TEXT-TO-SPEECH

1
TEXT-TO-SPEECH

• INTRODUCTION

2
What is text-to-speech?

• Text-to-speech (TTS) is a process where digital
  text is converted in to spoken words.
• Talking text

3
What are the benefits of text-to-speech?

• Provides an alternative to print only formats
• Provides a means for a student to gain meaningful
  information when they struggle with reading.
• Provides auditory feedback on what a student
  types so they can make revisions.

4
Who might benefit from text-to-speech?

• Students with a reading, learning, and/or
  attention disorder, or who struggle with
  reading
• Students who speak English as a second language
• Students who are blind or with low vision
• Students with certain mobility problems

5
Making decisions on student use of TTS

• Consider the students abilities and areas of
  need.
• Consider the environments where the needs occur.
• Consider the tasks that the student needs to
  complete.
• Match the needs with features of TTS options

6
Features

• Speaking the Text
• Continuous reading
• Click to start, click to stop
• Incremental reading
• word, sentence, paragraph
• Highlighted text as read
• Voices
• Single option or choices
• Reading Speed

7
Features

• Appearance of Text
• Background color/ text color
• Font size, type, color
• Highlighting
• Speaking menus, buttons, tools

8
Features

• Other supports
• Internet reading
• Note-taking
• Word prediction
• Tools Spell check, talking dictionary, homonym
  checker
• Customize pronunciation

9
Discover Products by Features

• TechMatrix 2.0
• A web tool for locating assistive technology
  products based on features.
• Generate a list of products with text-to-speech
  features.
• http//www.techmatrix.org/index.aspx

10
Scan and Read Programs
abcd efg
Created by Cindi Parsly
11
Scan and Read Products (Examples)

• Read Write GOLD (WN/Mac)
• Kurzweil 3000 (WN/Mac)
• WYNN (WN)

12
(No Transcript)
13
Other Text-to-Speech programs (Examples)

• Read Please (WN)
• Reads any text you see on your screen
• Word Talk (WN)
• Includes highlighting and talking spell checker.
• Text-to-Speech Mac
• Built in features of OS system

14
Explore text-to-speech for your students
15
The EndTEXT-TO-SPEECH IntroductionOCALI/Ohio
AT Network, 200
16
Ohio AT Network

• Scope of Work To support the use of technology
  at each tier of support that will maximize
  accessibility to academic content standards to
  enhance learning.

• The statewide collaborative network provides
  consistent and comprehensive professional
  development, technical assistance and product
  development/dissemination related to the use of
  technology/assistive technology.
• Build and sustain capacity to make data-driven
  decisions regarding the use of technology/assistiv
  e technology to maximize learning for all
  students.

Technology to maximize individual learning
technology to improve student performance
Academic success for all students