Google's Read Along app helps kids learn amid coronavirus school closures - CNET

Google is using its speech recognition tech to help kids read. Google on Thursday shared early access to its Read Along app for Android, which is designed to help kids 5 years and older learn to read. The app provides verbal and visual feedback as children read stories aloud. Read Along is one of several online platforms meant to keep students engaged and learning as schools remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Along features an in-app reading buddy named Diya, who uses Google's text-to-speech and speech recognition technologies to determine if a child who's reading is struggling.