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Help

© Cheryl Lewis

One of the greatest tools included in Windows is the "Help" feature. I recommend that you show your child this feature as a second lesson to teach your child how to use the computer. Windows 95/98 provides a cross-referenced help system for each major Windows application as well as a general Help on the Start Menu.

Start with the Help that comes up in the Start pop up menu. This has an extensive list of general topics. You can get definitions for the different parts of the computer and directions on how to use them. To give them an example of how to use the Help feature in the Start menu click on the index tab. Look down the list for "basic computer skills". Click on this and you will get a brief description of what basics you need to know to use the computer and how to learn more. After taking a peek at this go to the Search tab and click. Then enter a word or two to search for and let them see what happens. This will show them that if they are looking for something in particular this is a place they can usually go to on the computer to find the answer. You will also find that there are shortcut links provided throughout the help topics. You may want to click on some of these to show your child what they are for and what will happen if they click one.

After you explore this Help pull up some of the different programs you have shown your child. I started with Word. After Word opens click on the Help button. It will give you a general list of options as well as an Index and a Search option. Explore the general options. You will probably find things that you didn't know about Word while exploring this feature. I know I did. After you explore the general options click on the index tab. The list here is pretty extensive. Scroll down through the options and see if there is something you or your child would like to read about. After going through the index file go to the search tab and do a search for something simple that your child may need. I used the spell check as an example, so that they would understand this feature a little better.

I highly recommend that you also pull up the Paint program after the Word program. Paint also provides a help feature that I have found my children use quite a bit. Make sure that you show them where this is on the toolbar for Paint and what it will look like when it comes up. I also recommend that you explore this one at least a little as well. My kids and I love this program and I will talk more about this in my next article, but I believe that once you show your child this program and how to properly use it, Paint will get quite a work out. You will also get some fantastic pictures for your refrigerator and treasure box (a box I keep all of the saved art my kids have done for me over the years-I now have 3 big ones).