using JAWS, NVDA or Chromevox, this course is for you! And because the key commands between each of those are so similar, once you learn the skills with one screen reader, chances are you will be able to switch over to another without any issues.

Do I need any prior screen reader experience in order to complete the Basic Internet Navigation course?

Absolutely not! Basic Internet Navigation comes with an optional “Prerequisite Skills” module that will teach you everything you need to know prior to beginning the content. 

Are there any external tools and/or software I need prior to starting the course?

A screen reader… That’s it! As long as you have JAWS, NVDA or Chromevox on your computer, you are good to go! Our courses are all online, so you can access them from any device with an internet connection: that includes, your computer, phone or tablet. No downloads necessary!

Are you purchasing for another person in your district or agency, or will you be paying via Purchase Order? Click the button below!

So, what’s included in the Screen Reader Curriculum? 

5+ Hours of Instructional Video

With quality animation and audio, our videos provide the explanation for you so you don’t have to! Each video is:

  • 5 minutes or less
  • Based on Evidence-Based Teaching strategies
  • Includes animations so sighted teachers can follow along
Meaningful Practice Activities

We know just watching videos does not help us learn. Your learner needs to PRACTICE.

Working with Text comes with a copy of the children’s book “Through the Magnifying Glass” by Frankie Ann Marcille and a companion Workbook, “Julia’s Journal”. Each module, your learner will read one chapter of Through the Magnifying Glass and complete the activities in Julia’s Journal.

Your learner will be excited to practice their skills by checking out what happens next!

Pretest and Post-Test

But how do you know if your learner improved? Well, we give a pretest and post-test to assess! Feel free to take the tests yourself and administer them to your learner. We promise, you’ll see a difference in those scores by the end!

Quizzes After Each Module

After each module, a quiz will tell you and your learner if they are ready to move on! Go slow, there is a lot of information, so these checks will help you decide if you should review or move on.

Data Sheets

But tests and quizzes are not enough! You need to know if your learner can actually DO the skills in this course. That’s why we also included self-calculating data sheets. These 2 data sheets will allow you to track your learner’s progress and show up at IEP meetings with graphed data that shows what your student is learning.

Don’t worry, we have videos that show you how to use them!

Lesson Plans

And what if you need to do an observation? No worries there, we have give you lesson plans for every module in the course, so that you can pull and tweak whatever you need!

Includes 1 Student Edition (subscription only)

And every subscription comes with 1 instructor license AND student license included so if your learner is 13 years or older, they can log in, watch videos and complete quizzes and tests at home. Note: The student edition is not needed when providing in-person instruction with one student at a time.

Q talking animation

Still Have Questions? – Ask Us!

Schedule a consultation to see if the Screen Reader Curriculum is right for your learner!

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