What a GREAT Idea!

1. What a GREAT Idea! Why didn’t I think of that….. FREE!! Tips and Tricks found in Microsoft Word that will let you differentiate your instruction Cindi Carmina OTR/L carmincm@pwcs.edu

2. It’s so much more… • Microsoft Word is a popular word-processing program often used for creating documents such as letters, and brochures. • It may also be used to create learning activities, tests, quizzes and students' homework assignments. • What many people aren’t aware of are the many powerful features available in Microsoft Word to make it easier for students with disabilities to write and/or read text documents. • The following tutorials have been assembled by many technology trainers and include selections from Microsoft's Classroom Corner.

3. Basic but effective • Many tools are features you are already familiar with, but may not have thought of in this context. • For example: Increasing the size of the font You probably already do this when writing documents or term papers, etc. But did you know…

4. Increasing Spacing between Words and Between Lines • … that many students with Reading/Writing Disabilities struggle with visual input integration? Example: • Stu Dent can decode and interpret 8th grade level words. • Stu Dent cannot fluently read an 8th grade passage as typically printed. • Stu Dent CAN read fluently if there is more “white” space around the text.

5. Increasing Spacing between Words and Between Lines • Here is typical text: The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln, on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War (July, 1863). The text of the speech is as follows: Here is the same text with increased Spacing Between Lines: The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln, on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War (July, 1863). The text of the speech is as follows:

6. Increasing Spacing between Lines To Increase Spacing Between Lines: • Highlight all text • Go to Toolbar • Click on Format • Choose Paragraph • Click on Line Spacing • Choose desired amount of space

7. Increased Spacing Between Words • The same applies to spacing between words: Sample Text: • The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln, on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War (July, 1863). The text of the speech is as follows: Text with increased spacing between words: • The Gettysburg Address was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln, on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War (July, 1863). The text of the speech is as follows:

8. Increased Spacing Between Words To Increase Space Between Words: • Highlight all text • Go to the Edit Menu • Select “Replace” • In the “Find What” box, type one space ( you will not see anything appear) 5. In the “Replace with” box, type 2 or more spaces.

9. Changing Background Color Judi Sweeney of Onion Mountain Technology ( www.onionmountaintech.com) provides insight into research supporting the use of color differentiation when working with students with ADHD/LD • Increased number of students who have LD and/or ADD choose colors for computer use • Students with language based LD and dyslexia choose blue (36%) or green (19%) filters • Those students who have ADHD often choose intense colors/high contrast colors ( bright pink/lime green) • Students with visual impairments often choose yellow text with black or dark backgrounds.

10. Changing Background Color To Change Background Color: • Go to Format Menu • Click on Background • Select new color

11. Editing/Commenting on Student Work • Many students with disabilities in reading/writing also struggle from issues with organization, attention, processing, filtration of stimuli etc. • These students may benefit from receiving editing comments/teacher dialogue that is available in context, without extra pages. • Also useful for peer collaboration on group projects. Especially good for allowing a weak writer to have input.

12. Commenting on Student Work To Edit/Comment on Student Work: • Select the text you wish to comment on. • Select insert • Click comments • Type your comments • Comments will appear when the cursor is placed over the highlighted text • Delete comments by Right clicking on the brackets and selecting Delete Comment. • (This may also be used to insert “pre-reading “ questions!)

13. Commenting on Student Work • Example of “Comment feature”

14. Changing Text Appearance • "Serif" fonts have small "tails" on the letters such as on Times New Roman. They may be easier to read by some students with learning disabilities because they connect the letters into a word "shape". (This is Times New Roman) • "Sans Serif" are fonts without tails (such as Arial Unicode MS, used in this document) that may be easier to read by some students with visual impairments. ( This is Arial Unicode) Also, consider selecting a cursive/script font (e.g. ABCCursive) or a font that includes primary lines (e.g. ABCPrint). You can also download fonts from the Internet. Students like their finished paper to look as much like the other students’ papers as possible. (This is ABC Print) (This is ABC Cursive)

15. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests • Form fields. In essence, a form field is a device that makes it easier to enter information in a form. • You just insert form fields into a form template and protect it; users can then create new documents based on that template. Since the forms are protected, users can only insert information—with the help of the form fields. They can't alter the document in any other way. This is key when creating tests or worksheets.

16. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests • Word offers three types of form fields: text, check box, and dropdown list. Each type allows you to supply information in a particular way. • Text fields provide a place to type information; Check box fieldsgive you a choice of items to select or deselect; and Dropdown list fields let you choose an entry from a list.

17. Dropdown Fields

18. Dropdown Fields

19. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests

20. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests

21. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests

22. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests

23. Creating Form Fields/Worksheets & Tests

24. Text Fields • You can create a document that will allow the student to fill in the blanks via single words or a sentence.

25. Text Fields • To do: • Open a Word Document • Click on VIEW • go to Toolbars • Check Forms on the drop down menu • On the Forms Toolbar • Type your text, Click on the little “ab” when you want to insert a fill-in-the blank box • Don’t forget to click on the padlock when done

26. Fill In the Blank

27. Check Box • You can also create a document that would allow the student to choose the correct answer by checking a box.

28. Check Box • To Do: • Open a Word Document • Go to View ** Toolbars ** Forms ** • The Forms toolbar will be open at the top of your screen • Type your text • When you wish to insert a “check box” Click on the box with the checkmark • Don’t forget to click on the padlock

29. Check Box

30. Creative Highlighting • Make Words Stand Out in a Document • Use the Highlight tool in Microsoft Word to highlight words in a document. Try highlighting nouns, adjectives, weekly spelling words, words for geometric shapes, and so on. Students can even make changes to the highlighted words to change or complete a story or poem. This might remind you of the famous Mad Libs activity that students love. Try out some funny words to make stories and poems really wacky, or try scary words to make a very spooky story-just in time for Halloween. Try some of these Web sites for some interactive word fun: • Wacky Web Tales: http://www.eduplace.com/tales/ • FunBrain's Wacky Tales: http://www.funbrain.com/wacky/

31. Creative Highlighting • How To Use Creative Highlighting: • Start Microsoft Word and make sure a new document is open. • Start writing a story or poem. When you come to a word that you would like to highlight (a noun or an adjective, for example, or the word noun to represent a noun), click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Highlight tool, found on the Formatting toolbar. Select a highlight color to use, and then double-click a word that you would like to change or make stand out. You can also click and drag the Highlight tool across a group of words. • Continue writing your story or poem, using the Highlight tool to make text stand out. • Save your file, and then have a friend replace your highlighted words to make a really silly, scary, or wacky story.

32. Creative Highlighting • More Ideas: • Teachers might want to try creating some templates for students to use. You can focus on the parts of speech that you are studying in class, science vocabulary words or definitions from a lesson, historians from social studies, mathematical words or definitions, and so on. • When you are checking student work, highlight part of a sentence or a paragraph that needs editing to assist your students when they rewrite their work. • Color-code the highlighting-for example, put nouns in yellow, verbs in light blue, weekly spelling words in light green, and so on.

33. “BULLETS” Don’t forget about the importance of “bullets” “Bullets” help with: • Outlines • Lists • Organization of ideas

34. “BULLETS cont.” Encourage students to “Customize” their bullets. Their investment aides memory, and visualization To Customize the “Bulleted List”: • Click on Format • Select “ Bullets and Numbering” • Choose a “Bullet” option • Select “Customize” • Click on “Character” to choose from “Wingding” menu of symbols

35. AutoSummarize • Allow MS Word to examine a document for relevant information and summarize the main points!! For MS Word Versions up to & including 2003: • Highlight desired text Select Tools Click AutoSummarize :

36. Autosummarize 4. In the Type of Summary area, specify which of the four summary types you want to create. 5. In the Length of Summary area, indicate by using the Percent of Original drop-down list exactly how long you want the summary to be. 6. Click on the OK button. Word creates the summary, as you directed.

37. Autosummarize • Example: Samuel Adams Long before Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Samuel Adams wrote a school paper about the right for fairness and justice in government. Samuel developed his ideas about freedom while studying the theories of John Locke at Harvard College in the 1740s. After completing his studies, Samuel returned to Boston, Massachusetts to work for his father. He began to question the fairness of the laws imposed by the governor, who was appointed by the British government. Samuel and his father spent several years trying to prevent British officials from taking their home and land. Samuel believed the colonists had a right to elect their own government officials and he began to convince others about their rights for fairness, justice and representation. He wrote newspaper articles and essays and promoted his ideas at taverns and meetings. As a result he formed the Country Party, which included farmers who supported his ideas

38. Autosummarize &Highlight You may choose to have the important information automatically highlighted:

39. Autosummarize into new document Or you may choose to have it summarized into a new body of work:

40. For MS Word 2007 complete the following: • In Word 2007, the AutoSummarize feature is still available, but Microsoft decided to remove all references to it from the various ribbon tabs that make up the new interface. You can make the tool available by following these steps: • Click the Office button and choose Word Options. • Word displays the Word Options dialog box. • Click Customize at the left side of the dialog box • . • Using the Choose Commands From drop-down list, choose Commands Not In the Ribbon. • In the list of available commands, locate and select AutoSummary Tools. • Click the Add button. The command is copied to the right side of the dialog box.

41. Autosummarize • Click OK to close the dialog box. • The AutoSummary tool now appears on the Quick Access toolbar. You can utilize this tool to provide a summary by following these steps: • Load and display the document you want to summarize. • Click the AutoSummary tool on the Quick Access toolbar. Word displays a submenu. • Choose Auto Summarize from the submenu. Word performs an analysis of the document and displays the AutoSummarize dialog box.

42. Abbreviation Expansion • Students who have difficulty with the writing process may benefit from assigning a letter combination to stand for a longer word/phrase. • This may be useful for the student who always spells a particular word incorrectly or who needs to use his time optimally! For MS Word up to 2003: To perform Abbreviation Expansion • Select Tools • Click Auto Correct • Type abbreviation in the Replace Box • Type expansion in the With box • Each time your student enters the abbrviation followed by a space, the expansion will appear

43. For MS Word up to 2003: To perform Abbreviation Expansion • Select Tools • Click Auto Correct • Type abbreviation in the Replace Box • Type expansion in the With box • Each time your student enters the abbreviation followed by a space, the expansion will appear

44. Abbreviation Expansion Insert the characters/ text here

45. Abbreviation Expansion • After typing Ci and a space: • This also works well for students who need help organizing papers with headings, etc.

46. Abbreviation Expansion • For MS Word 2007: • Click the Office button • Select Word Options • Click proofing the left pane • Click the Autocorrect Options button • Select the Autocorrect Tab • In the box labeled Replace, type the abbreviation • In the box labeled With, enter the full text • Click Add • Click OK

47. Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts can be critical timesavers for students who go through many revisions, tend to loose track of multiple steps. Etc. Ctrl-A selects all the text on a page Ctrl-C copies text or graphics from a page Ctrl-V pastes onto another page Ctrl-X cut’s text or graphics out of a page Ctrl-P Print Ctrl-S Save

48. Margin Increase Margins Increase Increase the right and left margins to decrease the amount of visual tracking a student has to do. File menu Page Setup Change the left and right margins to 2” for example Click OK

50. Margin adjustment • This is an example of typical margin setups: