Text-to-Speech for Beginning Readers -ATIA Chicago 09

Ira David SocolMichigan State University College of Education

Text-To-Speech from the StartA Primary Support for Lifespan Learning

Sophisticated text-to-speech systems are typically thought of as accommodations for readers who have already fallen behind their classmates, and for those already diagnosed with specific learning disabilities.

These systems are rarely employed with students in the primary grades, and are rarely offered to most students, yet these are the very supports which may make the largest differences in school success, right from the start.

Theory:“Reading is getting information from some ‘recorded’ source into your head: Writing is getting information from your head into a ‘recorded’ form which others can access.”

Operational Theory One:Focus Cognitive Energy on the “Reading’ and the‘Writing’ – the communication, not the 19th Century skillset. (Universal Design)

Operational Theory Two:Many students who struggle with reading lack home reading supports. Technology can fill the gap. (Remediation)

Access InformationAccess CommunicationBuild VocabularyBuild Sight Word RecognitionParticipate in CurriculumEngage Interests

Increase “Read-to Time”Solving the “Parent-to-Child Reading Gap”

Build IndependenceAccess Text and Information Toolson their own Schedule.

Prove the Value of LiteracyDemonstrating why reading is valuable and is more than just a school task.

“Kids come to school at five all wanting to read, but by the time they get to me, they hate books.”- my mother, a long-time 3rd Grade teacher

Build VocabularyText-To-Speech seems to support vocabulary acquisition.Socol, Okolo, Feyen, Ferrari 2009

Build Sight Word RecognitionWord-by-word highlightingText-To-Speech seems to support gains in sight word recognition.

“ Improvement in literacy skills was determined through a pre and post oral sight word recognition test, a sight word fluency test, and a reading fluency test. The results of the tests were examined to determine the rate of improvement in recognition and fluency. The students were initially tested on sight word recognition in January. As shown […] the average score for sight word recognition was 34.40% (SD = 13.29) prior to implementing the text-to-speech program. The students were tested for sight word recognition again on the start date of implementation; the results were an average score of 54.90% (SD = 17.64). The average score for sight word recognition was 88.10% (SD = 13.10) at the end of the four weeks. The results of the test show an increase in sight word recognition.” Thompson (First Grade Study) 2007

“The results of the test show an increase in sight word recognition.”

Participate in the CurriculumHelp eliminate the “falling behind from the start” syndrome, and the isolation from classmates.

Lifespan TechnologiesThe ability to shift media into useful forms is now essential – at home, at work, even in your car.

These technologies can re-shape the literacy playing field from the very beginning,* and thus significantly alter the opportunities for school success by increasing access to curricular content for the most vulnerable students, by providing a series of critical supports. *Jeffs, Behrmann, and Bannan-Ritland 2006

WYNNChosen for the interface, and supports, which seem to support the greatest range of learners.

Using WYNN

for basic readingfor school readingfor interest-based reading

Using WYNN

for advanced studyingfor writing

Using WYNN - Creating Books

scanningfrom digital sourcescameras and typingimages

OnLine SourcesProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg AustraliaUniversity of VirginiaLiterature NetworkABC BooksBookshare

Free Supports at HomeGoogle DocsFirefox plus Add-OnsCLiCk-Speak, Dictionary Lookup, gTranslateWordTalkPowerPoint Books

PowerTalk

Free Supports at Home Microsoft Reader with Text-To-Speech engine and Read in Microsoft

Reader (RMR) add-ons - FREEhttp://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/pc.asp (laptop/desktop PC)http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/tablet.asp (tablet PC, with "write notes in the margins!")http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/tts.asp (Text-To-Speech)http://www.microsoft.com/reader/developers/downloads/rmr.asp (RMR, creates one-click conversions from Microsoft Word)

http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/dictionaries.asp (Dictionaries)

Now you can build skills within the context of confidence and success.

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