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
• [email protected]• Slide Share
http://www.slideshare.net/hindie/text-to-speech-and-word-predicition-16023785
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