Abstract: An instruction is presented to a user for making a target gesture. The target gesture may be a portion of an exemplary or model symbol. The instruction may be presented in various ways, such as being printed on a writing surface or being played in audio format through a speaker of a smart pen device. A writing gesture made on a writing surface by the user is digitally captured using a smart pen device. The captured writing gesture is compared to the target gesture and feedback is determined based on this comparison. This feedback may indicate the correctness of the user's writing gesture. The feedback may be presented to the user through various means, including through the smart pen device. The comparison may also be used to determine a next instruction for the user to follow.

Abstract: An interactive electronic device (10, 100) is disclosed. The device (10, 100) has a sequence of language symbols (18) and control electronics (16) operatively coupled to a graphic user interface (14) and a language-symbol selector (20, 20?) having a sight (22, 22?). The sequence of language symbols (18) and the language-symbol selector (20, 20?) are movable in relation to one another such that each language symbols of the sequence is viewable in the sight (22, 22?). The control electronics (16) has an electronic memory (30) having stored therein a plurality of traceable templates (32) representing each language-symbol of the sequence (18). Selection of a language symbol when the language symbol is viewable in the sight (22, 22?) causes the graphic user interface (14) to produce the traceable template (32) corresponding to the language symbol and to produce a visible rendering (34) of a movement of an affector (36) as the affector (36) races the traceable template (32).

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for producing a teaching aid. The system includes an input receiving means for receiving input for a text character, a processor configured for converting the input for the text character into an output character, and an output character output means for displaying the output character. The output character includes an indicia related to the text character, which indicia includes separated dots which are within the projected borders of a line of the text character, a dotted character; an indicated space, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: An instruction is presented to a user for making a target gesture. The target gesture may be a portion of an exemplary or model symbol. The instruction may be presented in various ways, such as being printed on a writing surface or being played in audio format through a speaker of a smart pen device. A writing gesture made on a writing surface by the user is digitally captured using a smart pen device. The captured writing gesture is compared to the target gesture and feedback is determined based on this comparison. This feedback may indicate the correctness of the user's writing gesture. The feedback may be presented to the user through various means, including through the smart pen device. The comparison may also be used to determine a next instruction for the user to follow.

Abstract: Writing and composition paper that is functional in helping students to write legibly and teachers to easily read their writing, thus helping teachers make more efficient use of their time. “Skip-A-Space Writing and Composition Paper” is a step above traditional writing paper because it allows students to produce legible handwriting and gives them a “built-in handwriting guide on each sheet of paper”. “Skip-A-Space Writing and Composition Paper” may contain a vertical line approximately one inch from the right and/or left sides of the edge of the paper and may be used for margin guides. A sheet of “Skip-A-Space Writing and Composition Paper” may be wide-ruled or college-ruled. It may also be available in loose leaf or composition notebook form and may contain holes on one side to allow insertion into a binder.

Abstract: Color, lines, and arrows are used to teach the proper formation or writing of letters, numbers or other characters. For each part of a character requiring the lifting of the writing implement, a different color within a character outline is displayed. Color is also used to teach the proper sequencing of writing a character. Where directional changes may be confusing because of a lack of color change, arrows show directional changes within character segments. The instructional character set may be presented to students as a color reference guide, or may take other forms such as a coloring book, flash cards, or a computer program.

Abstract: A hand-writing practicing system is comprised of a computer with a screen that can sense the movement of a stylus on it, and software the displays to the user original script in hand-writing, record the stylus movement as user-writing and display it on top of the original script.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to an electronic writing device for interactive teaching of users to reproduce a selected graphical representation. The electronic writing device comprises a casing, a screen and internal logic placed within the casing. The internal logic controls adjustment of a light beam directed at a bottom surface of the screen to temporarily illuminate one or more light segments, visible on a top surface of the screen, in efforts to guide a user in writing the graphical representation.

Abstract: An educational aid that provides a surface, such as a page in a book, that is sectioned into at least two sections. A plurality of concepts are presented in the first section and a plurality of concepts are presented in the second section that relate to the subject matter of the first section. The concepts are at least linguistic, mathematical, and artistic and allow the user to compare the more complex concepts with the simpler concepts and thereby increase the learning curve by building upon an already learned concept.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stimulating creativity, spontaneity and inspiration includes a container that has a removable lid, interior surfaces and exterior surfaces. A series of journal writing, life, artistic and summary writing exercises are enclosed in the lid. Each of the writing exercises is focused upon one of a group of identified blocking influences. Each of the life exercises is a physical or mental activity for life style enhancement and is focused upon one of a group of methods of stimulating creative processes. Each of the artistic exercises is focused upon one of a group of artistic media. A collection of art supplies suitable for completion of the artistic exercises is provided. The summary writing exercises are focused on recording the results of each of the journal writing, life and artistic exercises.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for stimulating creativity, spontaneity and inspiration includes a container that has a removable lid, interior surfaces and exterior surfaces. A series of journal writing, life, artistic and summary writing exercises are enclosed in the lid. Each of the writing exercises is focused upon one of a group of identified blocking influences. Each of the life exercises is a physical or mental activity for life style enhancement and is focused upon one of a group of methods of stimulating creative processes. Each of the artistic exercises is focused upon one of a group of artistic media. A collection of art supplies suitable for completion of the artistic exercises is provided. The summary writing exercises are focused on recording the results of each of the journal writing, life and artistic exercises.

Abstract: Instructional writing paper for instructing children to properly form letters and numerals is disclosed. The instructional writing paper preferably includes writing paper having a plurality of spaced parallel lines, the parallel lines forming at least one segment. Each segment includes a top and bottom line, wherein the top line includes indicia indicating a starting point and the bottom line includes indicia indicating a direction of letter and numeral formation. The indicia is preferably a parallel line having a highlighted color portion. The starting point is at the top line of a segment of the writing paper and the direction of letter and numeral formation is directed toward the bottom line of the segment of the writing paper. A method of teaching persons to form letters and numerals is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for performing instruction of handwriting skills by animated display of the required stroke motions with simultaneous audio verbal description of these same motions, including the means for a student to practice this lesson with use of a pen based input device by which the pen motion is captured, displayed on a computer monitor, and communicated to an evaluation algorithm which rates the quality of the writing. Based on this handwriting evaluation, the system includes means to provide visual and auditory reward, and generate the subsequent instructions and exercise for the student using embedded expert teaching knowledge. In the preferred embodiment, a tablet with a fastening mechanism fixes into position the paper duplicate of the handwriting lesson presented on the computer screen and the pen writing device is a special ballpoint pen capable of leaving a hard copy trace of the student writing.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a device 10 used for teaching people to properly write letters, numbers and various geometric shapes. It consists of templates 12 displaying the various letters, numbers and shapes which as placed over a piece of paper 16 inside a guide form or template holder 14 so that the sheet of paper 16 is held between the template 12 and the template holder 14. Each template 12 has a number of rows and columns on it so that in the first column the imprinted letter 24 to be written is shown, in the second column the stencil 26 of the letter or number to be written is shown and to the right blank spaces 28 are provided so the user can practice his writing. In addition, a template 52 having varying sizes of blank boxes 28 is provided allowing one to practice the letters in various sizes.

Abstract: A drawing device for providing entertainment as well as promoting the development of children, including a plurality of drawing instruments, such as crayons, a drawing instrument detector for determining the color of the particular crayon selected for use, a pressure sensitive drawing tablet that is responsive to pressure contact from the drawing instrument, and a computer that is adapted drive an audible device, such as a speaker, to generate various audible output, including both speech and melody which, in a preferred embodiment, may vary depending upon movement from the drawing instrument. Various uniquely identified drawing sheets, which may be preprinted with a wide variety of scenes, are included to directly insert into the device and overlay the drawing tablet. In connection with these drawing sheets, the computer may be adapted to further vary the audible output of the speaker dependent upon the identity of the particular drawing sheet that is inserted.

Abstract: Letter writing skills are improved through use of an associative letter writing template comprising stationery having distinct regions separable by perforations. One distinct region has an outline of a letter while another distinct region has a plurality of thematic markings. The thematic markings may include words grouped by sub-topic and/or illustrations relating to a common theme.

Abstract: A display device for teaching reading and writing includes a base member made from a blank cut from a sheet having a printed face. The blank is folded and slitted to define a guide collar having an unobstructed display area and an adjacent variable display area. Opaque and transparent display members are mounted in the collar for movement relative to one another and relative to the base member. A representation of a letter of the alphabet appears on the unobstructed display area and on part of the transparent display area. The variable display area has a representation of an object associated with the shape and sound of the letter. The opaque display member has a masking portion with a representation of a clue suggesting the object, and an additional display area having a representation of a motor plan for forming the letter. The display members are moved to employ different display modes including the object or the clue with and without an overlaid representation of the letter.

Abstract: An interactive writing skills instructional apparatus includes a display device, such as an LCD panel, for displaying single or multi-stroke characters and an input digitizer for accepting user-entered characters that are representative of the displayed character. A program controller microprocessor grades the user-entered stroke or strokes by scanning the digitized representation of the user-entered stroke for extreme points, dividing the user-entered stroked into segments and then analyzing each segment in terms of the position of its start and end extreme points, segment orientations, curvature, relative position, direction drawn, and size. Deduction points are then assigned for deviations from the ideal value to yield a `grade`. The user is provided with a indication of performance including both audio and visual indications as a function of the performance grade.

Abstract: A marking guide for an imprinted lotto ticket having a plurality of laterally arranged wager sections, with each section having a plurality of spaced boxes in a row and in a plurality of laterally spaced rows with numerical indicia in each box, includes a flattened sleeve. A guide strip having spaced opposed inturned guide flanges is nested and secured within the sleeve and projects outwardly from one end defining a guide support. An apertured guide block spans the flanges and is secured thereto. The guide block has therethrough a plurality of spaced rectangular slots in a row and in a plurality of laterally spaced rows corresponding respectively to the boxes in each wager section to facilitate marking the boxes in each section through the slots as the lotto ticket is inserted into the guide strip with the wager sections successively underlying the guide block.