Transcript Text Readers - Home MITS - Technology assistance for

Text To Speech
Presented by Lorinda Tait
Lorinda Tait
GOALS: To Improve

understanding of assistive technology.
 knowledge of various text to speech tools.
 ability to navigate through various
programs.
 knowledge of resources for implementation
of text to speech.
 knowledge of web sources for digital text
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Agenda

Pretest
 Assistive Technology
 Types of Text Readers
 Word Processing Software
 Research rationale for
tools
 Use word processing
software
 Use text reader software
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
Use scanning software
 Learning about
sources for electronic
books
 Learning about
sources for products.
 Post test
30 years of research

National Institute of
 Approximately 20% of
Child Health and
children have
Human Development
difficulty acquiring
centers - students who
reading skills,
have not obtained
particularly awareness
reading skills by
of sound symbol
second grade are likely
relationships.
to remain poor readers
later in school.
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Definition of Assistive Technology (AT)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) defines assistive technology
devices as “any piece of equipment, or
product system, whether acquired
commercially off the shelf, modified, or
customized, that is used to increase,
maintain, or improve functional
capabilities of children with disabilities.”
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Assistive technology is a continuum covering
no/low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech tools,
strategies, and services that match a person’s needs,
abilities, and tasks.
Examples - No/low tech tools –
pencil grip, slantboard, highlighter pen or tape, forearm support for
work station, large print books, books with page separators, wrist
rest, eye gaze communication system, communication picture board,
color coded planners, “smart charts”, carbonless notebooks for note
taking, teacher’s notes
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Mid-tech tools
calculators, talking calculators, tape recorders (analog and
digital), Franklin Homework Wiz, Franklin Language Master,
personal digital assistants, switches to use with communication
devices or computers
High-tech tools
portable & software word processors, computers, software
such as text readers, screen readers, organizational and
authorable software, voice recognition systems, input devices
for cursor control, alternative keyboards, and augmentative
communication hardware and software, cause and effect
software.
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Why Use Technology?
…to accomplish tasks that would be
difficult or impossible to
accomplish without assistance
in the available time
with the available resources…
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4 Categories of Text Readers
Word Processor
with text to speech
Capabilities
Self-contained word
processor
Universal Text
Reader
Toolbar present on
desktop to start-stop
reading
Reads typed text, or
text copied & pasted
From clipboard
Can read in any
application: browser,
word processor, email
i.e. Write:Outloud, Intellitalk
i.e. Text Assist, Read&Write
Scan and Read System
Interfaces OCR, scanner,
and text to speech with
word processor
May or may not include
Graphics, or link
directly to Internet
i.e.Scan&Read, Read&WriteGold,,
Kurzweil 3000
Portable Text Reader
Uses converted text to speech files in MP3 player
Uses portable tape recorder (Books on Tape)
i.e. Text Aloud w MP3 player, books on tape
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Selecting Text Readers
•The features vary a great deal, so prioritize the features that would benefit your
students the most. A MUST: adjustable reading rate and different voices!
•The decision depends on the number of students, the age of the students, and
what reading tasks and objectives are to be addressed with a text reader.
i.e. For independent reading of textbooks, help with writing, or studying
• Do you want the student to read back his/her writing to proof read assignments,
or read chapters in textbooks with text and graphics or both?
•Is reading information on the Internet of importance to your students? Do they
want to use it for email?
•Does the program have to be easy to operate?
•Does the reading voice have to articulate words well?
•What is your budget? $20 or $2000?
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Word Processors
Oral words are
 Talking dictionary and
correlated to printed
talking spell checker
words. Highlights
so students can hear
words as spoken.
the sound of the words
Speaks for feedback
they choose.
on writing.
 Increase sight word
 Students’ words are
recognition by hearing
added to the dictionary
words and sentences
as written.

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Word Processors

Write:Outloud ($99.95)–
Constant auditory
feedback. Allows use of
colors. For example it has
been shown that many
ADHD find green text on
purple highly stimulating,
can see spaces between
words better, can edit
better. Homonyms in the
dictionary.
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
Intellitalk II ($139) It is a
word processor, however
it makes templates – to
create a worksheet. It will
read the question to them.
Go to palette, speech
balloon – word bank
palette. Spell checker
with large fonts. Gives
students access to the
curriculum and locked
worksheets.
Word Processors

Type & Talk v4 from Text Help. ($169)
Multi platform – Mac and PC. Speech, word
prediction, speaking spell checker,
homophone support, dictionary, word
wizard. Target age 7 to 11.
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Target population for
Electronic Text Readers

Developing spelling skills need support
 Can spell phonetically, but who cannot
spell accurately
 Who need rate enhancement
 This can make reading and writing less
stressful and less tiring
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Text to Speech

Helps students to become independent

Reinforces letter and word recognition
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Text to Speech

Screen readers-Software that works with a
speech synthesizer to provide verbalization
for everything on the screen in any software
application - including menus, text,
graphics, and punctuation.
www.ReadPlease.com (Free).
www.Wemedia.com (Free)
Microsoft website: ereader (Free)
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Why text to speech?


Used for students who
need to have auditory
feedback for what they
type or read.
Students can have ability
to hear the letter, the word,
sentence and paragraph as
it is typed, as a double
check.
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Can change text or
background color
preferences to help them
discriminate and separate
words.
 Instead of purely text
menus, buttons with
symbols or auditory cues
used.
 Can be used with
directions or instructions
to see if visual/auditory
feedback help
comprehension.

How the brain reads

Left hemisphere phoneme producer
helps vocalize words.
The word analyzer
pulls words apart into
syllables and
phonemes and letters
which are linked to
sounds
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
The automatic detector
automates process of
recognizing words.
 These work
simultaneously.
 The more the auto
detector is activated
the better it functions.
Dyslexia

Neurological glitch prevents them from
easily gaining access to both the word
analyzer and automatic detector.
Compensation strategies - lean on phoneme
producer and use right side of brain to get
visual clues from accompanying pictures.
 www.interdys.org website for the
international dyslexia association
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Does the student need
graphics?

Picture It - software program that puts
pictures with words and auditory feedback.
 Pix Writer- software program that allows
the student to write with pictures and
auditory feedback.
 Sound to Symbols
 Clicker 4
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Text Readers
 Doc
Reader,
 Portable reader
Text Cloner,
Roadrunner
 Text Help: Read
& Write
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Text Reader Programs
Text Assist www.textassist.com
Screen Reader
www.texthelp.com
Text Aloud $20 (35 copies under $500):
www.nextup.com,
Ultimate Reader/E-Reader. CASTeReader
$199.95 www.cast.org .
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Digitized Books On Line




http://ulc.cast.org
Talking Books on line
http://www.starfall.com (sound
out the words with visual
reinforcement)
MP3 Files for younger students
(Sleeping Beauty, Snow White,
Rapunzel):
www.candlelightstores.com
http://www.netlibrary.com/
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More Books
Library of Michigan http://www.mel.org
 Amazon.com website $4.00 some less some more.
 Microsoft Reader (free)
http://www.Microsoft,com/reader/download.asp
 www.ldresources.com/etext
 www.netlibrary,com
 www.gutenberg.net
 Get a subscription:
http://bookshare.org/web/Welcome.html
 KidBook – create electronic talking books (free)
http://www.switchintime.com

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Modeled Reading

Hear stories read aloud by a professional
narrator with electronic books. Students
gain background knowledge before reading
the story independently.
 Start-to-Finish Books
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Commercial Electronic Books

UKanDu Little Books (Don Johnston
Incorporated)
 Living Books (Random House/
Broderbund)
 Wiggle Works (Scholastic)
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When it may not be helpful

Technology does not help all poor
readers.
 Problems integrating the auditory and
visual information
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Companies


Don Johnston
26799 W. Commerce Dr.,
Volo, IL 60073
800-999-4660
www.donjohnston.com
Mayer-Johnson, Inc
P.O. Box 1579
Solana Beach, CA
92075-7579
800-588-4548
www.mayer-johnson.com
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
Slater Software, Inc
351 Badger Lane
Guffey, CO 80820
877-306-6968
www.slatersoftware.com
Companies

Inspiration Software. Inc
7412 SW Beaverton
Hillsdale Highway
Portland, OR 97225-2167
503-297-3004
www.Inspiration.com
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
Technology For
Education, Inc.
7328 Braden Trail
Inver Grove Hts., MN
55076
800-370-0047
www.tfeinc.com
Companies

Intellitools,Inc., 55 Leveroni Court, suite 9,
Novato, CA 94949 ph. 800-899-6687
www.intellitools.com
 Premier Programming Solutions, P.O. Box
359, DeWitt, Mi. 48820 ph. 517-668-8188
www.premier-programming.com
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Last but not Least
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