Peer-reviewed research
Does Use of Text-to-Speech and Related Read-Aloud Tools Improve Reading Comprehension for Students with Reading Disabilities? A Meta-Analysis
Sarah G. Wood et al., Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2018
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A meta-analysis of studies on text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools for students with reading difficulties, measuring reading comprehension. It pools the quantitative studies into one average effect size.
- How much weight it carries
- Peer-reviewed meta-analysis. The effect is modest, varies with study design, and the authors call for more research. The studies differ in tools, grades and disability type, and none tests speech to text.
Facts taken from this source
- In a 2018 meta-analysis, text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools had an average weighted effect size of 0.35 on reading comprehension for students with reading difficulties, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.14 to 0.56.
“Random effects models yielded an average weighted effect size of ( d̄ = .35, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of .14 to .56, p <.01).” (Abstract)
- The authors conclude that text-to-speech technologies may help students with reading difficulties with reading comprehension, and that more studies are needed on the factors that moderate the effect.
“Taken together, this suggests that text-to-speech technologies may assist students with reading comprehension.” (Abstract)