The Effects of Text-to-Speech on Reading Outcomes for Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities

This study investigated the effectiveness of text-to-speech (TTS) on the outcomes of reading comprehension and oral reading fluency (ORF) for four secondary students with learning disabilities. The researchers used a single-case A-B-A-B withdrawal design to evaluate the effectiveness of TTS on reading outcomes. All participants scored higher on reading comprehension after using TTS when reading instructional passages and maintained the skills for 4 weeks. Results on participants' ORF also indicated an increased level of words read per min at the end of each accommodation condition. Comparison of pre- and posttest achievement on the Lexile assessment showed that two of the four participants increased their reading scores. Major findings are discussed with implications for practice and recommendations for future research to increase the use of TTS in the classroom.