Effects of Text-to-Speech Software on the Reading Rate and Comprehension Skills of High School Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

Authors

  • Amanda Moorman
  • Richard T. Boon
  • Yolanda Keller-Bell
  • Christina Stagliano
  • Tara Jeffs

Abstract

 The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a text-to-speech software program known as Read Please  on the reading rate and reading comprehension accuracy of two high school students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in reading. A single-subject A-B-A-B withdrawal  research design (Alberto & Troutman, 2009) was used to evaluate the effects of the software on the students reading rate accuracy  and comprehension skills. The participants were taught to utilize the features of the Read Please  software that reads the text aloud to the participants and upon completion of the reading passage, the experimenter collected measures on the students’ reading rate and percent of comprehension questions answered accurately. Measurements were collected throughout the study on the dependent variables of reading rate and reading comprehension accuracy. Results of this study indicated that the use of the Read Please  software increased the reading rate and improved students reading comprehension for both participants. Limitations of the study, implications for practice for both general and special education teachers at the high school level, and future research questions are discussed.

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Articles