NOARC has recently published research on the use of text-to-speech (TTS) technology in adolescents with reading challenges in the peer-reviewed Journal of Special Education Technology (July 2021; see full citation below).  With the support of a local school board, NOARC researchers used a quasi-experimental model to predict which struggling readers would benefit from TTS support.  It was found that struggling readers had different cognitive profiles and the strongest beneficiaries of TTS technology were those with stronger listening comprehension skills than word decoding skills.  Therefore, it is suggested that recommending TTS technology to struggling readers should be done on an individualized rather than a one-size-fits-all basis.

For more information about this study or any of NOARC’s research areas, please contact our Lead Researcher, Robert Silvestri at robert.silvestri@cambriancollege.ca or Alana Holmes, Manager of NOARC, at alana.holmes@cambriancollege.ca

Copies of the article can be made available by request by emailing noarc-cerno@cambriancollege.ca.

The article citation is Silvestri R, Holmes A, Rahemtulla R. The Interaction of Cognitive Profiles and Text-to-Speech Software on Reading Comprehension of Adolescents with Reading Challenges. Journal of Special Education Technology. July 2021. doi:10.1177/01626434211033577

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01626434211033577