Text-to-Speech and Word Prediction:

Technology Supports for Struggling

Readers and Writers

Hindie Becker DershowitzTricia Peters

Resources

• Comments/suggestions: http://todaysmeet.com/texttospeech

• LiveBinder of Resources– http://

www.livebinders.com/play/play/611449 • Learnist Board of Resources

– http://learni.st/users/5997/boards/6646-text-to-speech-and-word-prediction-technology-supports-for-struggling-readers-and-writers

Considerations

• Students

• Teachers• Administrators• Parents• Paras

• Reasons against using Text To Speech

Considerations

• Students

• Teachers• Administrators• Parents• Paras

• Reasons for using Text To Speech

Considerations

• Students

• Teachers• Administrators• Parents• Paras

• Reasons against using Word Prediction

Considerations

• Students

• Teachers• Administrators• Parents• Paras

• Reasons for using Word Prediction

Consideration Tools for Reading

• Protocol for Accommodations in Reading– Oral Reading– Adult Reading– Text Reader

• Computer• Mobile device

– Likert Scale• http://www.donjohnston.com/products/

par/index.html

Written Productivity Profile • Handwriting and Keyboarding Comparisons• Alphabet• Copy sentence or passage• Writing Prompt

– picture,– Jar Journal– Discussions

• Dictated Sentence• Word Prediction

• http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/hiat/resources/wpp.shtm

ARD Paperwork

• IEP Goals/objectives

• Accommodations

• STARR testing

Print Disability

• Print Disability– Chafee Amendment

• Accessible Instructional Materials– IDEA

• National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials– AIM Explorer

• http://aim.cast.org/experience/decision-making_tools/aim_explorer

– AIM Navigator• http://aim.cast.org/experience/decision-making

_tools/aim_navigator

Features

WYNN Kurzweil Snap & Read Read Write Gold

WYNN

• WYNN Tip Sheets– http://

www.freedomscientific.com/lsg/products/wynn_tipsheets.asp

• Pearl Document Camera

Features

• OCR Tools• Text to Speech Tools• Dictionary Tools• Research Tools• Word Prediction• Tools to read websites• Tools to read PDF documents• Test taking/writing tools • Ability to save audio file

Read & Write

• Works within Word/PDF environment • Various Toolbars

– Reading– Writing– Studying– Research

Read Write

• Read & Write Gold Tutorials • http

://www.texthelp.com/north-america/our-products/readwrite/educator-resources/documentation/

• Loudon County Public School • http

://www.lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/116/reference%20cards/RWGtaskcards10.pdf

Kurzweil

• Kurzweil Files– Opens and reads Word and PDF Files

• Customize Toolbars– Main Toolbar– Reading Toolbar– Study Skills Toolbar– Writing Toolbar

Kurzweil

• Toolbars

Snap N Read

• Windows or Mac• USB Flashdrive• Floats over applications• Docs• PDF• Websites• http://

www.donjohnston.com/products/snap-read/index.html

Snap & Read

• Click and drag over text• Speaker • Click on triangle to open settings

• You can adjust speech, highlightingcolors and background transparency

CoWriter

• Word Prediction• Click on arrow to flip to tools• Topic Dictionaries

– Display words from Dictionary

• Create Custom Dictionaries

Adobe PDF

• Someone needs to have Adobe Pro – Enable editing– Save and share file

• Enable editing in Adobe Pro– http://

natri.uky.edu/assoc_projects/qiat/documents/resourcebank/V-2CreateinteractiveFormsAdobeProfessional.pdf

• Students can use form on any computer

Read&Write for Google Docs

• Free in Chrome Webstore

• https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/read%26write-for-google-doc/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajkcphgd

FireFox Extenstions

• Talking Clipboard– http://talkingclipboard.com/

• Accessibar– https

://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/accessibar/?src=search

Safari

• Handout from www.billziegler.com• Set the computer up to read text    

–  System Preferences: Speech:Text to Speech- Select your System Voice & Rate. 

• You can re-set the HOT key that triggers the speech

• De-clutter text on Safari web pages• Use Cover Flow and Top Sites to allow

struggling readers to locate folders, documents and Internet sites

Free Text to Speech Tools

• Edu Apps, My Study Bar– http://eduapps.org/?page_id=7#

• AT Bar– http://www.atbar.org/

• Balabolka – http://balabolka.en.softonic.com/

• Natural Reader– http://

www.naturalreaders.com/download.php

iPad Accessibility

• Speech with highlighting • https://

docs.google.com/file/d/0B5KeW-3vYr1XQ3VSa19xSC1ZQjQ/edit

• Guided Access • https://

docs.google.com/file/d/0B5KeW-3vYr1Xbi05ZWRKOGt2aTA/edit

• Voice Over

Word Prediction Apps

• Predictable• Brevity

– Copy Text– Email Text– Voice OVer

Accessible Apps

• iWordQ– Word prediciton – Text To Speech– http://www.goqsoftware.com/en/writing-pr

oducts/iwordq/

• Verbally– Reads Text– http://www.voicedream.com/

Apps

• WebReader• iBooks• Read Me Stories• Evernote•  

Accessible Apps

• Say Text– Take a picture of text and OCR– Works with Voice Over– http://www.docscannerapp.com/saytext/