Learning to tell the time made easy! - Your child can learn to read the clock in 6 steps
As parents, we know that learning to tell the time can be a challenge for children. But don't worry, Anio is here to help!
In this article, we will provide you with valuable step-by-step methods for teaching your child to tell the time. At Anio, we believe that learning should be fun. Instead of overwhelming your child with dry facts, we want to introduce you to practical tips and creative approaches that make learning to tell the time a fun and interactive adventure. Perfect for this: The Anio 3 - analog children's watch with its dial specially designed for learning.
Why should my child learn to read the clock?
There are several reasons to promote learning to read the clock. Apart from the social reasons, time is one of the most important quantities and our units of time are universal. It gives your child the opportunity to become more independent and move more freely in the world.
When should my child learn the time?
The transition from nursery to elementary school is a major developmental leap when it comes to independence. It is important to tackle learning to tell the time together before elementary school. Many children often make the journey to school without the help of an adult after a short time. It is important for you that your child is always safe on the way. Understanding the time is essential, as this is the only way your child can arrive at a meeting point at the agreed time, for example.
Learn to tell the time with your child in 6 steps
To receive exercise sheets for the individual steps, as well as a template for a learning clock, download our free e-book beforehand:
Step 1: Explain the basics
You should start by learning the basics of telling the time. Explain the meaning of the hour and minute hands and the numbers on the clock face. Use visual aids such as pictures or music boxes (you can find a DIY Anio learning clock made from paper in our free e-book) to make it easier to understand. Show your child how the hands move and how they indicate the different times.
Step 2: Full hours - the small hand
If you want to teach your child the time, you should first focus on the small hand and the full hours. Explain to your child that the small hand shows the full hours and show them a clock as a visual aid. By making learning interactive, you can maximize the learning effect. Ask your child questions such as "What number does the little hand point to?" and "What hour does it show?". To make learning the time particularly varied, encourage your child to set the pointer to a specific time themselves and then name it. This allows them to actively apply what they have learned and deepen their understanding of learning to read the clock.
Step 3: Half & quarter hours - the big hand
Whenever the long hand points to the 6, it is "half". In this step, you work with the minute hand. It is also best to use a watch to learn. Start by placing the long hand on the 6 and the short hand in the middle of two other numbers. This means that it is half past 1 o'clock. It will be easiest for you if you explain that it is always half past half when the long hand is on the 6. You can then move on to the quarter hours.
If the long hand points to 9, it is "quarter to" and if it points to 3, it is "quarter past". You can proceed in the same way for the quarter hours as for the half hours. You should start with a quarter to a certain time. Here, too, you can say that it is always "quarter to" when the long hand is at 9. Once you have practiced this sufficiently, you can add "quarter past".
Step 4: Minutes
The best way to learn minutes is in steps of five. Use 0 min, 15 min, 30 min and 45 min as a guide and learning to tell the time will be easier. This section might be a little more difficult when learning to read the clock as it is more extensive than the previous sections. Again, use a clock for learning. First of all, you should teach your child that a full hour is 0 minutes, a quarter of an hour is 15 minutes, half an hour is 30 minutes and three quarters of an hour is 45 minutes. These values can be used as a guide to count off other minutes first. It is particularly important to know that the minutes between 12 and 6 o'clock are designated as "after" the last full hour and those between 6 and 12 o'clock as "before" the next full hour. When you have finished learning the minutes, you will have learned the most important basics of telling the time.
Step 5: Explore clock times in everyday life
Use everyday life to teach your child the importance of times. Associate certain activities with certain times, such as breakfast at 8 am or dinner at 6 pm. Explain to your child why learning the time is important in order to structure the day and be on time. Go through the daily routine with your child and explain which activities take place at which times.
Step 6: Compare analog and digital watches
Show your child the difference between analog and digital watches and explain how to tell the time on both types. Use concrete examples and explain the meaning of the numbers and hands on the dial of an analog watch and the display on a digital watch. Practice with analog watches first, as they help you understand the relationship between the hour and minute hands. The Anio 3 analog children's watch is ideal for learning to read a watch.
Anio 3 children's clock for learning the time
With our analog wristwatch for children, learning to tell the time is child's play. The children's watch for learning supports your child in learning to tell the time and can be used as an aid for the individual steps. The Anio 3 is an analog children's watch that has been specially developed for learning to tell the time. Thanks to its child- and learner-friendly dial, it is the ideal watch for learning. The watch has clear and easily recognizable numbers as well as a colour-coded hour and minute hand to make learning to read the time easier.
Your Anio Team!
