To get started in WordPad you will need to go to the Start Menu and click to open your menu. Go up to Programs and click. Then go to Accessories and follow that submenu to WordPad. You will usually find it at the bottom of the list. Click on WordPad and it will open the program.
Once WordPad opens I recommend that you click on the maximize button to enlarge your work area. Show your child the three little buttons in the top menu bar. There will be a _ in the first box, this is the minimize button. In the second box you will see what looks like two little boxes, this is your maximize button. The next box contains a large X, this is the close button. Explain what each of these will do. In case you don't know, minimize will reduce the program to a little bar at the bottom of your screen. All of your work will remain exactly as it was when you minimized it. Please note though, this does NOT save your work. This does NOT close out the program either, which should be done before you shut down your computer. The maximize button expands the work area to fit all of your screen. The close button is fairly self explanatory, it closes the program. If you do not save your work before closing the work is lost. Usually you should get a prompt that will tell you that you have not saved your work.
Once you have maximized your program look at the toolbar and discuss each of the buttons with your child. If you are not sure what each button is you can usually move your mouse to that button and it will display a title for the button. I recommend you click on the format button to see what is available. This is where you can change font, font size, etc. If you feel that any button might not be shown on your toolbar you can go to View and click and this will show you what is also available. All of the basic buttons are available here. Bold, italic, underline, and alignment options.
