How Text-to-Speech Enhances Literacy, Comprehension, and Recall

Text-to-speech (TTS) converts written text into natural-sounding audio so learners can listen while they read, personalize pace, and stay engaged across formats. It’s moved from “assistive add-on” to mainstream learning support as schools serve increasingly diverse needs.

Reading Rockets (opens in a new tab) explains the basics of TTS and how it works.

This article examines the role of TTS in literacy development, its impact on comprehension and recall, and provides practical steps for education leaders to effectively implement it.

The role of TTS in literacy development

1. TTS and reading skills

When students see words and hear them simultaneously, they get reinforcement for decoding, vocabulary, and prosody, especially helpful for readers who benefit from multisensory input.

Research on audio-supported reading (listening while following along) documents gains in reading rate, endurance, and comprehension for many students with reading difficulties, while noting results can vary by learner and context.

CAST’s (opens in a new tab) Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) brief summarizes the evidence and limits. 

One real-world example: SoftChalk’s integration of ReadSpeaker TTS showed measurable learning gains. With a 95% confidence level, students in hybrid courses who used ReadSpeaker performed better than those who didn’t

“ReadSpeaker has made my course content much more accessible, and students who struggle with reading tell me they use it every day,” noted a SoftChalk faculty user in the case study.’’

2. TTS and comprehension

For complex texts, listening and reading can reduce the cognitive load spent on decoding and free up attention for understanding meaning.

A peer-reviewed meta-analysis (opens in a new tab) of TTS tools for students with reading difficulties found a moderate positive effect on reading comprehension

At the framework level, TTS aligns with multimedia learning and dual-channel processing (verbal + auditory systems). When instruction intentionally engages both channels, studies show better understanding and transfer than text alone. See Mayer’s research overview (opens in a new tab) (PDF).

“We’re upgrading all Gale resources with ReadSpeaker technology to a new, enhanced version to improve experiences for your learners and researchers.” Gale (April 29, 2024) Announcement (opens in a new tab)

Boosting recall through auditory learning

Memory works better when multiple senses are engaged.

The dual coding theory (opens in a new tab) explains that combining visual and auditory input strengthens recall.

In one experiment, students who studied with TTS scored higher on retention tests than peers who read silently (Moreno & Mayer, 2002). Broader research on multimedia learning further confirms that integrating visual and auditory channels significantly boosts comprehension and long-term recall.

Educators can encourage recall by letting students replay key passages or download audio files for review, capabilities built into ReadSpeaker’s education tools .

Implementation Tips for Administrators

1. Meet students where they are (Universal Design for Learning (opens in a new tab) UDL). Offer multiple ways to perceive text: visual, auditory, and adjustable displays, so learners can choose what helps them access meaning.
   
2. Integrate TTS in your LMS, no extra logins. ReadSpeaker provides certified or documented integrations for leading platforms like Canvas, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, and Blackboard, so students can click “listen” right inside course pages and documents.
   • Canvas
   • Moodle
   • Brightspace
   • Blackboard
   • Overview: LMS integrations
   
3. Train for impact. Make a quick “how to listen while you read” module part of every course. (Tip: Introduce features like speed control, highlighting, and download to MP3.) Learn more about webReader features.
   

Real-World Results

Penn Foster Group (adult & workforce learning)

After piloting ReadSpeaker embedded in D2L Brightspace, Penn Foster reported (opens in a new tab) a 54% increase in 30-day course completion and a 4-day reduction to first-exam completion.

“The combination of ReadSpeaker and Brightspace enables far more multimodal learning experiences, which can make a huge difference” Andy Shean, Chief Learning Officer, Penn Foster

Addressing Challenges and Opportunities

Common challenges: systems integration, rollout/training, and ensuring TTS is available to all learners (not only as an individual accommodation). ISTE’s (opens in a new tab) accessibility perspective shows how mainstreaming tools benefits everyone. (opens in a new tab)

Solutions: choose a platform with native LMS integrations, classroom-ready study tools, and 24/7 support so faculty can focus on teaching.

Find out more on our Education focussed webpage

What now, want to test it out?

All the evidence shared shows TTS helps institutions deliver more inclusive, higher-quality learning by strengthening access, comprehension, and recall, without adding friction for learners or staff.

If you’re ready to try it in your LMS or digital curriculum, explore ReadSpeaker for Education and get in touch if you’d like to pilot it with a small set of courses first.