IES Nou Llevant

IES Nou Llevant, an innovative educational center that supports a high percentage of students with Specific Educational Needs (SEN) —including those with dyslexia and ADHD— faced a clear challenge: how to improve student independence and simplify teaching practices at the same time.

The initial task was to try and find a text-to-speech program that excelled in several aspects: offering a natural voice, strong narration in Catalan (a key linguistic requirement), and powerful study features. After an exhaustive review of available products, they found ReadSpeaker TextAid at a Disfam congress.

Our comprehensive solution provides students with accessible and instant reading support directly within their digital learning environment, making it a universal tool instead of a specialized accommodation.

The integration has led to a transformative change: increased student autonomy and a significant reduction in teacher workload, with the same high-quality material now being usable by all students. Students who previously struggled with texts are now motivated and capable.

Below, Valeria Ciganda, coordinator and teacher in the English department at IES Nou Llevant and Head of Studies at the center, shares her first-hand experience and valuable insights on how ReadSpeaker TextAid is fundamentally changing their approach to inclusive education.

Customer Interview: Valeria Ciganda Sanz, Teacher at IES Nou Llevant

Why have you invested in text-to-speech technology?

I had been pushing for a text-to-speech program for some time, as IES Nou Llevant has a high percentage of SEN students, and the most frequent typologies include: language disorder, dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and students recently incorporated into our education system from very diverse backgrounds.

All of them benefit in some way from this type of technology. Furthermore, it was made possible thanks to a subsidy for books or software. In previous years, despite understanding the benefit, the management teams did not see how they could finance it.

Why did you choose ReadSpeaker?

I learned about the product at a Disfam congress and verified that the narrations sounded real. Crucially, ReadSpeaker offers an excellent Catalan voice with clear, adjustable pronunciation and customizable dictionaries.

Many other programs only offer Spanish and English, and that was not enough for our students who study in Catalan.

What results have you obtained? Have you received feedback from teachers? From users?

The results are not quantifiable, but they are significant. We have made students more autonomous in their learning and, in some cases, require less adaptation.

Now, teachers can use the same text with SEN students, with less work than before; previously, they had to make other adjustments.

Foreign language teachers value it very positively, both for making learning more inclusive and for improving pronunciation. SEN students have told us that this way they can face texts that previously caused them to block.

Would you recommend ReadSpeaker to other colleagues? Why?

Yes, I always recommend it, because of the natural narration and the advanced options it has for creating summaries and the exam option.

What were your main motivations for adopting text-to-speech technology?

To be able to reach all students more efficiently and achieve greater autonomy for SEN students.

For which subjects did you implement text-to-speech technology?

We started using it for foreign language teaching. Afterwards, it was expanded to Catalan subjects, as teachers, due to the typology of our student body, often teach it as a second language.

At what educational levels was the implementation carried out?

Since we had the subsidy and seeing the offer that ReadSpeaker gave us, we implemented it generically for everyone. In this way, SEN students feel more supported, and a specific adaptation is not necessary.

How did you integrate text-to-speech technology into your existing curriculum and teaching methods?

All students with the institute’s corporate email have a ReadSpeaker account. In the English subject, we provide initial training each year to remind those who do not use it much and so that new students are aware of the software.

We use Google Classroom and there we have a specific section with websites of interest: online dictionaries, TextAid, and others.

We also do some reading comprehension exercises with TextAid for everyone, and SEN students can always do the reading comprehensions with the program – they can choose what works best for them.

We have also incorporated an oral test that consists of reading aloud, which they prepare with the program to improve their pronunciation.

Did you offer any specific training to teachers or students?

Student training is done through the English subject and, occasionally, through tutoring, to learn about the most interesting study options (summaries, for example). Regarding teachers, the first year we did a short training, but I believe it is appropriate to do an annual update.

How did the students react? Did their attitudes or perceptions change over time?

Reactions are diverse. There are students who do not understand why they have to listen if they don’t need it, but when we give them options, students with dyslexia or ADHD appreciate it a lot.

Many of them are capable of performing tasks that would otherwise be very complicated for them. Some have incorporated it as a regular study tool, especially in higher stages like Bachillerato.

Teacher reactions: How did they react? Did their attitude or perception change over time?

The reactions of the teachers most committed to diversity are very good, as they quickly see its potential and are the ones who use it the most in their daily lives with students.

Staff who are perhaps a little more resistant to change probably see it as “another silly thing.” However, the fact that more and more teachers share material through Google Classroom means that, even in these cases, students have the tool available and can use it – and little by little, even those less enthusiastic about change are seeing the benefit.

Did you observe any positive impact on student motivation and engagement? If so, how did the text-to-speech technology contribute?

Indeed, there are students who feel very grateful and feel more capable when facing some tasks.

Were the costs associated with the implementation offset by the observed benefits?

The cost-benefit in education is very relative, but if we take into account the improvement in SEN students, their motivation, the reduction in teacher workload, and the improvement in foreign language pronunciation, then it absolutely pays off.

What impact did text-to-speech technology have on teacher workload and their perception of assessment practices?

As I said, it allows you to use the same material with more students, therefore, it reduces the need to create different material for different students. Regarding the perception of assessment practices, it is likely to be more diverse, but clearly students who are more autonomous with this tool improve their academic performance.