Reading a story you were sent

Open the link your tutor sent you. The story opens in your browser, on a phone, tablet, or computer. You don’t need an account to read it.

Read the story your tutor sent

1. Choose the link in your tutor’s email or message. The story opens with a line on top such as “Assigned story · Russian A1”: the story’s language and level.
2. Read the story. It opens the way your tutor set it up, with the help your tutor chose.
3. If the story fades out near the bottom, choose the round arrow button under it to show the whole story.
4. Choose any word to see what it means. See Look up a word below.

Guided, Assisted, and Solo set how much help you see.

Example

Sofia is learning Russian. Her tutor sends her “Антон в кафе”, a Russian A1 story. It opens in Guided, with an English translation under every line and the key words “кафе” and “кофе” underlined.

Change how much help you see (Layout)

The Layout buttons in the toolbar above the story set how much help is on the page. They’re three small icons with no text, in this order from left to right: Guided, Assisted, and Solo. Point to one, or tab to it, to see its name.

1. Choose Guided to see a translation under every line.
2. Choose Assisted to hide the line translations. When you choose a word, its meaning shows with the translation of the whole sentence.
3. Choose Solo for the plain story, with no translations. In Solo, words can’t be looked up; switch back to Guided or Assisted to look one up.

This isn’t a test, and nothing is locked. Change the Layout as often as you like. Your choice lasts while you read. The next time you open the link, the story starts your tutor’s way again.

Look up a word in the story

1. Choose any word in the story (in Guided or Assisted).
2. A small box shows what the word means in this sentence, in the language your tutor chose for your translations.
3. Choose another word, or close the box with its ×.

Look up any word you need. If your tutor chose key words for you to practice, they may be underlined in the story.

Listen to the story

1. Choose the play button in the toolbar (Play story audio).
2. To slow the voice down, choose the speed button next to it. It shows the current speed, 1.0× to start.

If the play button is gray, audio isn’t on for this story. Your tutor decides that.

Print the story

1. Choose Export in the toolbar (the download arrow), then Print. On a phone or tablet the item reads Print or save as PDF.
2. Your browser’s print dialog opens with the worksheet version of the story, with name and date lines. Choose your printer there, or “Save as PDF”. On an iPhone, the print preview has a share button: use it, then Save to Files.

Printing works on your tutor’s link without an account or a plan of your own. Other export formats, such as an EPUB, are part of a Stichos plan, and they apply to your own copy of the story after you save it.

If there’s a notice about your tutor at the top

Some links are made just for you or your class. On those, a notice sits above the story, with Continue and Don’t share buttons, and the story shows once you choose: “Your tutor will see when you open this story, how long you read, whether you finish it, and which words you look up. If you choose Don’t share, they will see only that you opened the link and chose not to share.” A link without that notice reports nothing to your tutor. What your tutor sees explains it all.

Keep the story and your words

You can keep the story, and the words you look up, in your own Library and Word Bank. This needs a free Stichos account, which you can create right from the story. Your tutor won’t see your Library or your Word Bank. Saving words from a link shows how.

The page says “This link isn’t available.” What now?

If the story link shows “This link isn’t available. It may have been turned off or deleted. Ask your tutor for a new one.”, your tutor has turned the link off or deleted it. Ask your tutor for a new link.

Why are the buttons in my own language?

When you’re not signed in, the page uses the language of the story’s translations, the one your tutor chose for you. If you sign in, it uses your own account’s language.

Need help?

• About the story or your homework: ask your tutor.
• About Stichos itself: choose the ? icon at the top of the story page (Help for students) to come back here, or email info@stichos.com. With a free account you can also use Help in the account menu.

Related: Do I need an account? · What your tutor sees · Saving words from a link · Layout: Guided, Assisted, Solo