How to help your child tell the time

September 16, 2017

• Advice for Parents
• / Common Entrance

Learning to tell the time is a complex and difficult task for young children however, it is an important skill that they all manage to master. It is a significant hurdle in any child’s development and while teaching children to tell the time has a reputation of being a challenging endeavor, preparing a child to conquer time-telling can be made easier.

1. Learn the numbers 1-60

One of the first steps in acquiring the skill to tell the time is to have your child memorise and learn all numbers up to 60. Double-digit numbers can be especially difficult for children so familiarising them and being able to say them in the correct order can aid them in their learning. This can be practiced almost anywhere, particularly when identifying a number in public by having your child repeat it to you.

2. Introduce time duration

Learning about routines enables children to understand different times of day. Presenting them with the concepts of past, present and future or associating specific events with particular times of day, such as evening – dinner or morning – breakfast, is a great way to introduce the notion of time. To develop learning further, create a simple timeline or timetable to allow your child to see the specific times of day for activities.

3. Don’t jump in with digital

An analog clock is key when teaching beginners how to tell the time. A large clock with moveable hands is the ideal tool to learn before moving on to a working clock, allowing plenty of opportunity to practice. Start by explaining the difference between the hour hand and the minute hand and run-through simple time telling by moving the hands to different locations. Begin with __o’clock and then move on to half past __ etc. Make sure your child feels comfortable with the basics before moving on to more complex times.

4. Implement fun games

Once your child has begun to get to grips with how to tell the time, you can apply their new knowledge through the use of time-telling games. This can be as simple as getting them to tell you the time whenever you see a clock or getting them to make their own. There are also hundreds of fun worksheets and games online to help them reinforce their latest skill.

Do let us know at Kings Tutors your top tips for teach your little one to tell the time.