Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Customizable text-to-speech app has unique features.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
ClaroSpeak
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Upon opening the app, a white screen appears onto which users can enter words using a keypad or by pasting from another source. Across the top of the screen is a toolbar with a set of options: tap to open text, audio, or Dropbox-based files; paste, undo, or clear text; get more info; and play, save, or send content. Users can also clear text by shaking the device. Users can set customizable settings from the tool bar, including rate of speaking voice, font, color, and a feature called "typing echo" (words are echoed after they are typed).
Is It Any Good?
CLAROSPEAK US can certainly be considered among the best available text-to-speech apps. There's not a lot of overt instruction, tutorials, or visual cues, but that's likely because the developer wanted to create a clean, sparse user interface to make it visually easy to work with. For tutorials, users have to go to the "i" tab and from there, exit to the developer's website for the user guide. For users who want a lot of customizable options, including highlighting, frequent playback of content, and Dropbox compatibility, ClaroSpeak US is an excellent option.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Use the settings to adjust font size and voice speed to optimize playback according to your kid's preferences.
Use this app as an editing tool. If your kid has written a homework-related paper, paste it into this app to find out how it sounds when read aloud by a neutral reader. Ask your kid if they think it's easy to understand.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : reading , speaking , writing clearly
- Skills : Communication : conveying messages effectively , listening , Tech Skills : using and applying technology
- Pricing structure : Paid, Free
- Release date : October 29, 2012
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : Claro Software Limited
- Version : 3.0.64
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 9.0 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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