Text-to-Speech

When someone is writing, regardless on the purpose, it is meant to be comprehended. No one writes to not be understood. When words are written, or in today's time, typed, the sole purpose is to get a point across and make a connection with the reader. With computer-based programs, the Text-to-Speech (TTS) function has been added. A writer can type words into the program and have the words read aloud to them and the reader. Another form of text-to-speech are eBooks, published literature in all genres that are read aloud. Not all books have been formatted to have this function but the eBook library is continuously growing and becoming quite common. Making a connection to Text-to-Speech would be captions on television, movies, and video games.

My personal feelings on text-to-speech are simple: it is a fantastic feature that helps all, students and adults alike. In my classroom, I have not used this feature as much besides in read alouds that highlight words as it is being read by a narrator. Never realizing the benefit of the narrator and the one-to-one correspondence, I would like to use this feature more often in my classroom! "The TTS capability in eBooks allows students to hear fluent readers" (Gonzalez, 2014). Besides myself reading for my scholars, having multiple titles read by even a male's voice could help students comprehend and connect with a text more. In this course, I am reading/listening to two different eBooks while reading an eBook without the Text-to-Speech component. So far, I am enjoying the difference. I am hoping that by the end of this course I can merge my personal learning with eBooks and the goals I would like to set for my personal learning environment.

 Gonzalez, M., Dr. (2014). The Effect of Embedded Text-to-Speech and Vocabulary eBook Scaffolds on the Comprehension of Students with Special Education. International Journal of Special Education, 29(3), 10. Retrieved January 31, 2016.