--- title: "Make class materials accessible with plain language and read-aloud" description: "Turn a fictional field-trip notice into plain language, a read-aloud script and a reviewed translation plan for a newcomer family, with a checklist for the details that must survive." author: Power of AI date: 2026-10-15 url: https://powerofai.ca/playbooks/accessible-class-materials --- # Make class materials accessible with plain language and read-aloud Turn a fictional field-trip notice into plain language, a read-aloud script and a reviewed translation plan for a newcomer family, with a checklist for the details that must survive. Take the next useful step. Accessible materials let more students and families take part fully: a student who reads below grade level, a student who uses text-to-speech, a family that arrived in Canada last spring. Creating several versions used to take hours; AI makes it possible in minutes. The job that remains yours is checking that every version keeps the same important details and that nothing in the simpler text talks down to the reader. ## Start with the original and its essential details Use this fictional notice: “Grade 5 will attend the Riverside Nature Centre on Thursday, May 14. Buses depart at 9:00 a.m. and return by 2:30 p.m. The cost is $12; please contact the office in confidence if this presents a barrier. Students should bring a packed lunch, a water bottle and outdoor clothing suitable for the weather. Please return the signed consent form by May 8.” Underline the details that must survive every version: the date, both times, the cost, the confidential offer of help, what to bring and the form deadline. These become your checklist. A plain-language version that dropped the sentence about confidential help would fail the families who need it most. ## Ask for plain language and a read-aloud script Plain language is not childish language. Ask for short sentences, common words, one idea per sentence and a clear list of what to do. Ask for headings such as “When,” “What to bring” and “What to do by May 8.” Families scanning on a phone find these quickly. A read-aloud script is slightly different. It should sound natural when spoken, write out symbols such as “$” and “a.m.” that text-to-speech can announce awkwardly and repeat the most important deadline at the end. It helps students who use text-to-speech and families who prefer listening. ### A request you can adapt Rewrite this school notice in plain language for families: short sentences, common words and the headings “When,” “What to bring,” “Cost” and “What to do by May 8.” Then write a read-aloud script that sounds natural when spoken and repeats the deadline at the end. Keep every date, time and amount and the sentence about contacting the office in confidence. Do not add information. [Paste notice] ## Check an illustrative plain-language version An illustrative excerpt, written for this guide and not a live model response: “When: Thursday, May 14. The bus leaves at 9:00 in the morning. We come back by 2:30 in the afternoon. Cost: $12. If paying is hard, please call the office. We will keep it private. What to do by May 8: Sign the form and send it back.” Read it against your checklist. Everything is present, and the tone respects the reader. Look for the common problems: a dropped detail, a date that changed during rewriting, or a tone that slides into condescension, such as “Don’t forget!” repeated throughout. Fix them directly. If a version will be read by text-to-speech, listen to it once before sending. ## Translate carefully for newcomer families For a family whose first language is, for example, Arabic, Tagalog, Ukrainian or Punjabi, an AI translation of the plain-language version can help them follow routine school information. Translate the plain-language version rather than the original; simpler text tends to translate more clearly. Send the English alongside so the family can compare and ask questions. Check what you can: dates, numbers and times should appear unchanged. Where possible, ask a colleague, settlement worker or family liaison who reads the language to review it. For consent, safety, health, special education or anything legal, use your board’s interpretation and translation services. Never include student names or personal details in text you translate with an AI tool. ## Build a habit, not a one-off Keep the checklist approach for every notice: list the essential details, create the versions and check each against the list. After two or three notices, the process takes minutes. Ask families which version they use; their answers tell you what to keep producing. For a fresh exercise, adapt a fictional instruction sheet, such as the steps for a simple science experiment, into a plain-language version with numbered steps and a picture prompt for each. Check that the safety step is still in the right place. Accessibility means access to the same learning, not a lesser version of it. ## Take this into your next task List the details that must survive, create plain-language and read-aloud versions and check every version, especially translations, before families rely on it. [Build your learning roadmap](/for/teachers#roadmap). ## Questions people ask ### Is AI translation good enough for school communication? For routine information it can help, especially with the English alongside and a review where possible. For consent, safety, health, special education or legal matters, use your board’s professional interpretation or translation services. ### Does plain language lower expectations? No. It removes barriers to understanding the information. The content and expectations stay the same. ### What about French-language schools and families? The same process works in French. Follow your board’s language policies for official communication. ## Sources and editorial notes Reviewed 2026-10-15. Product capabilities depend on the app, plan, region and workspace settings. Workflows and prompts are authored teaching material, not recorded model results or measured time-saving claims. ## Keep going - [AI for Teachers: Plan, Differentiate and Give Better Feedback](/for/teachers) - [Teach honest AI use with a classroom AI-use policy](/playbooks/classroom-ai-use-policy) - [AI Mission Control: From Idea to Verified Result](/mission-control)