Text To Speech

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Text To Speech

• Presented by Lorinda Tait

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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

• Use scanning software
• Learning about sources for electronic books
• Learning about sources for products.
• Post test

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30 years of research

• National Institute of Child Health and Human
  Development centers - students who have not
  obtained reading skills by second grade are
  likely to remain poor readers later in school.

• Approximately 20 of children have difficulty
  acquiring reading skills, particularly awareness
  of sound symbol relationships.

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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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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, teachers
notes
Assistive technology is a continuum covering
no/low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech tools,
strategies, and services that match a persons
needs, abilities, and tasks.
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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
Universal Text Reader Toolbar present
on desktop to start-stop reading Can read in
any application browser, word processor,
email i.e. Text Assist, ReadWrite
Word Processor with text to speech Capabilities
Self-contained word processor Reads typed text,
or text copied pasted From clipboard i.e.
WriteOutloud, Intellitalk
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.ScanRead,
ReadWriteGold,, 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
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• 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 correlated to printed words.
  Highlights words as spoken. Speaks for feedback
  on writing.
• Students words are added to the dictionary

• Talking dictionary and talking spell checker so
  students can hear the sound of the words they
  choose.
• Increase sight word recognition by hearing words
  and sentences as written.

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Word Processors

• 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.

• WriteOutloud (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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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.

• 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.

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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

• The automatic detector automates process of
  recognizing words.
• These work simultaneously.
• The more the auto detector is activated the
  better it functions.

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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, Text Cloner,
• Text Help Read Write

• Portable reader Roadrunner

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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/r
  eader/download.asp
• www.ldresources.com/etext
• www.netlibrary,com
• www.gutenberg.net
• Get a subscription http//bookshare.org/web/Welco
  me.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

• Slater Software, Inc
• 351 Badger Lane
• Guffey, CO 80820
• 877-306-6968 www.slatersoftware.com
  

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Companies

• Inspiration Software. Inc
• 7412 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway
• Portland, OR 97225-2167
• 503-297-3004
• www.Inspiration.com

• Technology For Education, Inc.
• 7328 Braden Trail
• Inver Grove Hts., MN
• 55076
• 800-370-0047 www.tfeinc.com

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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