Magic C letters

Occupational therapy

﻿Hi, I'm really looking forward to our lesson today. I hope you are too. Before we get started, this is just a little reminder. We're here to support any approaches you might already be using, and any work you might have already been set. We know that this lesson is going to be going out to so many different children and families. So if you're not sure about anything or have any questions, then please do contact your usual therapy team. Today, we're going to learn about one of my favourite letter groups, and these are called the magic C groups. I can't wait for this lesson. I want you to try the following hand warm-ups before each hand-writing session. This is really important, for getting your hands ready for writing. Try and do each activity or each little warm-up, say 10 times. If you're finding that it's tricky, to do one warm-up with both hands together at the same time, then just do one hand at a time. Hands open and closed. Nice fist and open. Stretch those fingers Now we're going to interlock our fingers and squeeze our hands. You can see how white my fingertips are going because I'm squeezing and getting all of that feedback into my hands and my fingers. Okay? Squeeze. Now, I want you to clasp your fingers and just pull, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull. Excellent. Next, let's do some finger taps on the table. If you struggle doing both hands at once, then just do one hand at a time. You can also try, finger taps on the tips of your thumbs. Okay, so take each finger and just gently touch their fingers tip to your thumb. Now do some finger pulls and squeezes. Squeeze your fingers as you pull them up and away from your body. This is really good activity for getting your fingers ready for writing, and don't forget your thumbs. And if you wanted an extra challenge, you could try some finger separations. Okay, so those were your hand warm-ups. Please remember to do them before each hand-writing session. What are the magic C letters? Well, they all start off by you writing a C or curly Ca and you then, carry on in different ways to finish off the other letters. These letters are curly Ca, O A, D, G and Q. Oh, ah, Da, Ga and Qa. Pause the video now to get the items you'll need. Paper and a pen or pencil or crayon, or if you're using a chalkboard, that's absolutely fine. Just make sure you have some chalks and restart once you're done. Right, so when we practising our magic C letters, it's really important that we do each one several times until you feel that you can do it really well. And you're really happy and comfortable with how you're doing it. Take your time and don't rush. Remember with our writing, it's much more important, that we go slowly and carefully. Cause that's how your brain is going to learn how to do this. Okay. For a challenge, when you can do them correctly all the time, write each letter as many times, as you can say in 30 seconds and see if you can get them all to be the same size and really, really neatly. You could also have an adult call out each letter and you can do them quickly and correctly. There you have your magic C letters. And there you can see in the blue, I started the C. When I went to the O, I just went up to finish it. Then I started my curly Ca, but I went up and I bounced back down to make an ah or A. To make the D, I started with the superstar magic C. Then I jumped up to make him tall and I bounced back down. I ended up with a D. To make a G, I started with my magic C. I went up almost like I was doing an O. Then I came back down, almost like I was going to do an A and then I gave it a tail. And then, to do your Q, what do you think I'm going to have to do next? So I've made my curly Ca, I've made my magic C, what do you think I'm going to have to do to make, to turn that C into a Q? Yes, you're right. I'm going to have to go up, close it and make it an O and then bounce straight down. Fantastic. Okay. Watch me draw, the magic C. Start at the top and go out. Start at the top. How many, can you draw? Oh they're getting better aren't they? Yeah. Sometimes, I like to do really big one, and then do lots of the little ones, inside. Okay, can you see that? Okay. Have a go and guess, what letter I am going to make now. Okay? Make your guess three, two, one. Is that the one you guessed? Fantastic. What about, guess this one? You ready? Three, two, one. Is that what you guessed? Fantastic. Okay. Guess again. Three, two, one. Did you guess an O? Wow, that's brilliant. Let's see if I can trick you. What letter, am I going to do now? Three, two, one. Did you guess it was a D? No way. Pause the video now to practise the magic C letters. Restart once you're finished. we can also do cursive writing, which is a fancy way for saying joined up writing. And in some schools you have to start joined up writing straight away. So do whatever's happening in your school, okay? If you don't do cursive, then you can just skip this. Have a good practise in each of the letters again, but this time you're going to start each letter from the baseline and then go up, okay? That means that you have to draw up towards the start spot of the C, before you do the magic C and then you finish off the letter. So there, you can see my magic C's are once again in blue pen, and then, you can see how I've completed each of the letters with the pink pen, okay? Pause the video now, to practise some cursive writing. Restart once you're finished. So some alternatives for this activity, would be that you write in the air, or you write in sand or shaving foam or soapy foam with your finger. And practising this, is going to help you remember, how it feels when you form each letter. Okay? So when you do them in different positions, when you make them really large, make them really small when you do them in vertical, or flat on different surfaces, such as, the sandpaper and the bubble wrap. Okay? So try putting those under your paper, just for a different experience to feel what it feels like. Right? And as always, do the best for you. Don't rush. Take your time and have fun. Practise, practise, and practise. If you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share pictures of your amazing magic C letters on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging @OakNational and #LearnwithOak. See you soon.

Magic C letters

Magic C letters

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