Here’s an idea from a Brigada Reader. He’d like someone to invent a device or software that highlights, one word or phrase at a time, the material being read. He sees the need, not just in English, but in other languages like Urdu. He specifically wishes the device would feature the Bible itself. Imagine, as some narrator properly pronounces the words, a yellow highlighter bounces from word to word. As I understand him, he’s envisioning something not unlike a Karaoke prompter. He feels it would help the learner associate the spoken word with the written words as they’re being pronounced. Could you or someone you know make that happen? If so, please jot a comment below, along with your website or email address. Or, alternatively, write Michael directly at
mmack4647@aol.com but please make a note in the comments below that you’ve done so. It’s the only way we’ll know that someone is giving attention to this request.
You might check out QuickReader – it’s a speed reader app that’s obviously meant to improve your reading speed but it has a “guided reading” mode which highlights text as you read.
I’m beta testing an app doing this very concept – an iPhone/iPad app that has a yellow highlighter bounding from word to word as it audibly reads the text. It’s not available yet to the public. Here is the blurb about it:
“HD Read is a new eBook reader with enhanced features. The primary enhancement is it’s ability to present synchronized text and audio. When the text is presented in HD Read, the audio recording of the book can be played and the consumer can read along with the spoken word by following on-screen highlighting of a single word, a complete sentence or an entire paragraph. In HD Read, you can login and access your purchased books at any time while keeping your books private. The HD Read library listings let you easily choose a book to read as well as resume right where you left off from a previous session. As more HD Read books become available, the HD Read market will list new books that can be purchased and added to your library.”
HD Read has features for commenting, bookmarking and display adjustments such as font face and font size.