We know that the iPad can fling angry birds against the wall, take notes, play videos, and even speak for you, but one of my absolute favorite features built into the iPad is called Speak Selection. When this feature is activated, the iPad will read aloud any text that you can select. I have found it especially useful in Notes, Safari, Email, and Dropbox, but it is limited only to what text you can select. It is especially useful when paired with the Reader function built into Safari. (for more info, see my post entitled "A Cleaner and Easier Online Reading Experience...").
To enable the feature, tap the Settings app, and then tap General > Accessibility > Speak Selection. Turn On the slider bar, and adjust the voice rate. You only get one voice right now, but it is a good quality voice. In iOS 6, you also get the option to have the iPad highlight words as it reads. You also can choose different dialects, just in case you watched Finding Nemo the night before and just couldn't get enough of the Australian accent.
I have included two links to great YouTube videos explaining the feature. The first video features the ipad, and includes info about the languages and dialects options. The second video features the iPhone, but it works the same on the iPod touch.
I hope you and your students enjoy this amazing feature. If you have success stories or creative implementation ideas, please share in the comments section!
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