The Best Ways to Teach Your Child to Tell Time
Anyone who has tried to prepare a child under eight for school knows that children have no concept of time. This may have something to do with the fact that many kids, even my 2nd grader, still have a hard time reading analog clocks.
As I try to teach my son, I realize that the mathematical ideas behind telling time with the small and large hands are actually complex. It makes me wonder how I even figured it out.
To help caregivers in a similar situation, we will outline the basic concepts of reading an analog clock, since digital clocks and smartphones may have put many of us out of practice. We’ll also share some fun ideas to teach kids this skill.
Determining time using an analog clock
Each hour consists of 60 minutes, which on most analog clocks are represented by small lines around the clock. Every fifth line contains a number starting with one and ending at the top with the number 12. These numbers indicate the hours of the day.
All analog clocks have a short and a long hand. The short hand indicates the hour, and the long hand indicates the minutes that have passed in the hour. For example, if the large hand points to 12 and the small hand points to 2, it is 2:00.
Things get more complicated as the short hand approaches the next hour. For example, when the time is 2:50, the large hand points to 10 and the small hand points closer to 3, so children may think the time is 3:50. If you’d like to take the test for yourself or your child, click here for a quick overview.
Tell us about your routine
One way to teach children about time is to show them how these concepts apply to their everyday lives. You can tell them they can play with the toy for five to ten minutes and set a timer so they can see how quickly (or slowly) time passes. You can also create index cards that list each step of your morning or evening routine. Ask them to get everything in order so they know when each step should happen and how long it should take.
I also have what I call “Telling Time by Octonauts ” working at my house. Whenever any of my kids want to know how long something will take, I frame it in a concept they can easily understand: screen time. For example, when people ask me how long it will take for dinner to be ready, I explain that it will take one episode of Octonauts , which they know is about 22 minutes long.
Give the short hand a hook
As mentioned above, telling the time on an analog watch becomes more difficult as the short hand moves closer to the next hour. You can help children show what time it is by making a pipe cleaner in the shape of a hook and attaching it to the clock hand. Even when approaching the next hand, the pipe cleaner clearly shows that the short hand belongs to the previous hour, eliminating any confusion.
Pizza time
In many classrooms, time is taught using an analog clock, cut like a pizza, with each slice corresponding to five minutes on the clock. Kids can then color each slice differently or draw their favorite toppings. The slices will help them understand that the short hand does not always point directly at each hour number, but is located within the range of each slice.
Solve the riddle of time
Another fun way to teach time is with this cool set of puzzles. Each puzzle consists of four simple pieces. On the largest product, the time is indicated in numbers. Below it are three smaller fragments depicting an analog clock and two time phrases (“it’s half past four”). With these 12 puzzles, kids will be able to tell time before you know it.
Play bingo with a clock
Time will fly by when you play this game. The rules of Clock Bingo are simple: children are given a sheet of different times. When the time has been read, they mark it on the board. The one who clears his field first wins. You can even set it to focus on hourly, half-hourly, or 15-minute intervals.