For those who do Composition on the computer, what computer program do you use?

[Sparrows-Song]

Ds (8th grade) is wanting to do his composition work on the computer so he can type it out instead of hand writing it. For anyone who allows their dc to do this, what computer program have you found is most helpful? I'd love to find something that will keep a word count for him, along with spell check.

Thanks!

[Laurie4b]

Ds (8th grade) is wanting to do his composition work on the computer so he can type it out instead of hand writing it. For anyone who allows their dc to do this, what computer program have you found is most helpful? I'd love to find something that will keep a word count for him, along with spell check.

Thanks!

We use Microsoft Word. Don't know if it has a word count, though I suspect it does, but it does have Spellcheck.

[Nan in Mass]

We use Word, too. And I just realized that we can set it so that it will do both French and English spellcheck!

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

and it has both spell check and word count features...

video of word count feature.
http://blip.tv/file/534372/

To download this FREE application, go to openoffice.org.

While I was googling around, I found this interesting site:
"Using Open Office for Novel Writing"
http://www.haruah.com/item.php?sub_id=3168

hth,
K

[Karen in CO]

We use Microsoft Word too - the student edition.

[TejasMamacita]

Microsoft word can do a word count or a character count for you. Go under tools.

[Quiver0f10]

Microsoft word here too.

[Sparrows-Song]

Thank you very much!

[Sharon in MD]

It is a truly compatible program and totally free. My friend,who is a computer scientist by profession, heartily endorses open office as an alternative to MS products. He uses both.

[Sparrows-Song]

Thank you! I downloaded Open Office yesterday and really like it!!

[Frontier Mom]

Word here and it does have a word count.

[HSHS]

I don't use Open Office myself but my DD does on her laptop and she loves it too. She uses it over Word now since word messed up on her and since she likes Open Office better anyway, she's never bothered fixing it. (:

[AngieW in Texas]

We use Microsoft Works because that's what was preloaded on my computer. I would prefer to use Word, but we don't have it.

Works does have a word count feature and a spell checker that you can turn on or off.