HIGHLIGHTING TEXT

The following posting, regarding the use of Microsoft Word 2003 and Jaws was written by staff of the Adaptive Services Division of the DC Public Library. While the majority of the tutorials are original, credit should be given to the authors of the Basic Word curriculum used by the DC Public Library’s Computer Lab and to the Chorlton Workshop for additional information and guidance that contributed to their creation.

SELECTING OR HIGHLIGHTING TEXT

To edit text, you must first SELECT THE TEXT you wish to edit. This procedure informs the computer that you are about to change the text in some way.

Important, if text is still selected when you start typing, the selected text will be deleted and replaced with the typed text.

The term cursor is used in the next step.
The cursor is wherever JAWS is focused on.
To select a letter, word or range of text:
Move your cursor to the beginning or end of the letter, word, or range of text, for example, a paragraph, you wish to select.
Again, the cursor is wherever JAWS is focused on.
For example, while holding onto Insert, press 5 on the number pad to say the current word.
That word is where JAWS is focused.

Hold onto the Shift Key and tap on the Left Arrow to move the cursor to the left.
Or, hold onto the Shift Key and press the Right Arrow to select a letter at a time to the right.
JAWS will inform you that the material has been selected.
To highlight one word to the left, move your cursor to the beginning or end of a word and hold onto the Shift key and the Ctrl key then press the Left Arrow.
To highlight one word to the Right hold onto the Shift Key and hold onto the Ctrl and press the Right Arrow.
Both the Shift Key and Ctrl key must be held down together when using the arrow keys.
To select an entire paragraph, move your blinking cursor to the beginning or end of the
paragraph
If you are at the bottom of a paragraph, hold onto the Shift Key and hold onto the Ctrl key and press the Up Arrow
If you are at the top of a paragraph, hold onto the Shift and hold onto the Ctrl Key and press Down Arrow
To select an entire document hold down on the Ctrl key and press A.

TO UNSELECT TEXT:

To unselect text, simply tap on the Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow and the text will unselect itself.

Exercise 4 Highlighting text from the Gettysburg Address

While holding onto the Ctrl Key press the Up Arrow to go to the top of the file Hold onto the Alt and press Down Arrow until you come to the paragraph that begins Now we are engaged in a great civil war.

Hold onto the Shift key and the Ctrl Key and press the Right Arrow to the left.
JAWS will say Selected Now.
That means you have highlighted the word Now.
Press the left arrow by itself.
You have just unhighlighted the word Now.
Again, hold onto the Shift key and the Ctrl Key and press Right Arrow to the left.
JAWS will say Selected We.
That means you have highlighted the word We.
Press the left arrow by itself.
You have just unhighlighted the word We.

Now highlight the words in the opposite direction.
Hold onto the Shift key and the Ctrl Key and press the Left Arrow.
JAWS will say Selected We.
That means you have highlighted the word We from the left hand side.
Hold onto the Shift key and the Ctrl Key and press Left Arrow again.
JAWS will say Selected Now.
That means you have highlighted the word Now from the left hand side.

Now, practice highlighting and entire line.
Make sure your cursor is at the beginning of a line by pressing Home.
Now, while holding the Shift key press End.
JAWS should say selected and read the entire line to you.
You have just highlighted an entire line.
Press the Right Arrow Key by itself.
That unhighlights the line and moves the cursor to the right hand end of the line.
To highlight the line from this side.
Hold onto the Shift Key and press the Home Key.
Again, JAWS should say selected and begin reading the line to you.
Again, you have just highlighted a line from the text, only this time from right to left.

Now practice highlighting an entire paragraph.
From where you are, hold down on the Shift key and hold down on the Ctrl Key and press Down Arrow.
JAWS should say Selected and read the entire paragraph to you.
You have just highlighted the entire paragraph.
Press the down arrow by itself.
You have just unhighlighted the paragraph.

You have just highlighted a paragraph from top to bottom.
Now, practice highlighting the paragraph from bottom to top.
From where you are, hold down on the Shift Key and hold down on the Ctrl Key and press Up Arrow.
Again, JAWS should say selected and read the paragraph back to you.
Now press the Up Arrow.
You have just unhighlighted the paragraph.

Now practice highlighting the entire document.
Hold onto Ctrl and press the A key.
JAWS should say Selected and begin reading the entire document.
You can press Ctrl if you want to stop JAWS from speaking.