Firstly, we spoke to Hannah Savill, Teaching Assistant at a SEN class, about the use of coloured paper in a Special Educational Needs (SEN) environment. Here’s what she had to say:

The importance of coloured paper in SEN environments

“Coloured paper plays a pivotal role in special educational needs settings, serving as a versatile and effective tool to support diverse learning needs. The deliberate use of vibrant hues enhances the educational environment, creating a visually stimulating atmosphere that aids in capturing the attention of students with various learning difficulties and disabilities.

In the realm of special education, coloured paper is often employed to differentiate instructional materials. Teachers utilise distinct colours to convey specific information or highlight key elements, facilitating better comprehension for students with cognitive or visual impairments. For instance, essential instructions may be presented on one colour, while supplementary information or prompts are presented on another, providing a clear organisational structure.

Using coloured paper as a tool to support children with special educational needs in understanding and expressing their emotions can be a powerful and effective strategy. Each colour can be associated with a specific emotion, creating a visual and tangible way for children to identify and communicate their feelings. For instance, red may signify anger, blue for sadness, and green for calmness. By incorporating this visual aid, educators can help children associate colours with their emotions, making it easier for them to express and process complex feelings. This approach not only fosters emotional intelligence, but also provides a personalised and inclusive way to engage children with diverse learning needs, enhancing their self-awareness and promoting a supportive learning environment.

Coloured paper is also instrumental in addressing sensory sensitivities commonly found amongst students with special needs. Soft, muted tones can create a calming ambience, minimising potential distractions and promoting a conducive learning environment. Additionally, the tactile aspect of handling different textures and colours can engage students in sensory exploration, fostering a multisensory approach to learning and feeding the child’s sensory diet.

By incorporating coloured paper into lesson plans and classroom activities, schools can actively promote inclusivity and cater to the unique learning styles of their students. This intentional use of visual aids contributes to a more supportive and enriching educational experience for children with diverse abilities.”

The many uses of tinted paper

It doesn’t end there, there are many other uses for coloured paper such as Image Coloraction, across a broad range of environments, including:

• Education – as well as being used in SEN, tinted paper has a wider appeal across all educational environments including for indoor play, arts and crafts, children’s reports, posters, internal memos and bulletins, accident reports and canteen menus.
• Manufacture – coloured papers can also be found in more industrial and production environments for documents such as production line checklists, incident/lost time reports, store acquisitions, internal memos and bulletins and machine maintenance reports.
• Post Rooms – tinted papers will often be used for checklists, departmental referencing, memos and bulletins, and parcel-in/mail-out checklists.

Whether you are looking to use tinted paper yourself or explore new sales opportunities with your customers for coloured papers, the possibilities are endless.