Electronic Books

Aural Presentation of the Text

The use of digitized or synthesized speech to "read" text to students who would otherwise be unable to access print, due to reading or visual disabilities, seems especially advantageous. Students can now listen to a variety of books, ranging from popular children's stories to Shakespearean plays, in electronic form at a computer. Digitized speech permits these books to be read by voices that are as enticing and engaging as the best storytellers. As a book is read, individual words can be highlighted, drawing the student's attention to the link between the printed and spoken form of the word. For young readers, repeated experiences with electronic storybooks may help develop important literacy skills including an understanding of the purposes of reading and increased knowledge of print conventions, vocabulary, and story schema. Older readers can enjoy a wider variety of age-appropriate literature, from stories to textbooks, which would otherwise be above their reading level. These reading experiences may enhance students' motivation to read and promote their self-efficacy as readers. Access to information and enhanced motivation to read are especially critical advantages for students with reading and learning disabilities, who tend to read less and thus stagnate in their development as readers and learners.

Several studies with students who are reading or learning disabled have shown that simultaneous oral and visual presentation of text in a computer-based system leads to improved comprehension (e.g., Elkind, Cohen, & Murray, 1993; Montali & Lewandowski, 1996). However, other studies have shown no advantage for text "read" by a computer over that read independently (e.g., Elkind et al., 1993; Leong, 1992; 1995). Although researchers have only begun to investigate which types of readers may be best served by hearing text read aloud via computer, initial studies suggest that students who benefit the most are slower readers who have difficulty comprehending text but who have strong oral language skills and are able to integrate visual and auditory information (Elkind, 1998).