1. How would you explain “What is an excel sheet and what it does” to your 7 year niece?

Answer 1

Explain it to her by comparing it to a chalkboard. It has to be something she's familiar with. You can talk about programs and data etc. when she's older. Relating it to something she has actually used (hopefully in school) will make your explanation stick and make more sense to her.

Get her a chalkboard. Paper will work if you have to but a chalkboard is better. Get some sticky-note paper.

Draw columns and rows to make boxes on the chalkboard. Tell her that each box has an address, just like her house. Columns A, B, C cross with rows 1, 2, 3 like street intersections. Each box has its own address just like home.

Then fill in two boxes vertically with very simple one or two-digit numbers. Then below those two numbers, start with asking her to add them together.

After she has completed the simple addition, congratulate her on the achievement. A simple achievement builds confidence and fosters interest in the lesson. Tell her "good job!"

Then redo the numbers in adjacent column of boxes. Instead of putting in the sum, put in the Excel formula "=SUM(A1,A2)" using whatever box addresses are applicable.

This is where it gets less tangible but hopefully she will understand. Explain to her that the formula is telling the box what to do. It is like an instruction to that one box. Your formula is telling that box to add two numbers together.

Use a sticky-note to write the result of the formula. Stick it on the box where the formula is written. Cover the formula. Show her this and explain that a spreadsheet does the same thing; it holds the formula (instruction) behind and shows the result (sum) by following the instruction.

Now erase the numbers from first example where you had her manually add them together. Leave the boxes; just erase the two numbers and their sum.

Put in two new numbers and have her manually add them together. Again, congratulate her on good result from adding but next time; tell her that the spreadsheet will do it for her.

Erase the two numbers above the box with a sticky-note. Leave the sticky-note covering formula. Ask HER to write two new numbers. You write the result on a new sticky note and simply switch it with the one on the chalkboard.

Explain to her that the formula (instruction) underneath has not changed. Yet the result shown has changed. The spreadsheet did the work for her! She should understand that since she got to write in the numbers to be added but she didn't have to do the adding.

Repeat the steps if needed. Then compare the exact same steps to an actual spreadsheet. Make certain you point out how the spreadsheet looks like your chalkboard. Point out the letters at top, numbers on left and how they make intersections. It will make sense to her. Trust me!

I truly hope this helps. I have used this method myself and I have had excellent results.
Kind Regards,
QwertyKPH @ Yahoo!

Answer 2

Tell her it is a program that helps to create charts. It is a way to organize information. Most people use it to organize numbers, money, invoices, etc. A few people use it as a place to store information. They make lists of things like how much money they spend, how many things that they have in storage, how much they sell, etc.

This should work. I think that she should understand that.

Hope this helps...

Answer 3

I have a 7 yo son. I think if I had to explain a spreadsheet to him, I would say
It's a computer program that keeps information organized.