Sensory Stencils

cults3d

Sensory Stencils were crafted by educators specializing in Human Development, Special Education, English, and Secondary Education to offer inclusive multisensory learning experiences for children with physical, sensory, or cognitive delays while mastering alphabet recognition and reading skills. Designed to benefit all learners, Sensory Stencils work seamlessly because they provide a visual and kinesthetic experience; the textured side offers tactile reinforcement of each letter's shape, allowing students to develop muscle memory through touch. By flipping the letter over, students gain an error-free track to form the letter using their preferred writing tool, ensuring a smooth learning process. The three-dimensional design caters to children who benefit from physically holding a letter and practicing correct orientation on a surface. Sensory Stencils can also be used in reading stations to build words in a more concrete manner than 2-D flashcards allow. Design Ideas These initial letters are our first prototype for this project, honed through our design expertise and user feedback from teachers and students. We will soon release more letters, including lower-case versions, as well as develop prototypes for non-symmetrical letters like "G", "F", and "J" with a stacking stencil design. Our current design principle is that each letter should be approximately 20mm in height, featuring some texture on top (2mm). Length and width vary depending on the letter, averaging around 120mm by 85mm, with a recessed "track" at the bottom measuring about 10mm in width and 12mm in depth to accommodate various writing tools like pencils, markers, or chunky crayons.