Beautiful, bright geometric shapes in new system to help kids learn to write

Early school days weren’t so bad: the odd bit of colouring in, keeping up with the adventures of Billy Blue Hat, playing that game where you have to sit in a curled up in a ball being quiet when the teacher wants a rest. But they could have been even brighter, especially in the learning to write department – and graphic designer Éloïsa Pérez’ Apprendre à écrire offers a perfect solution.

The system (which translates as “learning to write”) is the result of a research project into how primary school children are taught to write, and uses beautiful, bright geometric-shaped tools that try and utilise the graphic qualities of letterforms to help children learn them. “Writing is foremost a mode of expression. Its acquisition implies the learning of graphical systems…in that sense, its teaching involves two important challenges, since it relies both on the building of a theoretical understanding as well as on the production of graphic forms,” says Éloïsa.

She has produced a gorgeous book to present her research, and currently works with children aged three and four to test the tools she’s made in weekly workshops. If the system is as functional as it is beautiful, they may have a colourful little educational revolution on their lucky little hands.