Helperbird Academy

Learn to open Helperbird and try its reading and writing tools. No experience needed.

How the course works

Your learning

Ready

I’m learning…

For myself To support learners

You can change this anytime.

0 of 13 steps complete

Begin with: Meet your Helperbird →

How the course works

Try it. Notice what helps. Keep going.

Some activities tick themselves off when this site detects Helperbird’s changes. For others, you confirm that you tried them. Your certificate records the difference.

Your course answers and progress are saved in this browser on this device. Come back here to continue. Clearing site data removes them. Videos open a YouTube player when you choose to play them.

Use a computer for the hands-on activities. On another device, you can still watch the videos and read the guides.

Detected / Already on: The site found the feature running. “Already on” means it was running before you started.
Witnessed: The site saw a result, such as text appearing, but cannot confirm how you made it.
Self-reported: You confirmed that you tried the activity.
Observed: You followed a demonstration or guide instead. This earns half the points.

Level 1 · Reading foundations

At your own pace

Start with the free features. Try one activity at a time, then tell us what worked for you.

Activity 1

Meet your Helperbird

Helperbird is an extension: a small tool you add to your web browser. Let’s install it and open its menu.

Choose your browser below and add Helperbird from its extension store. Already installed? Go to step 2.
Install for your browser · opens a new tab
Chrome Edge Firefox
Choose Add to Chrome, Get, or Add to Firefox, then confirm your browser’s prompt. If your school manages extensions, ask your IT team to install Helperbird.
Return to this Academy tab. Open your browser’s Extensions menu (the puzzle piece) and choose Helperbird. You can pin the owl there to find it again.
In the Helperbird menu, turn on the switch in the top right. It shows a tick when on.
Click back on this page, then choose “Check my activity” below.

What to look forThe Helperbird menu opens when you click the owl. On Firefox, it opens in a sidebar.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Helperbird menu: the on switch is in the top right and All Features is at the bottom. — **Owl → All Features → choose a tool.**
Open All Features at the bottom to find the tools in this course. This example shows Pro; your free menu has All Features too.

Activity 2

Find a font you like

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Try two ways to make a page easier to read.

Where to find itAll Features → Text settings

Click the owl, expand All Features, then open Text settings.
Turn on Font and choose OpenDyslexic or one of the Lexend fonts.
In the same panel, turn on Letter spacing and move its slider a little.
Click back on this page and read the practice paragraph. Which spacing feels comfortable?

What to look forThe letters look different and have more or less space between them.

Want to switch it back?

In Text settings, switch Font and Letter spacing off to return to the page’s original text.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Your practice paragraph

A small garden can be full of discoveries. Bees visit the flowers while birds look for seeds. Each plant grows at its own pace. Finding the right conditions helps each one grow.

Activity 3

Find your reading focus

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Try a gentle tint and a guide for your eyes.

Where to find itAll Features → Color overlay / Dyslexia support

Click the owl and expand All Features. Open Color overlay, turn on Overlay, and choose a color.
Go back to All Features and open Dyslexia support. Turn on Focus ruler (also called Line Focus).
Click back on this page. Move your pointer over the practice paragraph to guide your reading.

What to look forA tint covers the page, with a clear strip that follows your pointer.

Want to switch it back?

Switch Overlay off in Color overlay, and Focus ruler off in Dyslexia support.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Your practice paragraph

A small garden can be full of discoveries. Bees visit the flowers while birds look for seeds. Each plant grows at its own pace. Finding the right conditions helps each one grow.

Activity 4

Make room to read

See what happens when you hide pictures and keep the words.

Where to find itAll Features → Hide images & GIFs

Look at the owl in this activity’s practice area.
Click the Helperbird owl in your browser, expand All Features, and switch on Hide images & GIFs.
Click back on this page. Look for the practice owl, then choose “Check my activity”.

What to look forThe owl and other pictures disappear, while the text stays on the page.

Want to switch it back?

Switch Hide images & GIFs off again so the pictures and video previews return.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Your practice paragraph

A small garden can be full of discoveries. Bees visit the flowers while birds look for seeds. Each plant grows at its own pace. Finding the right conditions helps each one grow.

Activity 5

Find a helping hand

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Get to know the guides and videos you can return to.

Open the Getting started guide below. It opens in a new tab, so you can keep your place here.
Return to this Academy tab and press play on the video. Pause, replay, or keep watching at your pace.

What to look forYou now know where to find a guide or video when you need another look.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Getting started

Activity 6

Listen to a paragraph

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Hear the words as you read along.

Where to find itAll Features → Text to Speech

Click and drag over the practice paragraph to select its words.
Click the Helperbird owl, expand All Features, and open Text to Speech. Press the play button to hear your selected words.
Press pause or stop when you’re finished. Click back on this page and write one thing you noticed below.
Choose “I tried it”. A short answer such as “The voice was clear” is fine.

What to look forYou hear the selected paragraph spoken aloud.

Can’t hear it?

No sound? Check your device volume and that this browser tab is not muted. You can also paste the paragraph into the Text to Speech box and press play.

How this activity is checked

This page cannot hear the audio. Choose “I tried it” to record this as self-reported.

What did you notice about the voice?

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Your practice paragraph

A small garden can be full of discoveries. Bees visit the flowers while birds look for seeds. Each plant grows at its own pace. Finding the right conditions helps each one grow.

Pause & reflect

What worked for you?

A short answer to each question is enough. Your answers save as you type and finish this level’s reflection.

Which tool made reading feel more comfortable?

Which tool would you share with someone, and why?

What would you like Helperbird to do differently?

Level 2 · More ways to learn

At your own pace

Explore Pro tools for reading and writing. You can try them yourself or follow along with a guide.

Activity 1

Keep a useful thought

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Save the parts you want to come back to.

Where to find itAll Features → Highlight Menu / Sticky note

Click the owl, expand All Features, and turn on Highlight Menu.
Click back on this page. Drag over one practice sentence, choose Highlighter in the menu that appears, then pick a color. Repeat with a second sentence.
Open the owl and All Features again. Press the plus (+) beside Sticky note.
Click in the new note on this page and write a reminder, such as “Read this again”.

What to look forTwo separate sentences have colored highlights, and your note appears on the page.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Your practice paragraph

A small garden can be full of discoveries. Bees visit the flowers while birds look for seeds. Each plant grows at its own pace. Finding the right conditions helps each one grow.

Activity 2

Find the main idea

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Try a shorter version of a longer piece of writing.

Where to find itHelperbird → Summarize

Select and copy the practice paragraph in this activity (Ctrl+C on Windows or Chromebook; Command+C on Mac).
Click the Helperbird owl and open Summarize. Paste the paragraph into its text box (Ctrl+V or Command+V), then press Summarize.
Read the result and compare it with the original. Did it keep the main idea?
Click back on this page. Enter the first line of the summary below and choose “I tried it”.

What to look forHelperbird shows a shorter version with the main points.

How this activity is checked

The summary opens inside Helperbird, where this page cannot see it. Your confirmation is recorded as self-reported.

First line of your summary

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Summarize

Your practice paragraph

A small garden can be full of discoveries. Bees visit the flowers while birds look for seeds. Each plant grows at its own pace. Finding the right conditions helps each one grow. A group of neighbors planted this garden in an empty corner of their street. They take turns watering it and leave a shallow bowl of water for birds. In summer, they share herbs and vegetables. The garden gives them a place to meet, learn from each other, and enjoy being outside.

Activity 3

Give your writing a nudge

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Explore suggestions while you type.

Where to find itAll Features → Word prediction

Click the owl, expand All Features, and open Word prediction. Turn its switch on.
Click the practice box in this activity and slowly type “Today I would like to”.
Look at the suggested words. Click one you want to use, or keep typing your own.

What to look forWord suggestions appear near your writing.

Want to switch it back?

Open Word prediction again and switch it off whenever you want to write without suggestions.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Try typing here

Just a practice space. This text isn’t saved with your course answers.

Activity 4

Try speaking your words

Watch it in action

Pause or replay whenever you like.

Give typing a little break.

Where to find itAll Features → Voice Typing

Click the owl, expand All Features, and open Voice Typing. Choose the language you’ll speak.
Press the microphone button. If your browser asks, allow microphone access for this tool. Say “Today I am trying something new”.
Press the microphone again to stop. Use Copy, then click back here and paste your words into the practice box (Ctrl+V or Command+V).
Check that the words say what you meant, then choose “I tried it”.

What to look forYour spoken words appear as text. You can correct any words it misheard.

How this activity is checked

The page can notice text arriving, but cannot tell dictation from pasted text. That is recorded as Witnessed; “I tried it” is Self-reported.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Paste your spoken words here

Just a practice space. This text isn’t saved with your course answers.

Activity 5

Read a Slides deck your way

Try an experimental tool that turns a view-only Slides deck into a page you can read.

Click the Helperbird owl, open Options, choose Settings, and scroll to Beta features.
Turn on “Make Google Slides readable”.
Open a Google Slides link you can view but cannot edit, then follow the Readable Google Slides guide below.
Return here and choose “I tried it”. No deck handy? Read the guide and choose “I followed along instead”.

What to look forThe view-only deck opens as a readable page. Editable decks are not supported by this tool.

Want to switch it back?

Turn “Make Google Slides readable” off in Beta features when you no longer want this view.

How this activity is checked

This happens in Helperbird’s settings and Google Slides. Your confirmation is recorded as self-reported.

Need a hand? Guides open in a new tab.

Bring a Slides deck

Choose a view-only link.

Use a deck you can view but cannot edit. Follow the Readable Google Slides guide alongside it.

Pause & reflect

What worked for you?

A short answer to each question is enough. Your answers save as you type and finish this level’s reflection.

Which tool would you use again, and why?

What surprised you while trying these tools?

About your points and milestones

Your points

XP are points for trying activities. Complete a level’s activities and reflection to earn its certificate.

0 of 1200 XP

The four standards and the XP each one needs.
Standard	XP
Foundation	0–399
Proficient	400–799
Advanced	800–999
Expert	1000–1200

Optional · for your certificate

Make it yours

Your name

School

These details stay in this browser and appear on your certificate. You can leave them blank and write them in after printing.

Your progress, your pace

Your course details and progress are saved in this browser on this device. Pause whenever you like. Clearing this browser’s site data removes them; we do not have a backup.

The challenges in this course were designed by Elisa Wern, Lead Occupational Therapist and AT Specialist, RESNA-certified, Alachua County Public Schools.

Helperbird Academy

Your learning

Try it. Notice what helps. Keep going.

Level 1 · Reading foundations

Meet your Helperbird

Find a font you like

Find your reading focus

Make room to read

Find a helping hand

Listen to a paragraph

What worked for you?

Level 2 · More ways to learn

Keep a useful thought

Find the main idea

Give your writing a nudge

Try speaking your words

Read a Slides deck your way

What worked for you?

Your points

Make it yours

Your certificate

Helperbird Certified

Awarded to

What was done

Standard reached

Your progress, your pace