Assisting Students with Diverse Learning Styles
Readers
Students can have text readers on the computer. All that is needed is software on the computer that is able to read the text. If you are using a text reader, it is important to understand the format of the text. Many different types of text readers will only read specific formats. These readers use computer-generated voices. While this technology is improving, the voices still sound computerized. Windows has Microsoft voices Mike, Mary, Sam, and Anna. Bookshare members gain access to reading tools (under getting started tab at bookshare.org) including Read: Outloud along with Acapela voices. Both are free to members.
List of Readers
Balabolka is a free text and PDF e-reader that can be saved on a jump drive. It runs from the jump drive so it doesn’t need to be installed on a computer; however, the computer must have a “voice” already installed. Balabolka also can create an audio recording called a mp3 file while reading text.
Adobe Reader is software used to open PDF documents. Adobe reader has a free reader, but is very basic. It doesn’t highlight the text it is reading or give an option to select the text to be read. The reader will only read the page or the entire document. Most PC computers have Adobe Reader installed on the computer.
Natural Reader: A text to speech software program with a free version along with a personal and professional version. Natural Reader can read text files, MS Word files, Internet Explorer webpages, Emails. Adjustments can be made on speed, voice, quality, and volume.
Read Please and Read Please Plus have the following features: control reading from a system tray, adjustable voice speed, and low vision color option.
Word Talk is a free text to speech plug-in for Microsoft Word. It will highlight and speak text aloud. There are settings to adjust the highlight color, voice and speed. This software will convert the text into wav and mp3 files.
Voices: Downloading different voices can be costly. The more you pay for the voices the more humanlike they will sound. One of the best speech voices is the Neo Speech voice collection. Take a look at the website. http://www.neospeech.com/default.aspx