Talking Books are digital books created with text-to-speech support to aid students with impairments in developing reading skills. Teachers and students can create Talking Books by scanning pictures from books into PowerPoint presentations and adding text from the story. The text is then read aloud when the presentation is opened in PowerTalk. Talking Books allow for customized books tailored to students' interests and abilities with symbols, sounds, and speech included for accessibility.

1. Talking Books By Blair Thallmayer MCOM 585: Internship Office of Disability Services

2. Talking Books Outline What are Talking Books Who are Talking Books for How to Create a Talking Book My Example of a Talking Book Summary References

3. Talking Books A Talking Book is a stimulating and colorful literature material designed for students with special needs. Using Talking Books educators can create appropriate books for students of all ages. Using Talking Books students can view complex text with speech support. The range of electronically available books for children is very limited and for exceptional students to develop as readers, they need access to the same range of books as others. Talking Books can be tailor-made to the interests and abilities of the pupils, text can be symbol-supported, and sounds and speech can be included to enable access to those with reading difficulties. Students can develop their own Talking Book, thus opening up more possibilities of creative and imaginative writing (Walter, 2002).

4. Who uses Talking Books? Students with impairments Visual Hearing Mobility Language/ Speech Learning/Cognitive

5. How to Create a Talking Book How to Create a Talking Book Select a book Scan in pictures from the book Save all pictures to a folder on the computer Open up Microsoft PowerPoint 97 or higher Insert New Photo Album

6. How to Create a Talking Book (Continued) … A Box titled Photo Album will appear Click on File/Disk under Insert picture from Find your folder of pictures Select ALL pictures that you plan to use and click Insert Pictures in Album will have the number and order within the Album; Create pictures in the sequence of the book

7. How to Create a Talking Book (Continued) … Go to Album Layout at the Bottom Part of the Box Select Picture Layout: 1 Picture 1 Title Select a Frame Shape Click Create All of your pictures should be inserted into the PowerPoint Presentation

8. How to Create a Talking Book (Continued) … Slide says Photo Album & By Your Name You may keep or change that information Slide has your first picture and a title/text box. In the Text Box type the text from the original book. Continue to do until you reach the end of your Presentation. Do not use quotation marks within text because they will be read aloud.

9. How to Create a Talking Book (Continued) … You may also create Buttons for students to navigate Sounds Additional images When completed, Save Presentation Open Presentation in Power Talk

10. My Example Dougherty, B. (2008). Littlest Pilgrim . New York: Cartwheel Books.

11. The Littlest Pilgrim Written by Brandi Dougherty Illustrated by Kirsten Richards

12. Mini was a Pilgrim. She lived with her family in a small village.

13. There were many Pilgrims in her village, but Mini was the littlest one.

14. Even though she was small, Mini tried to help with the village chores.

15. One day, Mini decided to be extra helpful.

16. Mini found her big brother by the house. He was stacking wood for the winter. She wanted to help.

17. Look, brother, Mini said. I am helping to make a woodpile. But Mini’s brother was too busy to notice her.

18. Mini went inside the house and found her big sister. She was mending a dress.

19. I am ready to sew, said Mini. Sorry, Mini, said her sister, you are too little to help with mending. Go help Mama. I am busy.

20. So Mini went outside to help her mother. She was at the oven, baking bread for dinner.

21. Look, Mama, said Mini. I am helping.

22. But Mini’s mother was so busy making bread, she didn’t even hear Mini.

23. Mini went to find her father. Surely he would want some help. He was getting ready to hunt for food in the forest .

24. Sorry, Mini, you are too little for hunting, Mini’s father said when he saw her. Why don’t you go pick some berries for us to eat?

25. As Mini walked toward the berry bushes, she spotted her neighbor. He was fixing the door to his house.

26. I can help… Mini started to say. Sorry, Mini, this is a big job and you are too little.

27. Mini wandered through the village. She was sad.

28. Mini just wanted to help, but everyone was too busy to notice. Or they thought the jobs were too big and Mini was too little. It wasn’t fair.

29. Mini walked toward the water. She spotted some boys from her village. They were fishing.

30. Can I help you fish? Mini asked one of the boys. He laughed. Sorry, Mini, you are too little for fishing.

31. Now Mini was very sad. Why would no one let her help? Mini knew there had to be something special she could do.

32. Even if she was little.

33. Mini started to walk home, and saw some berries along the way. As she picked them, she heard something rustling in the leaves. Mini moved closer to get a better look.

34. There, at the edge of the forest, stood a girl.

35. And she was little! Just like Mini!

36. Hello, said Mini. What’s your name?

37. The girl stood still and looked at Mini. She didn’t say a word.

38. Mini remembered the berries she held in her hand. Do you want one? she asked.

39. At first, the girl just stared at Mini. But soon she began to smile a very big smile.

40. Mini was too little for many things. But she was not too little to make a friend.

41. The End!

42. Summary Talking Books are Text to speech support Created by students and teachers Develop reading and writing skills Contains Text Pictures Buttons Sounds

43. References Dougherty, B. (2008). Littlest Pilgrim . New York: Cartwheel Books. PowerTalk - automatic speech for PowerPoint presentations . (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/ Shaw, G. (2005). The Incredible, Accessible Presentation . Retrieved October 21, 2009, from www.powerpointmagician.com/articles/accessppt.htm Walter, R. (2002). Creating Talking Books in PowerPoint . Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials/talkingBooks/powerpoint.php Walter, R. (2002). How to create Talking Books in PowerPoint 97 & 2000 . Retrieved October 10, 2009, from http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/Tutorials/talkingBooks/ppt_ace.pdf