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"Soft" C -- when c represents the "s" sound.

In front of an e, i, or y, C almost always represents the "s" sound (as in "sister"). Exceptions are very rare, though one or two of them are familiar words.
Letting the students discover this pattern by generating lists of words with "c" and grouping them by the letter after it, and then looking for patterns in the sounds represented by the letter c, can help the student internalize this pattern.
Many of the -ce-, -ci-, and -cy- words are advanced, though, which may account for the difficulty many students have in applying this pattern to their reading. Practice this pattern often and thoroughly.
 

Here are some typical words following this pattern. There are many more!