2torial #0925:
Learn2 Teach Kids to Tell Time

Only time will tell

There's a time for everything--time to go to school, time to do homework, dinnertime, bedtime, and the list goes on. If you want to keep kids on schedule, why not teach them how to keep time? Show them how to read a clock and you'll only have to answer that age-old question--Is dinner ready yet?--once. A word of warning, though: The kids might try to hold you to your word the next time you say, "Just a minute."

This 2torial covers how to read a 12-hour analog clock. It doesn't cover how to read a digital clock or a 24-hour clock. While children usually learn to read digital clocks with ease, relying on them may discourage kids from reading clocks with hands. That's why it's best to focus on reading an analog clock first.

While most 5-year-olds are ready to learn basic concepts of time, they probably won't fully master the details until age 7 or 8. Whether you're teaching a single child or a whole classroom to read a clock, the principles are the same.

Half the battle of teaching kids anything is to keep them interested, so make your lessons interactive and memorable by incorporating art, music, poetry, physical movement, and visual aids when you can. And keep in mind that kids will learn best when they can see how a lesson relates to their own daily lives. Most kids quickly learn when recess and lunchtime are, since these events are so important to them.