Text-to-Speech and Word Prediction:

Technology Supports for Struggling

Readers and WritersHindie Becker Dershowitz

Tricia Peters1/24/2-12

Reasons for Not using Text To Speech

Reasons for Not using Word Prediction

Justification

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

Support

• Online support– http://atcollective.com

• Remedial Teachers• Special Education Teachers• Educational Diagnostician• IRI: Informal reading Inventory

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

Spelling Issues

• STAAR and STAAR Modified Reading (English I, English II, and English III*)

• STAAR, STAAR Spanish, and STAAR Modified Writing (grades 4 and 7, English I, English II, and English III*)

• Spelling Assistance may be used on written compositions.

STARR Accommodations

Check with your campus administrator

Spelling Accommodations

• spell check function on a word processor

• word-prediction software• text-to-speech software or devices

(i.e., software or devices that read aloud student-generated text)

• speech-to-text software (i.e., software that converts the student’s spoken language into print)

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

AIM

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPIMlOJJkc#

Resources• Life Binder

– http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/611449• Learnist Boards

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

• Pinterest– http://pinterest.com/hindie/text-to-speech-resourc

es/

• SlideShare

Features to consider

• Works within own program• Works as addition to Word and/or PDF• Reads locked PDFs• Reads the internet• Works with BookShare books • Types of word prediction• Types of Dictionaries • BYOT options

Features

WYNN Kurzweil Snap & Read Read Write Gold

WYNN

• WYNN Tip Sheets– http://

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

• Pearl Document Camera

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 Versions– Professional– Learn – FireFly

• How To Videos – http://

www.kurzweiledu.com/how-to-videos.html – http://

www.youtube.com/user/CambiumTech

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

• Select View Menu > Tools > Forms• Create

Adobe PDF

• Enable editing in Adobe Pro– http://

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

– http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/acrobat/pdf/acrobat-xi-accessible-forms.pdf

• Students can use form on any computer

Idevices PDF options

• Prizmo - Scanning, OCR, and Speech• Good Reader• Take Picture to Speak • Remarks• Type on PDF• iWorksheet• PDF Expert

Read&Write for Google Docs

• Free in Chrome Webstore

• Google Docs • ttps

://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• Modified keyboards

– Panther Writer– iSwipe– Fleksy

Accessible Apps

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

oducts/iwordq/

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

Pinterest Boards

– http://pinterest.com/hindie/text-to-speech-resources/

– http://pinterest.com/hindie/mobile-devices-writing/

– http://pinterest.com/hindie/mobile-devices-reading/

– http://pinterest.com/hindie/assistive-technology/

– http://pinterest.com/hindie/android-apps-and-information/

More Information

• hindiebdershowitz@gmail.com• Slide Share

http://www.slideshare.net/hindie/text-to-speech-and-word-predicition-16023785