The c family is a, c, d, g, o and q. Swing up, then curve back around with a downcurve, just as print c does in Circle Letters.
- a: downcurve around, close at the top, slant down, out.
- c: a little hook at the top, then the downcurve.
- d: like a, but the line goes up to the top line before coming down.
- g and q: like a, with a tail below the baseline (a loop for g).
- o: around, close at the top, and out with a little bridge.
Key idea
Curve back around, then close the top before the line comes down.
Why it works
A closed top is what makes a an a. An open a looks like u, and an open d looks like c and l (cl).
Worked example: Read the word
Ben wrote cat, but the top of his a was open. What might a reader see?
- An open a looks like u.
- So cat could be read as cut.
- Closing the a fixes it.
Answer: cut instead of cat.
Common mistake
Leaving the tops of a, d, g and o open. Check each one: did the curve come all the way back up to close?
For the grown-up. See small a and small d, g and q in the Palmer guides.