Anyone who’s tried to get anyone under eight years old ready for school knows that children have no concept of time. That might have to do with the fact that many kids, even my second grader, still struggle with reading an analog clock.
When I attempt to teach my son, I realize the mathematical ideas behind telling time with a little and a big hand are actually complex. It makes me wonder how I ever figured it out.
To help caregivers in a similar situation, we’ll outline the basic concepts of reading an analog clock, as digital clocks and smartphones may have put many of us out of practice. We’ll also share some fun ideas for how to teach the skill to kids.
Telling time on an analog clock
Each hour has 60 minutes, which, on most analog clocks, is represented by small lines around the clock. On every fifth line there is a number, beginning with one and ending with 12 on the top. These numbers represent the hours of the day.
All analog clocks have a short hand and a long hand. The short hand shows the hour, and the long hand points to the minutes that have passed in the hour. For example, if the large hand points at the 12 and the small hand at the 2, it is 2:00.
Things get tricky when the short hand moves closer to the next hour. For example, when the time is 2:50, the big hand is pointing at the 10, but the little hand is pointing closer to the 3, so kids might think the time is 3:50. If you want to quiz yourself or your child, click here for a short review.
Talk about your routine
One way to teach kids about time is to show them how its concepts apply to their daily lives. You can tell them they can play with a toy for five to 10 minutes and set a timer so they can understand how quickly (or slowly) time passes. You can also create index cards that list each step in their morning or evening routine. Have them put each one in order so they know when each step should happen and how long it should take.
Something that also works in my home is something I dubbed “Telling Time By Octonauts.” Whenever either of my children wants to know how long something will take, I put it in a concept they readily understand: screen time. For example, when asked how long it will be until dinner is ready, I explain it will take one Octonauts episode, which they know is around 22 minutes.
Give the short hand the hook
As stated above, telling time on an analog clock gets tricky as the short hand moves closer to the next hour. You can help show kids what hour it is by fashioning a pipe cleaner in a hook shape and attaching it to the hour hand. Even as it moves closer to the next hand, the pipe cleaner clearly shows that the short hand belongs to the previous hour, eliminating any confusion.
Pizza time
Many classrooms teach the time on an analog clock by cutting it up like a pizza, with each slice representing five minutes on the clock. Then, children can color each slice differently or draw in their favorite toppings. The slices will help them understand that the short hand doesn’t always point straight at the number of each hour but will be in the range of each slice.
Solve a time puzzle
Another fun way to teach time is with this cool puzzle set. Each puzzle has four simple pieces. On the largest piece, the time is written out numerically. Below it are three smaller pieces showing an analog clock and two time phrases (“it’s half past three”). After solving these 12 puzzles, kids will be able tell time before you know it.
Play Clock Bingo
Time is going to fly when you’re playing this game. The rules of Clock Bingo are simple: Kids get a sheet with various times drawn out. When the time is read, they mark it off their board. The first one to clear their board wins. You can even customize it to focus on hour, half-hour, or 15-minute intervals.
