Google is bringing silent reading mode to Read Along in Google Classroom

Last June, Google Classroom got a Read Along feature that gave students a chance to read stories out loud with the help of a virtual reading buddy.

Now, Google is adding something quieter: silent reading mode. The new update lets students read assigned books in peace without talking out loud, which honestly sounds like a relief in classrooms where five kids mumbling through the same page can quickly spiral into chaos. Before this, the only option was to read aloud.

Unlike the default reading mode, silent reading mode will allow students to read a book silently without having to draw attention to themselves or disturb their classmates.

In this new mode, teachers won’t get data about how fast a student reads or how many words they got wrong. Instead, the focus shifts entirely to comprehension. According to Google:

With less noise and fewer distractions, students can still build independent reading skills and will continue to:

• Receive assistance from the AI reading buddy when needed by clicking on any unknown words
• Be presented with questions to help with their reading comprehension
• Receive stars when they read with few errors or assistance and answer questions correctly

The feature’s already rolling out for Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning add-on. Existing schools that signed up for Workspace before July 7, 2024, will need to enable it manually from the Admin console. It’s available as part of the standard Workspace for Education Terms of Service, so there’s no extra licensing involved.

For schools that came on board after that July cutoff, Read Along is already turned on by default, so there’s nothing to set up. Either way, admins can head to the Help Center for a walkthrough on turning it on or off.