How to teach a child to tell time

Telling the time is a vital life skill in adulthood. But teaching a child how to tell time is tricky because in order to be able  to tell time a child has to be able to use two numerical systems at once- 1-12 and also 1-60.

This can be VERY difficult for children to conceptualize. So as the teacher of time telling you will have to be very patient with the child learning it. particularly those who are still in the Pre-operational stage –  
"Two to seven years. In this stage children are less reliant upon senses and physical exploration and are ‘illogical’ thinkers. During this stage even though someone has shown them that two balls of dough exactly the same size and got them to agree that the balls are the same size, when one is flattened, children will usually tell you that one of them is now bigger. This inability to conserve is a feature of the preoperational stage." ~ Jean Piaget

Knowing this if a child is under 7 years it may be best to simply be exposing them to these methods and teaching them the precursors to time telling.

So without further ado, here are the steps. both precursors and the actual beginning of time telling.

Step one: Teach the child how to count to sixty. (precursor step)
The reason this is so important is because there are sixty minutes in an hour. Without knowing how to count to sixty this venture will be very frustrating, discouraging and unfruitful for both parties. No matter your childs age teaching them to count to at least sixty is vital for this learning.


Step two: Teach the five times tables. (precursor step)
Being able to count 5...10...15...20...etc. will make it much easier to understand the minute hand on a clock. So it is imperative to teach this first too.


ONCE YOU HAVE THE PRECURSORS DOWN.

Step three: Get a clock, preferably a large one with big hands.
A toy clock, or an old clock with the glass removed so the child can easily maneuver the hands will be the most appropriate to work with so your child can play with the clock. Play is important. You want them to enjoy their time with the clock.

Explain that the shorthand is the hour hand. Keep the minute hand at 12, and move the hour hand to various positions on the clock. Explain that any time the minute hand is exactly over the 12, it is an "o'clock." and the number that the hour hand is pointing to which o'clock it is. Allow the child to move the hour hand around until they are confidently reading each o'clock. Play, play play.


Step four: Explain that the long hand is the minute hand.
 Keep the hour hand still and move the minute hand around explaining what each position means to your child. Start by covering the 5-minute marks; once they understand those they will naturally progress to the “off mark” numbers like 17 and 32. Allow the child to move the minute hand around and practice reading it until they are confident. Don’t worry about hours for the time being just work each numerical system separately. It is a lot to take in.


Step five: Explain and demonstrate how to read the hour and minute hand together.
Start with simple times like 1:30, 1:45, 8:15 etc before moving on to more complicated questions especially times with overlapping hands for example 3:15 is a very confusing one in the beginning. Allow your child to "test" you on your time telling abilities. In this way they maintain control of their learning, are thinking hard on whether or not you "got it right" and so are engaged and practicing without feeling like they are under pressure to perform since they are asking the questions. Take this step slowly. If your child balks or becomes in any way distressed back off a little and go back to the previous steps.

In addition:
incorporate clocks into other areas of learning for example:

• making their own clock will help with familiarizing a young child with what a clock looks like and how the numbers are spaced and what they represent. 
• having a daily schedule with the times written down for your child to take notice of through out the day allows them to practice without too much thinking.
• a DIGITAL clock can help while the child is still learning about the minutes as it displays the exact time in an easy to read format.
• coloring in the "quarters" of a clock can help children know where each 12th ends and the new fraction of the clock begins.

 Please remember not to rush. The ability to tell the time involves multiple skills being mastered and while YES you can teach very young children to tell the time- there are steps that just cannot be missed and so no matter if you start when the child is under a year old.. or when they are eight, nine, ten years old.. everyone starts at the same place and must master the same skills and will master them at differing rates.

Decades of research has concluded that children who learn to read and count and tell time during their first years are at NO ADVANTAGE to their peers by six to seven years of age. NONE.


So "your baby can read" and "baby Einstein" programs are more than likely actually a physical hindrance as they take a baby away from learning how to interact socially, gaining muscle control and meet other important milestones.

Babies are best off being read to (some will pick up words just like this and that is awesome but don't be worried if they don't) and being shown numbers, clocks, playing this little piggy with their toes, climbing trees and making mud pies. Just expose them to the toy clock and slowly to the precursors. Don't have any real expectations for it. Every exposure will teach them but it isn't the be all and end all.

For older children it's imperative that they learn in an environment that is supportive. Telling the time is like mental juggling and it will take them a while to feel confident about it all. So make sure there is no criticism on your part. Ask them "do you know the answer?" and if they shake their head and say no just tell them. very, very kindly. And "all in good time" your child will be telling time!

DISCLAIMER: Before you teach your child to tell the time it is important to weigh up how much you like being able to put them to bed earlier some nights when you've all had a rough day. Once a child knows how to tell the time you will not be able to get away with it.