| Teaching kids to tell the time can be hard for | | | | can find them at on line stores, often at bargain |
| both parents and the children, but can be a lot of | | | | prices. |
| fun. | | | | Now here is my method. Start with the basics |
| I thought I would share a few ideas with | | | | and explain that when the hour hand is on the |
| everyone, of how you can turn the task into a | | | | number it is such and such a time. Don't worry if |
| game. First you need a clock, and I do | | | | they don't get it at first, you don't want to force |
| recommend an old fashioned analogue clock (the | | | | it on them. What you want to do is make it into a |
| kind with minute and hour hands). A lot of people | | | | game of sorts. Start with things like "if you can |
| tend to give kids digital clocks or alarm clocks, the | | | | come and tell me when it's seven o'clock we can |
| problem I see is that it is too easy to just read | | | | have a chocolate" or similar reward. Just play it |
| out for example "it's nine-forty five", and there is | | | | with little things, and it works well along side the |
| no understanding or thought process that has to | | | | parent or grandparent as it may be working in |
| go into it. An analogue clock will be harder to learn | | | | the kitchen. They can count out the minutes, and |
| to read from, but it will imbue more of a sense of | | | | for example close the windows for you at four |
| how time moves forward. | | | | minutes to eight, and then if they turn on the TV |
| As a side note, it will also teach the terms | | | | at nine o'clock they will find that a show they like |
| "clockwise/anticlockwise," which, though seemingly | | | | is on. |
| trivial, are used amazingly often. A child who can | | | | The key is to make them feel they are getting |
| pipe up and tell the teacher that the arrows point | | | | something out of it, and the sense of |
| "clockwise" is sure to impress! | | | | empowerment they gain. With this in mind you |
| If your child has a favourite story character have | | | | can save a lot of complaining when they learn it in |
| a look for a kids wall clock with that theme. You | | | | school. |