Microsoft Word can be used to create texts that allow children to insert words chosen from a drop down menu. This is a particularly useful feature to create cloze procedure texts such as the example below:
To create a text that contains drop-down menus you will need to use the Forms menu.
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If this menu is not already available, click View then Toolbars and select Forms. |
Type the text you require and then begin to insert the drop-down menus at the points where you want the children to choose words to insert:
| Click in the text where you wish to place the menu, then click Drop Down Form Field on the Forms menu |
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Add the choices for the menu one at a time. Type each word in the Drop-down item field and then click Add.
If you want the choice to appear blank before it is clicked, put a row of spaces as the first item in the list.
Items can be moved up and down the list by clicking them and using the Move buttons. |
When all the required choices are in the list, click OK.
Before the children can use the text you need to 'lock' it. This ensures that the only parts of the text that can be changed are the words in the drop-down menus.
To do this click Protect Form in the Forms menu. |
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Save the text in the usual way. When opened the document will be protected from all changes apart from those words inserted via the drop-down menus.
More help with creating forms in Word Word 97 Format - 164K |
