That sounds right, if there's a MS Word or Works icon on the desktop. Otherwise, I seem to recall that the Start Menu is a bit different in XP -- you might have to open the Programs file to find it. When I first bought Windows XP I set it up for the Classic mode so that it looked like the version of Windows that I was used to. Maybe Chief of one of the others could help with tips on the technical aspects of setting up Classic mode?
Actually, I just tried something. If you use the mouse to right click anywhere on the desktop and select Properties, then select Themes, you can select Windows Classic mode. That should make the screen look like older versions of Windows and make it easier to find Word and other programs (if that was the issue).