Texthelp Read&Write V7 Standard and Gold Reviews by Gerry Kennedy
by Gerry Kennedy
TextHELP! Read&Write V7 – Standard and GOLD Versions
For PCs running with MS Windows 98 through XP and Mac OS
TextHELP! Read&Write V7 From Texthelp Systems Ltd
The highly regarded Read&Write Standard and GOLD versions provide easy to use, powerful literacy, language and learning tools. This support is available from a fixed or floating toolbar and can be used in the operating system and/or in any application. Once you capture, highlight or create text you can use the various features in Read&Write.
Essentially it is a customisable toolbar that “floats” on top of any software application. The toolbar can be dragged up and docked at the top of the screen. There are three different ‘ways that the toolbar can appear, professional, classic and fun. The icons’ size can be increased, appearing with or without text labels. The icons are intuitive in design and function with the fun toolbar appealing to younger students in upper primary levels.
Texthelp have improved the program and have added some excellent study tools. Voice quality is very close to human speech using the RealSpeak technology licensed from Scansoft Corporation. Read&Write will read text, perform phonetic spell and homophone checks, convert text to .wav or MP3 file formats, predict words, define words and provide thesaurus functions, help calculate, scan documents (in the GOLD version)… and much more!
The program is packed in a DVD style case on one CD. It is easy to install and requires Internet Explorer V6 or later. Texthelp recommends 250MB RAM and 400MB free hard disk space. The processor must be at least 350MHZ and a sound card with speakers or headphones are required. As it is packaged on a CD, a CD ROM or DVD/CD drive is mandatory. It will operate on MS Windows® 98, 2000, ME NT4 and XP (Home or Professional). It is supported with a very easy to follow accessible 58-page manual and a comprehensive, useful online help system. The inherent beauty of online help is that users can listen to the contents on the computer using Read&Write!
Students can purchase a copy for use on a home-based computer or Notebook (which is highly preferable due to the portability aspect and access in a number of contexts and domains). This licence allows the program to be installed on a single computer. In addition, it allows an unlimited number of users to log in and save their own settings and preferences and so it is useful for a computer that is shared by multiple students (i.e. siblings at home) or by users requiring differing levels of support from the program (i.e. in a classroom, library or special needs base-room in a school).
Schools and tertiary institutions can purchase multiple copies of the software. These Multi-User Licence Packs are effectively a discounted option. This licensing arrangement allows for School Districts, or groups of schools or organisations to combine resources and buy a pack – then distribute a copy/copies to each of the participating schools/organisations/individuals. Full copies of the program software and manuals are provided for each licence purchased – making it easy to share copies of the program in this way.
Features:
Users can check spelling errors as they are made (i.e. Spell as I Type) or correct after text has been entered. There is a spelling video tour that you can watch (other videos are included for most of the major features in the toolbar). Students can check selected words, an entire document or words as they are typed into an email, word processing document, spreadsheet, database or MS PowerPoint file.
From the Spelling Helper dialogue box that appears when an error is found, you can view nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs. You can select a word with meanings with the alternatives listed. This text can be voiced. You can then choose to change the word, change all occurrences of the mis-spelt word, add the word to a custom dictionary, add the mis-spelt word to the Auto Correct function, ignore it or move to the next error. An enabling feature is where the user can drag out the dialogue box so that it caters to users who are vision impaired and to those who require a larger font size. Most spell checkers cannot perform this function.
At any time, you or the user can add their own words to their dictionary, or a list of words. Simply type words into MS WordPad, MS Word or Notepad and save it as a plain ‘text’ file. Then load it and save the dictionary. All the new words and concepts from a particular subject, topic or theme are now available to the user.
Another window provides the teacher, parent, speech language pathologist or tutor with various settings (e.g. ignore words with all capitals, beginning with a capital letter, all numbers, mixed case, domain names etc.). These help determine how the spell checking is performed by Read&Write for the user currently using it. Different search methods can be employed (e.g. search for anagrams, extra letters, missing letters, incorrect letters etc.).
In Advanced Options you can set automatic corrections, view a recent history of errors and the suggestions used, the phonetic map and a log of all errors made. The log can be cleared and/or printed.
An often-asked question in training and demonstration sessions, is, “why not just use the spell check in Ms Word or MS Office?”. The Read&Write spell check is voiced, contains alternative meanings, is based on phonetic spelling and the window can be enlarged and relocated on screen. Mis-spelt words are coloured in a highlight and the all word types are supported (i.e. noun, verb, adjective and adverb). The spell check is also available across ALL software genres – not just MS Office, so consistency is assured with one global spell checking function on the entire computer. The one spell check is updated and customised, not two or more different ones!
Word prediction technology essentially completes the word that you are currently typing. It works on frequency and recency and follows the rules of the English language. A small window pops up and displays a list of words, predicting your word automatically, or displaying a list after you type the first letter of the next word. Word prediction can be used for writing and for communication (i.e. as a user’s voice). It caters to writers who fatigue or who have the inconvenience (long or short term) of mis-typing or who exhibit poor, inaccurate or slow typing skills. Some users can see and identify a word but cannot attack or construct it accurately.
In essence, word prediction as a genre of software that caters to users of any age who have spelling and/or text formulation difficulties. It can be gainfully employed in any software application. Other dedicated word prediction programs cost hundreds of dollars just to provide this technology alone.
This feature can be customised with the word prediction window background, foreground and highlight colours determined and changed by the user, as you can resize the font, bold face or italicise it. Prediction accuracy is shown using a green indicator or circle. It is based on probability alone, probability plus grammatically accurate based on word triplets or word pairs. The required words can be defined and the text voiced.
The prediction options list includes such features as finding definitions for predicted words, setting the Prediction Window to follow the cursor as text is entered, including a space after a word is inserted, the facility to learn words from highlighted text, and specifying the system to either speak the word when it is clicked or type the word when it is clicked. Next to each word is an equivalent function key (e.g. [F2]). If the word is the one you require, you simply press the associated function key.
Speech options include speaking the words aloud from the prediction window. You can set a time frame from 0.1 to 2.0 seconds before the feature begins. You can set pauses between words (if it is speaking the list one word at a time). A foreground highlight colour can be set for words being voiced and a background contrast colour. Advanced options include spell checking each word before it is learnt and automatically learning new words as you type. The program can also learn and analyse vocabulary of the user by determining patterns from pre-existing plain text files or from the clipboard. Predictions can be based upon phonetic replacements (e.g. the syllable ‘af’ replaced as ‘augh’, ‘fo’ to ‘pho’, new to ‘pneu’ etc.).
Word prediction is context sensitive. You can set the sensitivity to make more suggestions or to be better context based. Indicators graphically show the context. You can nominate one or more contexts from a list (e.g. Core English UK, Adult UK English, Arts, Beliefs, Books, Applied Sciences UK, Commercial, Imaginative Writing, Leisure UK etc.). The UK indicates common word usage as used in the United Kingdom. As the program hails from Ireland, the language, spellings and words are consistent with the English language as taught in Australian schools.
A phrase can be searched containing single words or strings of text. You can edit a selected phrase, add you own word or phrase, delete selected phrases and clear all personal learned text. This can be performed for each user or in all files. At the time of writing this review, I had 83,913 phrases in my dictionary available to me. Adding contexts can slow a PC that has an older processor, or less RAM.
Word prediction will work in any text-based application as you are typing even giving you word choices as you type text into in dialogue boxes (e.g. when you are naming or renaming a file).
You can look up different meanings for selected words. This feature can be customised to display basic definitions, advanced (includes synonyms) and web definitions with listed meanings in the dictionary.com website. (The latter requires an active Internet connection). Users often cannot remember a word or phrase, but can use the Word Wizard to help locate the word or phrase. The Word Wizard also helps the user to search for words using opposites or other relationships. Once again, all words phrases and definitions can be voiced.
When you select or type in a word into the Word Wizard, the software will indicate the parts of speech (i.e. all, noun, verb, adverb and/or adjective).
You may need to locate a word that has many different meanings and contexts (e.g. play, get, to). The Advanced Definitions is used over and above the Basic Definitions to provide a list of search types. This list of alternative meanings relate to the search item you select in the Dictionary Meanings list box. You can replace the required word with a suitable synonym rather than a word inflection.
Some users confuse words that sound the same (e.g. where, we’re, wear). Using the homophone facility the user can view descriptions of like sounding words so that correct usage is assured. You can show homophones in MS Word and all homophones within the text are highlighted. You can set the highlight colour for the user if you wish. When invoked, a Same Sounding Words window is displayed. You select the word from the Homophones List Box. Each word has an associated definition (that can be voiced). You can set the facility to ignore the word highlighted or replace with the correct word. As in the spell check facility, the word can be read and or voiced in context as it appears in your document or file.
Students who tend to spell the homophone that they know find this facility invaluable. If they are unsure as to the spelling of the word that they need, they can type a homophone, select the homophone function and then locate and replace it. They can be confident that they now have the correct word, correctly spelt in context.
A basic or scientific calculator is available in small medium or large sizes. Calculators can be customised. Simply change the foreground and background colours, as well as the button colours (i.e. number and operator colours). The font and size can be selected with regular, bold, italic or bold italic style. An audit trail can be selected with up to 5 decimal places. Speech can be set to no voice, speak on mouse over, speak on a mouse click, or audible button click. You can also request ‘confirm on equals’ that will restate the maths calculation and the result. The evaluate in document is extremely useful where you type in the problem in your text or word processor and you simply highlight the text and choose Evaluate in Document. The correct answer is typed for you… in the document!
A very handy feature for students and for any user for that matter, is the Conversion Facility. You can convert length to millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches, feet, yards and miles to equivalent measures of length. Other conversions include mass (pounds, ounces, grams and kilograms); velocity (miles per hour, metres per second, knots etc.); time (hours, minutes and seconds) as well as temperature (Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin). Many science and maths students thoroughly appreciate this conversion facility. It is really valuable for anyone working with measures.
Another function that is not apparent is where you construct a calculation in either calculator. Type the calculation, use Select All, copy the entire calculation with the audit trail in tact, then paste it into MS Word. The layout and formatting are performed for you! (Note: The Scientific calculator is only available in the GOLD version).
Read&Write reads text in male or female voices, as you type or as selected from any active document. It will read each word, sentence, paragraph or selected text that has been selected by highlighting it. There is a choice of 34 different voices including British and American accents. In order to suit the user or student, each one of these 34 voices can also be adjusted by altering the pitch, speed, volume and/or word pause.
RealSpeak provides a very close approximation of a human-sounding voice. Other SAPI voices are available that are not as clear, but are of a high quality. They load and respond faster; especially on older PCs. Words can also be highlighted as they are spoken for audiovisual reinforcement, increasing word recognition levels. Screen reading of onscreen text, menus and icons is also available and caters to users of any age who are vision impaired. There are a number of ways that you can have text displayed or highlighted during speech:
- Text can be coloured highlighting in the document – either dual colour highlighting or block highlighting depending on the application
- Text can be brought into the Text Reader window – where the colour of highlighting and size of font can be changed to suit the user’s visual and cognitive needs
- Speech can be shown in Speech Balloons – these can be with or without an animated character
- Speak using One Word Display – this will display one word at a time as it is being spoken in a large letterbox display. This flashcard style display assists users who need to have words isolated
- No visual display
There is also the option to have an animated character to assist and direct you. There are four characters, including the ever popular Peedy, Merlin, Robby and Genie. They appear on screen as small medium or large animated helpers. They can be displayed or hidden according to need, situation, location (e.g. classroom) and audience.
Text can be voiced or read, with a Stop Speech button available on the toolbar. You can rewind speech in a document, fast forward speech or pause it.
If you possess a scanner (e.g. a Canon, Epson, Umax or HP model) and it is attached and operating, users can scan text from ANY printed media and have it appear on screen, in MS Word, as if you had typed it in. This accommodates many print disabled users, struggling writers and people who would normally have great difficulty reading and researching printed material from newspapers, journals, books, magazines, fact sheets and instructions.
As long as you have legibly typed text, with or without pictures or diagrams, you can elegantly and quickly access it. The text can be saved, printed, edited and voiced with a touch of a button!
I find this feature extremely useful for teacher aides and teaching staff working with students who have physical disabilities, sight loss and with students who struggle with reading and the comprehension of text in hard copy format. It is ideal when catering to and instructing disengaged and/or disinterested students who have traditionally failed at school with reading and writing. This function assists so many students and adult learners and has a place in every library in every school, town and city.
Better quality and higher priced scanners will perform this task. I have a HP Scanjet 5200C and a more portable Canon LIDE scanner and both work well with this wonderful feature. (Note: It is only available in the GOLD version).
The Fact Folder in the GOLD Version is a desk research tool. It allows students to capture text and graphics – from any application or web site and organise them in logical ways in a research report that can be published as a Word file, HTML or to a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant such as a Palm Pilot). Users can use the Fact Folder to capture and save text and graphics, create and organise study categories, create reports and view and update text and graphics using the application in which they were created (e.g. MS Word).
Students can add new categories, remove delete or rename a category or item and move between them in the Fact Folder. It is simply a matter of creating a new category or choosing an existing one and dragging and dropping the selected text or graphic into the main work area of the folder. You can also use copy and paste functions if you wish. The appropriate information is entered with the item name, a description an associated author and date (i.e. the date it is entered).
When you add information from a web page, the website address is automatically added to the Sources list box. If you add information from other applications, you must perform this task manually. You click on File It and you have added a new item. (Note: This feature is available only in the GOLD Version).
Students can find facts more easily and quickly using the innovative Fact Finder (available in the GOLD Version). Some search engines are available upon installation and you can add your own web URLs to cater to your specific needs, study and research purposes and geographical location (i.e. state or country). You can use a number of popular search engines to locate information (and then organise and store it in the Fact Folder). You can perform searches manually (by typing in a text entry) or by nominating a search engine (a default or one of your own choosing).
PDFaloud is a new feature. It means that users can have PDF (Portable Document Format) files voiced. Many manuals and online help and instruction systems are now distributed and published using this popular format made available by Adobe®. You can speak the selection in a PDF file, read the previous selection, pause stop and have the next selection read. The voice pitch, speed and volume can be varied using a number of male and female voices.
The three toolbars can be changed and altered to suit the user, the situation (e.g. maths, science or language class). Icons can be small or large, with or without text labels. The toolbar can float over applications, automatically ‘hide’, translucent when undocked and unused, or be docked at the top of the display. Toolbar buttons can be removed or shown according to the user’s current needs. The software is flexible and amenable to each and every user.
General Options can be set for each user. You can set Hot Keys for people who predominantly use keystrokes rather than mouse movements and actions. The homophones database can be set to UK, Australian English or US. Homophones can be checked using basic homophones or all homophones. Abbreviations can be selected added edited and deleted. This abbreviation/expansion feature can be very effective and saves time and frustration, particularly for users who have poor spelling. You can record keystrokes as macros as well.