Hi everybody, my name is Mrs. Mystery.

I am so pleased to be with you today.

We're gonna be practising some more of our handwriting, using our cursive handwriting, focusing on some common exception words with no leads-in, and that comes from our unit review, No Lead-in.

I'm really looking forward to working with you today.

Let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can write common exception words using cursive handwriting.

Throughout our lesson today, there's gonna be some key words I'd like you to listen out for, I'd like you to look out for.

Let's do my turn, your turn.

Common exception word.

Lead out.

Join.

Starting point Letter string.

Well done, those are the words I'd like you to listen and look out for today.

In our lesson today, there's gonna be two parts to it.

In the first part, we're gonna be looking at the common exception words, we and me.

And in the second part of our lesson, we'll be looking at the words who, and said.

Let's start with we and me.

Before we start handwriting, it's important that we warm up our hands and our wrist muscles.

That's because our hands and our wrists get stronger when we exercise them.

Just like any other muscle in our body.

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

Okay, now that we know it's so important to warm up our hands, we better get started.

So I'm gonna do my turn, your turn.

And we're gonna start today with the finger pulls, I'd like, well, I'll show you first.

I'm gonna pull my finger.

Each one just waking up gently, not too hard.

We don't wanna hurt our fingers, we just wanna pull them gently, feeling them and pulling them in.

It's like a bit of a massage on our hands.

Can you do it with me this time? So take your hands up and choose one hand to do first, it doesn't matter which one, just gently pulling your fingers.

Oh.

Actually feels really nice.

I can feel my fingers waking up.

Perfect.

Now we're gonna look at our wrists.

So my turn first.

And I'm just gonna roll my wrists, so I'm doing them both at the same time, but you could maybe do one at a time if you wanted to.

Really stretching them all the way around, this hand, all the way around.

Do you want to join in with me? Your turn now.

Take your hands up and we'll start by doing it one at a time, I think.

Rolling your wrists.

You might start to hear them click or you might start to feel that they're loosening off.

That's a good sign.

The other hand.

Then let's try doing them together, shall we? Well done.

Oh, that does feel good.

Right.

My fingers and wrists feel warmed up.

Don't yours? Let's get going.

Let's have a little bit of a closer look at what a common exception word is.

So a common exception word does not follow the regular spelling of phonics rules.

They often appear frequently in written text and require memorization because they can't be sounded out.

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

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

Let's do a check for understanding.

Which of these words do you think are common exception words? Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

Did you select B, the word "are"? This is a common exception word.

Did you select C, the word "me"? Both of the words are and me are common exception words as they don't follow the usual spelling or phonics rules, whereas the word cat and big, if you sound them out, they do follow the normal phonics rules.

Well done.

Now let's move on to thinking about the joins that we use in cursive handwriting.

I wonder if you can remember the four joins that we use.

Here are some examples of each join.

The first join is from the baseline to the x-height line.

In this example, the letter N joining to the letter A.

The second join is from the baseline up towards the ascender line, like the letter C joining to the letter K here.

The third join is from the x-height line to the x-height line, like the letter O to the letter M in this example.

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

As if we were joining the letter R to the letter L.

In today's lesson we're gonna be using a range of these joins to form the words.

Here's our first two common exception words in cursive.

We have the word we and me.

I would like you to look closely, speak to the people around you, what do you notice about these words? Pause the video now.

Thank you for those discussions.

I wonder if you notice these things.

Did you notice that the last letter has a lead out for both of these words? I wonder if you also notice that all of the letters on this page and the examples are x-height letters, they sit between the baseline and the x-height line.

Did you also notice that there's appropriate space between the letters when writing the word? The letters are not very far apart.

They're not on top of each other.

They're perfectly placed next to each other for the join.

Let's look a bit closer at the word we.

The word we is a common exception word.

The letter W, the first letter, has a starting point at the x-height line.

The letter E has a lead out, the last letter, and the letter W connects to the E using the third join.

So going from the x-height line to the x-height line.

Now let's look at the word me.

The word me is a common exception word.

The letter M has a starting point, that's the first letter at the x-height line.

The letter E has a lead out.

The letter M connects to the E using the first join.

So going from the baseline to the x-height line.

Now's our opportunity to practise writing these words in the air with our finger.

Gonna do my turn, your turn.

I'm gonna start with the word "we".

So I'm looking at it and it's got two letters and they're joined with the third join, going from the x-height line to the x-height line.

And the starting point for the W is on the x-height line.

So I'm gonna start my finger up.

I'm going to go down, up, down, up for the W, across and round for the E with a lead out.

Can you help me now? Let's get your finger up.

Let's start on the x-height line down, up, down, up, across for the E and the lead out.

Well done.

You did the word we.

Now my turn to have a look at the word me.

So me, the starting point for the M is on the x-height line.

There's two letters that are both x-height letters and the E has a lead out.

Okay, I'm gonna get my finger ready.

I know I don't take my finger off the page, so I'm gonna go x-height lying down, up and over, down, up and over and then up for the E and the lead out.

Okay, can you get your pencils ready in the air? Your fingers, start at the x-height line.

Go down, up and over, down, up and over.

Down and up for the E and the lead out.

Very good.

That was fantastic, everybody.

Oh, someone's reminded us here that we must leave adequate space between the letters when joining.

That's correct, isn't it? We must make sure that the letters are not too far apart but not on top of each other.

We practise that.

At first it might be a bit tricky, but if you keep practising you'll start to see how much space you need to leave for it to look like that.

Thank you for the reminder.

Now we're gonna practise forming the common exception words, we and me.

So let's start with we.

I'm gonna start at the x-height line.

That's my starting point.

Down, up, down, up, across for the E and the lead out.

And do that one more time.

So starting at the x-height line down, up, down, up, for the E and the lead out.

Now let's do the word me.

So again, the starting point is at the x-height line.

I've got two letters I need to remember my lead out for the E.

Starting at the x-height line down, up and over, up for the E and the lead out.

Let's do that again.

Starting at the x-height line.

Down, up and over, the E and the lead out.

Let's do a check for understanding.

Please select the correct join sequence.

Pause the video now.

Well done.

Did you select B? That is the correct formation of the word we.

The letters are the correct size, they're spaced adequately and the correct join is being used.

Let's do a check for understanding.

Please select the correct join sequence for the word me.

Pause the video now.

Well done.

Did you select A? That is the correct formation of the word "me".

The letters are x-height, they're spaced adequately and the correct join is being used.

We're now moving on to task A.

Where I would like you to practise forming the common exception words, we and me.

We're gonna focus on we first.

So start off by going over the grey examples of the word we then try using the starting dot to write your own words "we" on the tramlines.

And then finally complete two lines independently on your tramlines.

Once you finish writing "we" I'd like you to do the same for "me", going over the grey examples first, then using the starting dot and then doing two lines independently on your tramlines.

Have fun, enjoy, make sure the letters flow together and I'll see you soon.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back everybody.

I hope you had fun.

Let's have a look at the words we and me.

I wonder if you used the correct starting point for the first letter.

For both of these words it was on the x-height line.

Did you use the correct joins to connect to the letters? And did you keep your pencil on the page when joining the letters? I'd like you to look at your words, circle your best and celebrate.

Well done, we're now moving on to the second part of our lesson where we'll be looking at the common exception words, who and said.

Here are our next two common exception words, who and said.

I would like you to have a look with them, speak with the people around you and discuss what do you notice and what can you see? Pause the video now.

Thank you for those discussions.

I wonder, did you notice that both of these words have a letter with an ascender.

For the word who the ascender is on the letter H 'cause part of the letter reaches above the x-height line and for the word said, it's the letter D.

As part of that letter reaches above the x-height line, did you notice that the last letter of both words has a lead out? Did you also notice there's appropriate space between the letters when writing a word? One of these words "who" has three letters and "said" has four letters and we've managed to keep the spacing correct, they're not too far apart and they're not too close together.

That's what we like to see in cursive handwriting.

Let's look a bit closer at the word "who".

The word "who" is a common exception word.

The letter W, the first letter, has a starting point on the x-height line.

The letter O has a lead out, so the last letter.

And the letter W connects to the H using the fourth join from the x-height line up to the ascender line.

The letter H connects to the letter O using the first join from the baseline to the x-height line.

Let's have a look at the word "said".

The word "said" is a common exception word.

The letter S, the first letter has a starting point just below the x-height line.

The letter D, the last letter has a lead out.

All of the connections in this word used the first join.

So from the S to the A, the A to the I, the I to the D, it's the first join being used.

The dot for the letter I is only added once the letter string is complete.

So once you finish the letter D, you go back to remember to add your dot for the letter I.

Now's our opportunity to practise writing these words in the air with our finger.

We'll do my turn, your turn.

I'm gonna start with the word "who".

So I'm looking at it, I know the starting point is on the x-height line and I know that it has a letter with an ascender, the H, and I need to remember the lead out for the letter O.

So my turn first I'm gonna get my finger start on the x-height line.

I'm gonna go down, up, down, up, up to the ascender line for the H, down, up and over, up for the O and my lead out.

Very good.

Can you try with me this time? Get your finger ready.

We're starting at the x-height line.

We go down, up, down, up, up further for the H, the ascender, coming down, back up and over, back up to the x-height line for the O, round in an anticlockwise direction and the lead out.

Well done.

Let's try the word "said".

So my turn first is four letters to this word.

Oh and I remember that I need to finish the letter string before I add the dot for the I and they all use the same join here, so the first join.

So from the baseline to the x-height line.

I'm gonna get my pen, my finger and start just below the x-height line, going round for the S, back up for the A, back up for the I not adding the dot at this point, back up for the D all the way up to the ascender line, down for the lead out, my finger off.

And then I'm gonna go back and put the dot for the I.

Okay, can you help me this time, get your finger ready, starting just below the x-height line.

Go around, back around for the A, the I not adding the dot at this point, the D all the way up to the ascender line and down for the lead out, pencil off and then dot for the I.

Well done.

Here's just a reminder of something that we did remember to do, which was good, that we only lift the pencil or our finger once the letter string is complete to add the dot for the letter I, okay, we must remember that.

Thanks for that reminder.

Now we're gonna practise forming the common exception words, who and said.

Starting with "who", it's got three letters and the starting point is on the x-height line.

So we start on the x-height line down, up and up, up to the assemble line for the H, to the x-height line.

And remember in the lead out.

let's try that again, starting on the x-height line, up to the ascender line, making sure there's appropriate spacing.

And O, well done.

Now let's try the word "said".

So remember in this four letters and the starting point is just below the x-height line.

So the S first, back up the A, all of these words using the first join remembering the D has an ascender, lifting the pencil at the end to add the dot for the I.

Let's try that again.

So just below the x-height line.

Go for the A and I, not adding the dot at this point, the D with the ascender, the lead out, pencil off, and then the dot for the I.

Let's do a check for understanding.

Please select the join sequence.

Is it A, B, or C? Pause the video now.

Well done if you selected A.

That is the correct formation of the word "who".

If you can see the letters are the correct size, formed correctly and the correct joins are being used.

Well done.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Please select the correct join sequence for the word "said".

Pause the video now.

Excellent.

Did you select B? That is the correct formation of the word "said".

Can you see the correct joins are being used, the letters are joined together nicely with adequate space in between and the letters are the correct size and formation? Well done.

We're now moving on to task B where we're gonna practise forming the common exception words, who and said.

We're gonna start by focusing on the word "who".

I'd like you to go over the grey examples first.

After that I'd like you to use the starting dot to write the word "who" and then finally complete two lines independently on your tramlines.

Once you've completed that, I'd like you to do the same for the word said, first of all, going over the grey examples, then using the starting dot and then completing two lines independently on your tramlines.

Good luck.

Have fun and I hope to see you soon.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

I hope you had fun writing those words, who and said, I wonder if you used the correct starting point for the first letter.

So for "who" the starting point was on the x-height line for "said" it was just below the x-height line.

I wonder if you used the correct joins to connect the letters.

Did you remember to add the dot for the letter I in the word "said" at the end of the letter string once you'd completed the letter string? I wonder.

What I'd like you to do now is look at your words, circle your best and celebrate, excellent work everybody.

In today's lesson we have been reviewing further common exception words with no lead-ins in cursive handwriting.

Here's some examples of some of the words that we've been looking at.

We, me, who and said.

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 begins at the correct starting point.

The last letter always has a lead out.

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

Wow.

Well done everybody.

I've certainly learned a lot today and I hope you have as well.

And I hope you've had fun.

I really look forward to seeing you again.

Bye.