Scratch

Beginner

45 mins

Teacher/Student led

170 points

What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC or iPad/Tablet

Text to Speech

This lesson guides students through the process of using the Text to Speech feature in Scratch. Students will learn how to make characters speak, alter their voices and accents, and create a dialogue between two characters. The lesson is hands-on, with students actively coding throughout.

Learning Goals Learning Outcomes Teacher Notes Lesson Files

Warning: Your screen size is quite small for viewing this. Rotate your device into landscape mode if you can.

1 Introduction to Text to Speech
2 Create a new Scratch project
3 Add a sprite
4 Add the Text to Speech extension
5 Speak 'hello'
6 Say something different
7 Change the voice
8 Change the accent
9 Add a second sprite
10 Wrap up
Challenge
Quiz

1 - Introduction to Text to Speech

Welcome to our exciting lesson on Text to Speech in Scratch! In this lesson, you will learn how to make your characters speak out loud. Not just that, you will also learn how to change their voices and even their accents. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to create a fun conversation between two characters. So, are you ready to give your characters a voice? Let's get started!

2 - Create a new Scratch project

Go to the Scratch website and create a new project. You can delete the cat sprite.

Scratch: How to create a new project

Go to the Scratch website using the link below and click on the 'Create' link in the blue bar at the top.

By default, each new project starts with the cat sprite already added. To delete the cat click on the x in the blue circle beside the cat in the sprite list.

https://scratch.mit.edu

5 points

3 - Add a sprite

We are going to make a character in the sprite library to say out loud different things that we program it to say. Open to sprite library and choose a character. In this lesson we are going to use the elf character but you can choose your own.

Scratch: How to add a sprite from the library

To add a sprite from the sprite library follow these steps:

Put your mouse over the Choose a Sprite button
Click on the magnifying glass
Find the sprite you want in the library
Click on your chosen sprite

You can use search box or the filter links (Animals, People, Fantasy etc) to locate your sprite.

10 points

4 - Add the Text to Speech extension

Scratch has an extension called Text to Speech that lets you use specific blocks for making things in your projects talk.

Add the Text to Speech extension to your project.

Scratch: How to add extension blocks

Understanding and Adding Extensions in Scratch

What are Scratch Extensions?

Scratch Extensions are additional sets of blocks that expand the capabilities of your Scratch projects. They allow you to:

Mention extensions like Pen here
Connect with external hardware (e.g., microbits)
Access web-based services (e.g., Google Translate, Amazon Text to Speech)
Use more advanced programming features

How Extensions Work

When you add an extension to your project:

New blocks appear in the blocks palette
These blocks are grouped under a category named after the extension
You can use these blocks just like any other Scratch blocks

Adding an Extension to Your Project

Look for the "Add Extension" button in the bottom-left corner of the Scratch editor
Click the "Add Extension" button
A window will open showing all available extensions
Browse through the options or use the search bar to find a specific extension
Click on the extension you want to add
The extension is now added to your project, and its blocks appear in the blocks palette

15 points

5 - Speak 'hello'

First let's try out the speak block to make your sprite say "hello".

Add the following code to your sprite:

when this sprite clicked speak [hello] :: tts stack

Once you've added the code, click on your sprite and it should say "hello" out loud.

Make sure that your volume is turned up enough to hear the sounds, but not too loud!

20 points

Unlock the Full Learning Experience

Get ready to embark on an incredible learning journey! Get access to this lesson and hundreds more in our Digital Skills Curriculum.

Get started

Copyright Notice
This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.

Scratch is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is available for free at https://scratch.mit.edu