Hello everyone.

This is Miss Afzal here again to share some more handwriting with you.

I'm so excited to be here.

I hope you're feeling excited too.

We're going to, as always, do our best.

We are as always going to have lots of fun.

Are you ready to begin? Let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can correctly form the first join.

Here are our keywords.

Let's do my turn your turn.

Cursive, lead out, join, baseline, x-height line.

Hope you can look out for those words, listen for them, think about them, maybe even be curious about them.

We will explore them through today's lesson.

This is what we're covering.

The first join: ag, ac, na, and to with no lead in.

We'll start with handwriting, warm ups.

Next we'll go into the first join ag and ac.

And then the first join na and to.

Handwriting warm ups.

Well, these are important because before we start to write, we need to warm up our hand and wrist muscles.

Your hands and wrist get stronger when you exercise them, so warming up your hands before writing will help to improve your handwriting.

Let's have a go at the finger tap warm up.

I'll go first and then it will be your turn.

I love this warm up because it exercises our fingers and because it feels so good doing this on our head, giving ourselves a little massage.

So I'm gonna start by putting my hands on top of my head and I'm gonna tap each of my fingers starting with my little finger all the way to the thumb.

And I'm actually gonna tap down the side of my head.

So moving each of my fingers tapping and it feels great on my head.

It's like a lovely gentle massage.

Now I'm going to go back up to the top, and this time I'm going to tap down the back of my head.

Oh, this is feeling like a lovely way to begin our handwriting session.

Hmm, really nice.

And now it's your 10.

Get your hands ready.

Place 'em on top of your head.

Tapping down the sides of your head.

Doesn't that feel good? I love this exercise because it sounds good.

It feels good on our head.

And crucially, it's strengthening our fingers.

Ready for handwriting? Fantastic.

Next we're going to have a go at the wrist shake.

This is really helpful for our wrists.

So all we're gonna do is just gonna hold our hand down like this and we are going to shake our hand, so shaking our wrist, shaking our hand, and I'm gonna do the same on the other side, just shaking my wrist and my hand.

Now it's your 10.

Are you ready? So choose whichever hand you want to begin with and let's just shake that wrist, other side.

Shake your wrist.

Nice gentle shake.

Really fun way to do this is we can also shake upwards.

And this is lovely.

Have a go with me because this is like we're saying bye just for now or we can be saying hello.

Hello.

Well done.

Practising writing patterns also helps us to prepare for writing and joining letters.

Look at these fantastic patterns.

Check for understanding, true or false.

Practising writing patterns helps to prepare us for joining letters.

Decide if that's true or false and pause the video while you make that decision.

Well done.

It's true.

It is absolutely true that practising our writing patterns will help us to prepare to join letters.

For your task, I'd like you to copy and continue these patterns using your tripod grip.

Remember, don't lift your pencil when forming the pattern.

Focus on keeping the movement smooth and flowing.

Pause the video here while you have a go at these patterns.

Okay, we're back together.

How did you get on? Did you use your tripod grip? Did you keep your pencil on the page? Was your movement smooth? I hope so.

We are back together and we're going to look at the first join ag and ac.

Print and cursive are the most common forms of handwriting.

Print is when each letter is formed separately.

Take a look at these three letters in the word cat.

They are each separate.

They are doing their own thing.

They are not touching each other, they're not connected.

Cursive is a key word.

Cursive is also known as 'joined-up' handwriting.

This involves joining the letters together in a flowing manner.

So word cursive means joining letters, joining them up and keeping our pencil on the page while we make each of those letters.

And while we form the joins.

Let's look closely at a print and cursive example.

Here's the print formation of the word leg.

The letters are separate.

They are not touching, they're not joined together in any way.

And let's have a look at the cursive formation of leg.

It's quite different.

I think you may notice.

The letters are connected together.

They're joined together.

Sometimes we call this 'joined-up' handwriting.

So join is another one of our keywords.

So if we join something, it means those things are connected, they're linked together, they're touching.

Have a look at these joint letters, these letter strings id, ig and ed.

Cursive handwriting involves joining letters together without lifting your pencil.

How the letters are connected together depends on which letter is joining to which letter.

Cursive letter joins refer to how letters connect together.

And learning letter joins will improve your cursive handwriting skills, allowing for a smooth flow of handwriting.

It's gonna feel good, it's gonna look good.

Let's go for it.

Check for understanding true, or false.

How letters are connected together depends on which letter is joining to which letter.

Isn't that true or is that false? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected true indeed.

How the letters connect together absolutely depends on which letter is joining to which letter.

Take a close look at these examples of our first join.

What do you notice? What do you see? Tell someone nearby.

Pause the video here.

Did you notice that the g has a lead out? How about the c? Did you notice that it has a lead out? And these two letters are joined together.

Let's find out more about these letter joins, ag and ac.

So the first letter starts on the x-height line and the first join starts at the baseline and it goes up to the x-height line.

You don't lift your pencil when forming the join.

The last letter has a lead out and all of these letters are formed in an anti-clockwise direction.

So clockwise means going away around the way the clock goes.

Anti-clockwise is the other direction.

And I can see a few more of our keywords are on this page.

So let's talk about these.

So the first join, we talk about join when let us connect together starts at the baseline.

So the baseline is the line in green.

And load of sit letters sit on the baseline and that join goes up to the x-height line.

That's the dotted line.

And so x-height letters like a and c go up as high as the x-height line.

And another one of our keywords is lead out.

Let's try that.

Lead out your turn.

So lead out is a line that takes us out of the letter.

So that's a lead out.

It takes us out of the letter and in fact it's gonna take us out to the letter.

And then when we're joining, it will take us into the next letter.

His Aisha with a reminder.

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

Thank you, Aisha.

It's time to have fun and form these joins in here.

I'll go first and then it's your turn.

Let me start with the ag.

I'll start at the x-height line.

And I'm gonna go clockwise and form the letter a.

And then to join, I'm gonna go from the baseline up to the x-height line, and I'll form the letter g, clockwise and then to lead out, I'm gonna form a loop that goes from the descender line to above the baseline.

Okay, it's your turn, ag.

Let's go beginning at the x-height line.

Let's form the a clockwise.

And then to join, we'll go from the baseline back up to the x-height line and form our letter g.

And then we'll go down to the descend line.

Make a loop for our lead out.

Wonderful, that looks great.

So we do one more, clockwise for the a.

Then to join, we'll go from a baseline up to the x-height line form the letter g, and we'll make a loop, lead out loop at the descender line.

Fantastic.

And now it's time my turn to form the letters ac.

I will start at the x-height line form a letter a clockwise, and then to join, I'm going from the baseline back up to the x-height line.

I'm gonna form the letter c and lead out.

It's your turn, ac start at the x-height line.

Go around and form your letter a.

And then to join, go front of baseline up to the x-height line.

Form the letter c and a lead out.

Oh yes, very nice.

One more, letter a.

And then to join, we go front of baseline, back up to the x-height line form your c and lead out.

Lovely.

I'm gonna show you how to form the first join ag.

I'm sitting comfortably, my pen is in the tripod grip.

I'm gonna say to myself, ready line, go.

Put my pen at the x-height line and form the letter a going around into clockwise.

And then to join, I'm gonna go from the baseline up to the x-height line form a letter g going around anti-clockwise.

And then I'll finish with a lead out loop from the descender line to pass the baseline.

Let's try again.

Ready line, go start at the x-height line form a letter a.

Then to join, I'll go from a baseline up to the x-height line, another anticlockwise movement to form a g.

And I'll finish with a lead out loop going past the baseline.

One more, ready line.

Go form the letter a and then to join, I'll go from the baseline up to the x-height line form my letter g finish with a lead out loop from the descender line to past the baseline.

I'm going to show you how to form the first join ac.

I'm sitting comfortably, my pen is in the tripod grip.

I'm gonna say to myself, ready line, go.

And I'll begin at the x-height line forming the letter a.

And then to join, I'll go from the baseline back up to the x-height line, and I'll form a letter c and I'll finish with a lead out.

Let's try again from the x-height line a.

To join, I go from the baseline back up to the x-height line, form the letter c.

Finish with the lead out.

Let's try one more.

Ready line, go.

Start with my a.

Here's the join, baseline to the x-height line.

Form the letter c.

Lead out.

Check for understanding.

Select the correct join.

Which of these ag's is formed correctly.

Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected the one in the middle, this ag has got the join going from the baseline up to the x-height line.

Which of these ac's is formed correctly? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected the first one, this join is going from the baseline up to the x-height line.

And both these letters are sitting in between the baseline and the x-height line.

For your task, I'd like you to practise the first join ag.

First of all, go over the grey examples.

Next, try using the starting dot and finally complete two lines independently on your tramlines.

After that, I'd like you to practise the first join ac.

Go over the grey examples, try using the starting dot.

And finally complete two lines independently on your tramlines.

Pause the video here while you have a go at this task.

Okay, it's good to be back with you.

I wonder how did you get on? Did you start at the x-height line? Did you join from a baseline to the x-height line? Did you keep your pencil on the page for the join? Circle your best, join and celebrate.

And now it's time to look at the first join na and to.

Here they are.

Take a look at these examples of our first join.

Hmm, what do you notice about them? Look closely, look carefully.

What can you see? Tell someone nearby.

Pause video.

Did you notice that the a has a lead out? Did you notice? And the lead out is at the baseline.

Did you notice that the to at the end of the o, there's a lead out? This time the lead out is at the x-height line.

Interesting.

The two letters are joined together.

What did you notice about how these letters are joined? Did you notice that the letter n starts on the x-height line? Letter t starts just above the x-height line.

The first join starts at the baseline and it goes up to the x-height line and you don't lift your pencil when forming the join.

The last letter has a lead out and the cross for letter t is added once the letter string is finished.

Here's Aisha.

What are you gonna say, Aisha? "The first join is from the baseline to the x-height line." Thank you Aisha.

That fantastic reminder.

There are those arrows to show us the first join.

Let's have a go at forming this join in the air.

I'll go first and then it's your turn.

So let me begin with na.

I'll start at the x-height line and I'm going to form my letter n.

And then to join, I'm gonna go from the baseline back up to the x-height line, and then I'll form my letter a and lead out.

One more time, n to join, I'll go from the baseline back up to the x-height line form my letter a, lead out.

It's your turn.

Ready? Let's do this.

Start at the x-height line, form the letter n.

Then to join, go from the baseline back up to the x-height line form your letter a and lead out.

One more, n let's join baseline up to the x-height line.

Oh yes, that's looking good.

And lead out, lovely.

Okay, now I'm gonna have a go at forming to.

I'm gonna begin above the x-height line, kind of in between the descender line and the x-height line.

Halfway in between.

And I'm gonna form my t.

Then to join, I'm gonna go from a baseline up to the x-height line form my letter o and lead out at the x-height line.

Then I'm gonna go back to my t, make a cross at the x-height line.

Are you ready for your time? To, so let's begin.

Above the x-height line, in between the x-height line and the descender line, let's go t.

Then to join, go from the baseline back up to the x-height line form your Letter o, lead out at the x-height line.

Pencil off.

Cross the t.

Hmm, that's looking good.

One more.

Ready, t, join from the baseline to the x-height line form your o, lead out, cross the t.

Oh yes.

Very, very good job.

Oh and yes, Aisha, we did remember, we remembered to cross the t once the letter string was complete.

Thank you Aisha.

I'm good to show you how to form the first join na.

I'm sitting comfortably.

My pen is in the tripod grip.

I'm gonna say ready line, go.

Put my pen at the x-height line and begin by forming the letter n.

And then to join, I'll go from of baseline back up to the x-height line, form my letter a going round anti-clockwise and I'll finish with a lead out.

Let's try that again.

Ready line, go.

Form my letter n.

To join I go from the baseline up to the x-height line anticlockwise to form the letter a, finish with a lead out at the baseline.

One more.

And here's my join, baseline up to the x-height line, form the letter a and I'll finish with a lead out at the baseline.

I'm gonna show you how to form the first join to.

I'm sitting comfortably with my pen's in the tripod grip.

I'm gonna say ready line go.

And I'll put my pen just above the x-height line.

In between the x-height line and the ascender line and our form letter a t.

To join, I'm gonna go from the baseline up to the x-height line, and then I'm gonna go anti-clockwise to form the letter o.

And I'll finish with a lead out at the x-height line.

Then I'll go back and cross the t.

Let's try that again.

Start in between the ascender line and the x-height line, form a letter t.

To join, I go from the baseline up to the x-height line.

Then you go anti-clockwise to form the letter o, lead out at the x-height line, cross the t at the x-height line.

One more.

Ready line, go.

Form the t.

Here's the join, baseline to the x-height line, form my letter o.

Lead out at the x-height line.

Cross the t at the x-height line.

Check for understanding.

Select the correct join.

Which of these na's is the correct na? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected the na in the middle, that is joined correctly.

With the join going front of baseline up to the x-height line.

Look at these to's, which to is the one for you, which is joined correctly? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done if you selected the to above the c, this one has got the join going from the baseline up to the x-height line and the t has been crossed and it's the cross of the t is not joining onto the o.

For your task, I'd like you to practise the first join na.

Firstly, go the grey examples, then try using the starting dot and then complete two lines independently on your tramlines.

After that, I'd like you to practise the first joint to.

Go over the grey examples, try using the starting dot and then complete two lines independently, confidently, flowingly, excitedly, enthusiastically on your tramlines.

Pause the video here and I'll see you when you're finished.

Alright, it's good to see you again and to see those letters.

I have some questions.

Did you join from the baseline to the x-light line? Did you keep your pencil on the page for the join? Did you add the cross for the letter t at the end? Circle your best join and celebrate.

In our lesson the first join, ag, ac, na and to with no lead in, we have covered the following, cursive handwriting involves joining letters together.

Cursive letter joins refer to how the letters connect together.

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

Letters are formed by following the right starting point and direction.

You do not lift your pencil when forming the join and the cross for the letter t is added once the letter string is complete.

I'd like to say well done everyone.

I hope you're feeling proud of yourselves for how you've joined in with this lesson, with making all of these joins, the crosses, the loops, the lead outs.

There's been a lot involved in this lesson and I think you did a great job.

See you next time.

Bye for now.