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

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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.


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.


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


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


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


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

“Customize Quick Access Toolbar.”


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


Click on the “Choose commands from” dropdown button.


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


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

command, and then click “Add.”


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


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


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


Then click on “OK.”


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.


Insert the required CD and click “OK.”


Microsoft Office will take over and install the software.


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


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

computer.


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


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


You click here to start it reading...


and here to stop the reading.


This button toggles on and off to control whether your computer

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


or only reads another cell every time you press the

“Enter” key.


If you want to read a column...


you select the column you want the

computer to read...


and click here for Excel to start reading.


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.


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


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


Click to tell Excel to start reading and...




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”


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