A few tricks to take you beyond the basics of Microsoft Office 2007

Gwinnett County Public Schools

A few tricks to take you beyond the basics of Microsoft Office 2007

Microsoft Excel 2007: Excel can read to you.

GCPS Tech Tips

Proofreading is very important with anything you write. The simplest form of proofreading is to actually read out loud what you have written. That can usually keep you from overlooking

typos and missing words.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

But if a document is extra important, you would be wise to get another person to read it out loud as you listen. Two sets of eyes and ears are better than one.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

If there is no one available to proofread with you, Excel will be happy to do it. That’s

right. Excel will read the words and numbers in the cells of your worksheets.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

To use this function, you will need to have a sound card and working speakers...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

or a headset plugged into the earphone jack on your computer or laptop.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

With those in place... and with your Excel worksheet open...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

go to the top left of the Excel screen where the Quick Access Toolbar is located. Click on the

“Customize Quick Access Toolbar.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

On the menu that drops down, click “More Commands.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Click on the “Choose commands from” dropdown button.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

You will then see a list of options for you to choose, select “All Commands.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Scroll down, and for each text-to-speech command you want to use, click the “Speak Cells”

command, and then click “Add.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Do this for each and every text-to-speech command you want to use …

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

… by selecting the individual text-to-speech command, and clicking “Add.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Until all of your selections appear in the “Customize Quick Access Toolbar” window.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Then click on “OK.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

If this is the first time you’ve tried this, your computer may give you a message that additional software needs to be loaded

from your Microsoft Office CD. If you get that message and you want to load this

capability, click on “Yes.”

PLEASE

NOTEEXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Word will tell you which CD is needed to input the additional software.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Insert the required CD and click “OK.”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Microsoft Office will take over and install the software.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Your Quick Access Toolbar will now reflect the text-to-speech options you selected.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

you will use these icons to set up, start, and stop your talking

computer.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

You click here if you want it to read a row of cells.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

You click here if you want it to read a column of cells.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

You click here to start it reading...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

and here to stop the reading.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

This button toggles on and off to control whether your computer

reads one cell right after another as the data is being entered ...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

or only reads another cell every time you press the

“Enter” key.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

If you want to read a column...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

you select the column you want the

computer to read...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

and click here for Excel to start reading.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Excel will stop at the end of the selected column... or... you can click here to stop the

reading at any time. So... if you hear an error, you can stop and make the correction.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

If you want Excel to read a row... you click here...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

and then select the row of cells you would like Excel to read.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

Click to tell Excel to start reading and...

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.

That’s all there is to it. Now, if you would like a copy of the step-by-step directions for having

Excel 2007 read to you, just print this last page. Have fun listening to your computer talk!

Step-by-Step:

- Open your worksheet- Click on “Customize Quick

Access Toolbar”- Click on “More Commands”- Choose commands from All

Commands- Select and add each text-to-

speech command- Click OK- (Add software if required)

For columns:- Click on “By Columns”- Select the column cells- Click on “Speak Cells”

For rows:- Click on “By Rows”- Select the row cells- Click on “Speak Cells”

EXCEL 2007: Excel can read to you.