Hi everybody, it's Ms. Gardner, and welcome to today's handwriting lesson.

I'm really excited for today's lesson because we're going to be practising our cursive handwriting when writing common exception.

So these are words which appear quite a lot in our writing, but they're more challenging to spell because they don't follow the regular spelling or phonic rules.

So thank you for joining, and let's get started.

Your learning outcome for today's lesson is to correctly write common exception words in cursive handwriting.

Let's start by looking at the key words.

We'll do my turn, your turn.

Common exception word.

This is a word that does not follow the regular phonics or spelling rules.

Join.

This is how the letters are connected together.

Letter string.

A group of letters that are written together in a word.

Lead in.

The stroke or line that guides us into starting a letter.

Lead out.

The stroke or line that guides us to smoothly finish a letter.

There are three sections of our lesson today.

In the first, we'll be doing a handwriting warm-up.

Then we'll be writing the common exception words, busy, heart, and fruit.

And then we'll be writing the common exception words circle and love.

So let's start with our warm-up.

Before we start, what are these pictures reminding you to do when it comes to handwriting? Pause the video now and have a think or discuss this with your partner, your class, whoever you're with.

Off you go.

So the first picture is reminding us to sit on a chair and at a table or a desk.

To have our feet flat on the floor and our back against the chair.

Then the second picture is reminding us to angle your paper correctly.

If you're right-handed, your paper should be tilted slightly to the left.

If you're left-handed, the paper should be tilted slightly to the right, and then your non-writing hand is supporting you by keeping the paper still.

Then the third picture is reminding us to hold your pen or your pencil in the tripod grip.

Before starting to write, it's really important to warm up your hand and your wrist muscles.

Your hands and your wrists actually get stronger the more you exercise them.

So that's why warming up your muscles and doing warm-up exercises is really important.

Warming up your hands before writing will actually help to improve your cursive handwriting.

Let's start with our warm-up.

So let's do the hand-squeeze warm-up.

I'm going to go first, and then you're going to have a go.

So we can start with one of your hands.

Doesn't matter which one.

I'm gonna start with my right.

And then I'm gonna start by stretching my hand as wide as I can, and then I'm going to squeeze my hand together.

I'm almost gonna imagine there's something really precious in the palm of my hand that I don't want to lose.

So I'm gonna squeeze my fingers really tight onto my hand so that there's no gaps.

Maybe like a chain of a necklace or something really small, a gemstone that I want don't want to lose.

So I'm squeezing my hand tight.

Then I'm gonna open it and stretch my hand wide again, and then squeeze it again.

Then we'll do it with my other hand.

I'm gonna start by stretching my hand wide open and then squeezing it together, imagining there's something inside I don't want to let go of.

Stretching wide, squeezing tight.

Okay, it's your turn.

Choose whichever hand you want to start with.

I'm gonna start with my right, and we are going to start by stretching the hand wide and open and squeezing it tight.

Tightly holding in whatever is precious to you.

Stretching wide, squeezing tight.

Okay, let's swap hands and then the same thing.

Start by stretching your hand wide and then squeezing it really, really tightly.

Stretching out wide, and then a tight squeeze.

Great job.

Well done.

Okay, let's do some wrist circles.

I'm gonna go first, and then it'll be your turn.

So I'm gonna start by putting my hands out, forming little fists, and then moving my wrists in one direction together.

Really nice feeling on your wrists.

Feels like they're getting lots of movement there.

And then I'm gonna switch direction, go the other way around, forming little circles with my wrists.

Really great way to warm your wrists up.

Okay, are you ready? It's your turn.

Get your hands out like this, form little fists, and then choosing which one direction you wanna go in, which direction you're gonna go in.

Let's go to the right and then forming circles.

This direction.

And then switch direction other way around, making sure your wrists are feeling really ready for handwriting.

Great job.

Another great thing to do before your handwriting is to practise writing patterns, as this help us to prepare for writing and joining letters.

You can see the writing patterns on the screen here.

All that will require quite similar movements in the hands to cursive handwriting.

So I'm going to do the writing pattern in the air first with my finger, and then you are going to have a go.

This is really fun.

So I'm gonna start at the top.

This pattern looks a little bit like a snake, doesn't it? So I'm going to go right to left, right to left, right to left, right to left, right down to the bottom.

I'm trying to keep my movement as smooth and flowing as possible.

So I'm gonna do it again from the top, right to left, right to left, right to left, right to left down.

And then the third one, I'm actually gonna go from bottom to top.

So starting at the bottom, right to left, right to left, right to left, up to the top.

It's your turn, you got your finger ready.

Let's all do this together.

We're gonna start at the top and then right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

And then, from the bottom up to the top this time, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

And then, this time, the third one, back down.

Right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

Great job.

It's time for Task A.

You need to copy and continue these patterns using your tripod grip.

Really try to keep your pencil firmly on the page.

Try to not lift and remove your pencil when you're forming the pattern.

And this helps us to keep a really smooth and flowing movement.

So pause the video now, and off you go.

Well done, everybody.

I hope you enjoyed that.

Did you use your tripod grip? Did you keep your pencil on the page, and was your movement smooth? I'm sure you all worked really hard.

Well done.

It's time for the second part of our lesson, where we are writing the common exception words, busy, heart, and fruit.

Common exception words do not follow the regular spelling or phonics rules.

Here are some examples.

We'll do my turn, your turn.

The, she, have, said, friend.

They appear really frequently, that's why they're called common in written text and require memorization.

You just have to remember them, 'cause there's no rules you can use to help learn them.

It is a really good idea to practise these words in cursive handwriting, as they will appear a lot in your writing.

Practising the letter joins in these words will improve your cursive handwriting skills, allowing for a smooth flow of handwriting.

So, can you remember the four joins that we've learned in cursive handwriting? Here are some examples of each join to help you.

Pause the video now and have a think or discuss with your partner in class, or your class, how you can describe each join.

Off you go.

Okay, so the first join, this is how A and W are joined here is from the baseline to the x-height line.

The second join is from the baseline up towards the ascender line.

The third join, O to M, is joined from the x-height line to the x-height line.

So you just dipped a little bit below the x-height line.

And then the fourth join, it goes from the x-height line up towards the ascender line.

Let's have a look at these common exception words.

Busy.

I was really busy yesterday.

I didn't stop moving.

Heart.

The heart is a organ in our body.

And fruit, banana is my favourite fruit.

What do you notice about the formation of the words? Pause the video now.

Okay, let's start with busy.

Busy starts with a lead in to form the letter B, the ascender letter.

And then the letter Y, the final letter, finishes with a lead-out loop with a lead out on the baseline.

Heart also starts with a lead in for the letter H, then the ascender letter, and then finishes with the letter T with a lead out on the baseline.

Fruit begins with a lead-in loop from the baseline to form the letter F.

And then the letter F finishes with a lead-out loop to join F to R.

And then the last letter T ends with a lead-out on the baseline.

Let's look really closely.

The first letter of all of these words has a lead in, and the last letter has a lead out, both from the baseline.

The letter F in fruit has a lead-in loop and a lead-out loop.

The word busy uses only the first join in its formation.

So all the letters are joined from the baseline to the x-height line.

The word heart uses the first join H to E, E to A, A to R.

And the fourth join, R to T, from the x-height line towards the ascender line.

The word fruit uses the first, third, and second join in its formation.

Remember, you don't lift your pencil until you have completed the letter string.

So if you need to dot an I or cross a T, you do that after you've finished writing the word.

There is always adequate space, so enough space between the letters and the words so that they're not squashed together.

I'm going to form the common exception words busy and heart in cursive handwriting in the air with my finger first, and then you'll be up to have a go.

So starting with busy, I'm gonna start on the baseline, find a starting point, then leading in up to the ascender line to form the letter B, then back down to the baseline, joining B to U, baseline to x-height line, U to S, baseline to x-height line, and then S to Y, baseline to x-height line, and finishing with a lead-out loop from the descending letter Y.

Then heart, starting on the baseline, finding a starting point.

Lead in up to the ascender line, forming the letter H, H to E, baseline to x-height line, E to A, baseline to x-height line, A to R, baseline to x-height line, and then R to T, x-height line up towards the ascender line, down to the baseline lead out, and then going back to cross my T.

Okay, it's your turn.

Feel your finger ready, we're all going to do this together.

Ready? Let's go.

We're gonna write busy first.

It's finding the starting point on the baseline.

Lead in up to the ascender line to form the letter B, joining B to U, baseline to x-height line, U to S, baseline to x-height line, S to Y, and then down to the descender line with a lead out-loop.

Then let's do heart, starting on the baseline.

Lead in up to the ascender line, forming the letter H, H to E, baseline to x-height line, E to A, baseline to x-height line, A to R, and then R to T, x-height line up towards the ascender line with a lead out on the baseline, and then I can go back and cross my T.

Well done, everybody.

Great job.

Let's practise writing the common exception words, busy and heart.

I'm making sure I'm sitting comfortably and my pen is in the tripod grip.

I'm going to start on the baseline and find a starting point where I can start my lead in from.

I'm ready to go.

So ready, line, go.

Leading in to form the letter B, up to the ascender line, back down, joining B to U from the baseline up to the x-height line.

U to S, baseline up to the x-height line.

S to Y, baseline up to the x-height line down to the descender line, and then a lead-out loop.

Let's now write the word heart.

Again, we're gonna start on the baseline, find a starting point to start the lead in from.

Ready, line, go.

Lead in to form the letter H, joining H to E, baseline to x-height line, E to A, baseline to x-height line, A to R, baseline to x-height line, then R to T, dipping down just below the x-height line up towards the ascender line but not all the way, back down to the baseline lead out, and then crossing the T.

Great.

Checking for understanding.

Which joins are used to write the word busy? Pause the video now.

That is A.

Only the first join is used within the word busy.

All the letters are joined from the baseline to the x-height line.

Great job.

It's time for Task B.

You need to practise writing the common exception words, busy and heart, using the starting point on the baseline.

Then you'll practise writing the following words three times for each word on your line.

So you're going to write busy, heart, and fruit.

So pause the video now, make sure you've got your pen or pencil in the tripod grip, and off you go.

Well done, everybody.

Great job.

Have a look at the words, the common exception words you've just written.

How do they compare to the cursive handwriting of the words on the screen? Did you use the correct drawings within the letter string? Did you keep your pencil on the page until the end of the letter string? And did you remember the lead-in and the lead-out loop for the letter F? If you need to, you can pause the video now and make any edits that you need.

Otherwise, have a look at all of your common exception words you've just written.

Circle your best join, the one you're most proud of, and celebrate because you should be really proud of yourself.

Well done.

Okay, it's time for the third part of our lesson, where we are writing the common exception words, circle and love.

Have a look at these common exception words.

We have the word circle, so the shape, and then love, the feeling.

I love my puppy.

What do you notice about the formation of the words? Pause the video now.

Okay, let's start by looking at circle.

So circle starts with a letter C, and we have a lead in from the baseline to form the letter C.

Then we have an ascender letter, L, and then our final letter, E, finishes with the lead out on the baseline.

Then the word love.

Again, starts with a lead in from the baseline to form the ascender letter L.

And then we finish with a letter E with a lead out on the baseline.

Let's look at these a bit more closely.

So in circle and love, both words, the first letter has a lead in and the last letter has a lead out.

The word circle uses the first, second, and third join in its formation.

Can you spot all the joins? The word love uses the first and the third join in its formation.

You don't lift your pencil until you have completed the letter string, so you won't go back and dot your I until after you've finished the word.

There is adequate space, so enough space, between the letters, which means the writing is legible.

Somebody else can read it.

So I'm going to form the common exception words circle and love in cursive in the air with my finger because it's really good idea to have a go at doing it in the air first before you write it with a pen or pencil.

So starting with circle and finding a starting point on the baseline.

Lead in to form the letter C, and then joining C to I, baseline to x-height line, I to R, baseline to x-height line, R to C, dipping just below the x-height line.

C to L, baseline up to the ascender, back down to baseline, to join to L to E with a lead out on the baseline.

Then I'll go back and dot my I.

Now I'm going to write the word love in the air.

So starting on the baseline, finding a starting point.

Lead in to form the ascender letter L, back down to the baseline, L to O, then joining O to V by dipping down just below the x-height line, V to E by dipping just below the x-height line, back to the baseline to finish the E with a lead out.

Okay, your turn.

Now you're going to form the common exception words circle and love in the air with your finger.

Let's do this together.

We're going to write circle first.

So starting on the baseline, forming a lead in to form the letter C.

Lead in forming C, joining C to I, baseline to x-height line, I to R, baseline to x-height line, R to C, dipping just below the x-height line, C to L, baseline up to the ascender line, L to E, and finishing with a lead out on the baseline.

Great job.

Let's write love together now.

Starting on the baseline, lead in up to the ascender line to form the letter L, L to O, baseline to x-height line, O to V dipping just below the x-height line to join the two, and then V to E, dipping just below the x-height line, baseline finishing with a lead out.

Great job.

I hope that was really helpful.

Let's practise writing the common exception words, circle and love.

I'm making sure I'm sitting really comfortably with my feet firmly on the ground.

I've got my pen in my tripod grip.

I'm going to start on the baseline, find a starting point to do my lead in from.

Let's start with the word circle.

I'm ready to go.

So ready, line, go.

Lead in to form the letter C, joining C to I, baseline to x-height line, I to R, baseline to x-height line, dipping down below the x-height line to join R to C, baseline up towards the ascender line, C to L, and then L to E, baseline to x-height line, finishing with a lead out from the baseline.

Now I'll go back and dot my I.

Now let's write the word love.

Again, starting on the baseline, found a starting point.

I'm ready to go.

Ready, line, go.

Lead in to form the letter L up to the ascender line back down to join L to O, joining O to V by dipping below the x-height line.

And then V to E, again dipping below the x-height line, finishing with a lead out from the baseline.

Great.

Checking for understanding.

Which joins are used to write the word love? Pause the video now.

In the word love, we use the first join to join L to O, and we use the third join to join O to V and V to E.

Well done.

It's time for Task C.

You now need to practise writing the common exception words circle and love using the starting point on the baseline.

Then practise writing the common exception words three times each word on your lines.

Make sure you're holding your pen or pencil in your tripod grip.

Pause the video now, and off you go.

Great job, everybody.

I hope you enjoyed that.

Have a look at the words that you've just written.

Did you use the correct joins within the letter string? Do they look the same as the examples on the screen? Did you keep your pencil on the page until the end of the letter string? Did you add the dot for the letter I after completing the letter string? If you need to make any edits or have another go at either of the words, pause the video now.

Well done, everybody.

Read back through all the words you've written in Task C, circle your very best join, and celebrate.

Great job.

Here's a summary of everything we've learned today.

Common exception words do not follow regular spelling or phonics rules.

Common exception words appear frequently in written text.

Letters in the common exception words will be joined using a range of joins depending on the letters in the word.

The first letter always has a lead in, the last letter always has a lead out.

There is appropriate letter spacing between the letters joined in a cursive letter string, and you don't lift your pencil until the letter string is complete.

Great job.

Well done today, everybody.