Three Free Text Reader Sights

I. Natural Readers – A Free Text Reader
www.naturalreaders.com/free_version.htm

II. Readplease – A Free Text Reader
www.readplease.com/rpfree.php

III. Randel’s ESL Listening Lab
http://esl-lab.com/index.htm

Web “Sites” Review

I. Naural Readers
This Web site has a very new, free text reader. The URL was the first free text reading site listed on the Google Browser so I opened it up. It is owned by AT & T, co. 2008 and the company is called Natural Soft, Limited. There is a free verison, a $49.50 version, and a $99.50 version of Natural Reader 6.5 text reader.

Initially, I was looking for the text reader, Readplease, when I was directed to use Firefox Google browser to locate the address as my MSN browser did not bring that URL to view.

On Natural Reader, I especially liked the very explicit demonstrations that showed all the features available. There is a floating tool bar that you can add to your word document, to MSOffice, E-Mail, and so on. Then it will read the text aloud from these sites and the web sites either with a male or female voice at a speed that is selected.

Other special features included are copy, paste, cut, record, edit, stop, play, pause, reverse, and forward. Background music can be added to the text reader. Also, after you save a file, it can then be downloaded into a MP3 format and played on those types of devises.

The company indicated that this system would be helpful for ESL, Dyslexic, and the visually impaired students.

II. Read Please

Since I was curious, I viewed the Read Please site, also. It comes from Thunder Bay, Canada, the Read Please, Corp. 1999 – 2005. They too have a free version, a $59.95 version, and a $79.95 plus shipping version. It works with only Microsoft Windows. The one big difference from Natural Readers was that Read Please will magnify the text.

The Natural Readers Web site was easier to read and understand than the Read Please Web site. Natural Readers is a site that I would definitely use if need be.

III. Randel’s ESL Listening Lab

Another site I looked at was Randel’s ESL Listening Lab where a very helpful program for English Learners was found. There were topics listed for practical daily experiences in verbal word use as using the answering device on a telephone. A short conversation was played. Then several questions were asked about the conversation. The child answers the questions and gets an immediate score. She/he can then listen to the conversation again.

There are many topics listed ranging from the easy level, to a middle level and finally to a difficult level.

I am definitely going to use this with the ESL students in our classroom. This URL will be added to their bookmarks. I am able to bring two mobile lab lap top computers into the classroom for these two students to work on. They are highly motivated to work at these special Web sites.