Knowing how to tell the time is one of the important aspects of day-to-day life. It helps us plan our day, tells us how much time we’ve got left before we proceed on to the next activity, and even how much rest and sleep we’ve had. How then can we teach our kids, something that we take for granted? Like reading and writing, telling the time might come easily to some kids but harder for others, either way, we have to know not to push when it comes to learning. So how can we impart this useful and great knowledge to our children?
Some steps include:
- Showing your child the difference between the long hand (minute) and the short hand (hour).
- Start by telling them about the o’clock – that each time the long hand is on the 12 it’s “something o’clock”.
- Sharing how long it takes to do something or get somewhere, and then showing it to them on your watch or on the clock.
- Using everyday activities, like highlighting the time to leave the house for school.
These are just some basic steps. Understanding time needs a lot of reinforcements, and having some other fun tools can also help. I’ve recently trialled the “Learning Time” pack from Kids Learning is Fun. Started by a mum of 3 kids, who used to be a teacher, this site also has some other amazing tools, to help your child through their school years.
The “Learning Time” (rrp$33.00) pack includes:
- A clock face with movable hour and minute hands
Master 5 learning the time with the clock face
- Time Matching Cards – there’s cards with analogue time, digital time, clock faces, words describing the different times
Matching Time Cards
- Charts explaining the different concepts of time
Learning Charts
My kids were surprisingly pretty involved in “playing” with this pack. I started off by placing the clock face cards and getting Miss 9 to place the sentences describing the time matching the face. The good thing about this is that it states the different ways one can say the time. For instance, if the clock face had the long hand on the 4 and the short hand on the 5, there would be 2 ways of saying this; 20 minutes past 5 or 40 minutes to 6. Miss 9 actually had to read and figure out that out herself, whist I got Miss 7 to place the digital time that matches the face. This was also an opportunity for me to teach her the 5 multiplication table. With Master 5, I basically went through the o’clock and 1/2 past on the clock face with the movable hands.
The matching cards can also be used to play “Snap” or even the “Memory Game” to further enhance their learning scope. The charts included were helpful as in they explain what o’clock, 1/2 past, 1/4 past and 1/4 to meant. There’s also a chart that explains the different parts of a clock – seconds, minutes, hour.
Another important factor about this pack is that the items are all laminated, making it easy for us to keep it clean.
Besides the products available, the site also has a free e-course for parents to learn how to help their children learn the fundamentals of learning. There are also webinars, with the current one being the “Maths” series, a 3 part series starting on the 24th May 2011.
Learning Time Pack rrp$33
Would you like to win a set of this “Learning Time” pack? Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post stating the thing you would love to learn to teach your child – only one entry per person. This giveaway closes on Sunday 5th June 2011, 6pm AEST. The winner will be picked at random.
I would love to learn the secret workings of a mans brain, to teach it all to my little girl so she can always be one step ahead of them & never, ever have to endure the pain of a broken heart as I have.
I’d love to teach my kids how to budget & save money and still have the things in life that we need and want so when something important like having a baby or getting married comes up they can do it with ease and not stress over it.
I would love to teach my grandchildren (7, 4 and 2) the importance of respect, tolerance and patience for others. To have good morals, and follow throught with them. These qualities (besides being on time), and what I consider are essential life lessons.
I would love to teach my pink to eat all her food! Oh that would be a dream come true!
I just became a GFC follower not sure what has been happening with my followings as I was a follower previously
To respect all people of all ages and races. To be kind and giving to those less fortunate and more importantly to love and respect yourself. Have goals and dreams in life and to work hard to achieve them
I’d love to teach my kids manners! I think it’s something that’s often forgotten in today’s society but I always think life is more polite with a ‘please’ and ‘thank you’!
I would love to teach my kids to learn how to share! I have 5 kids, 5 years and under and the girls dont like to share with each other,the boys play pretty good most of the time and the girls and boys dont play well all together! The youngest just screams when she wants something! Its frustrating!!
I would love to teach my kids to go to bed without whinging!
I would love to teach my daughter, Ava, how to love and appreciate the beauty of books and reading! From the day she was born, I have read to her, talked about books and stories with her, visited the library, made books…
I would love to teach my boys not to annoy each other so much!
I would love to teach my children to sew. I was never taught, am teaching myself now. I believe it is not only fun, but a very useful skill. It is wonderful being able to alter your own clothes, repair them when required, or even create some of your own.
I would love to teach my kids to have confidence in themselves.
I would love to teach my children to be independant, confident, respectful and patient people.
I’d love this toddler to learn some patience, I know it’s just a stage he has to go through but… it’s frustrating.
Time is such a tricky concept to teach. My 6yo will talk about things that happened years ago as if it was something that happened just right now. Not sure if that is an autism thing or a 6yo thing.
I’d love for both my girls to learn self confidence & self respect and I try to teach / reinforce / build that where I can because I think with self confidence & self respect they will be able to get through many of lifes other challenges.
This would help. My 5 yo has no concept of time..other than wait. Yesterday can be last week. Last week can be yesterday.
2 minutes can be 2 hours to him (well..it could, if you were waiting for a delicious snack to be heated up).
Thanks for this giveaway!!!
I have 2 lovely young children who add a new meaning to sibling rivalry, it would be great if they could learn how to get on with each other and respect each others space.
I would love to teach my 2-year old the names of all the animals, to love and protect them because they too are God’s creation. Cannot wait to bring her to the zoo!
My little boys are almost 5 and in love with telling the time on the playschool or any clock – (justbthe big hand mind you ) I would love to teach them to stay in their own bed till at least 7am (LOL) and not come into my bed till at least after 6am.
to be a part of helping my nephew Cooper come to terms with the difficulties he faces with learning with the aid of such a great tool would be amazing
My desire is to teach children the art of acceptance. As with this in their hearts the world would be a more peaceful place.
I want to teach all my kids about saving money…with this financial crisis we’d all love to learn
Time is important to us, being on time especially. We have just started my 3 year old on the basics and would love to expand his learning as he is actually starting to tell the time.
I would love to teach my kids to respect themselves and to respect others!!
My daughter is at the perfect age to teach her the time and it would make learning fun!
I’d love to teach my son that it’s butterfly not flutterby and ice cubes not ice pubes! LOL
I would love to teach my children to be more patient with themselves and each other, only time will teach them this.
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