Learning to Tell Time Made Easy - How to Teach Your Child to Tell Time

Learning to tell the time made easy! - In 6 steps, your child can learn to read the clock

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 post, we will provide you with valuable step-by-step methods to teach your child how 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 an entertaining and interactive adventure. Perfectly suited for this: The Anio 3 – analog children's clock with its dial specially developed for learning.

Buy Anio 3 Children's Clock

Why should my child learn to read the clock?

There are several reasons to encourage learning to read the clock. In addition to social reasons, time is one of the most important measurements 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 to tell the time?

Especially during the transition from daycare to primary school, there is a major developmental leap when it comes to independence. It is important to tackle learning to tell the time together before primary school. Many children often walk to school alone after a short time without the supervision of an adult. For you, it is important that your child is always safe. For this, an understanding of time is essential, because only then can your child, for example, appear at a meeting point at the agreed time.  

Learn to tell the time with your child in 6 steps 

To receive worksheets 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 time. Explain the meaning of the hour and minute hands as well as the numbers on the dial. Use visual aids such as pictures or play clocks (a DIY Anio learning clock made of paper to make yourself is available in our free e-book) to make understanding easier. 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 how to tell the time, you should first focus on the small hand and the full hours. Explain to your child that the small hand indicates the full hours and show them a clock for learning as a visual aid. By making learning interactive, you can maximize the learning effect. Ask your child questions like "Which number is the small hand pointing to?" and "What hour does it show?". To make learning to tell the time particularly varied, encourage your child to set the hand themselves to a certain time and then name it. This allows them to actively apply what they have learned and deepen their understanding of the topic 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 will work with the minute hand. It is best also with a clock for learning. At the beginning, set the long hand to the 6 and the short one in the middle of two other numbers. This then means that it is half past 1. It will be easiest for you if you explain that it is always half past when the long hand is on the 6. After that, you can 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 with the quarter hours just like with the half hours. You should start with quarter to a certain time. Here too you can say that it is always "quarter to" when the long hand is on the 9. Once you have practiced this sufficiently, you can add "quarter past".

Step 4: Minutes

You learn minutes best in five-minute steps. Use 0 min, 15 min, 30 min and 45 min as reference points and learning to tell the time will already become easier. This section might be a bit harder when learning to read the clock because it is more extensive than the previous sections. Use a clock for learning here again. First, you should teach your child that at a full hour 0 minutes have passed, at a quarter hour 15 minutes, at half an hour 30 minutes and at three-quarters of an hour 45 minutes. These values can be used as reference points to count other minute indications first. What is important here above all is the knowledge that the minutes between 12 and 6 o'clock are named "past" the last full hour and those between 6 and 12 o'clock with "to" the next full hour. With the completion of learning the minutes, you have learned the most important basics of time. 

Step 5: Explore times in everyday life

Use everyday life to teach your child the importance of times. Connect certain activities with certain times, such as breakfast at 8 o'clock or dinner at 18 o'clock. Explain to your child why learning to tell the time is important to structure the day and be on time. Go through the daily routine together with your child and explain which activities take place at which times.

Step 6: Compare analog and digital clocks

Show your child the difference between analog and digital clocks and explain how to read the time in both ways. Use concrete examples and explain the meaning of the numbers and hands on the dial of an analog clock as well as the display on a digital clock. Practice first with analog clocks, as they promote the understanding of the relationship between the hour and minute hands. The Anio 3 Analog Children's Clock for learning is ideal for learning to read the clock.

Anio 3 Children's Clock for learning to tell the time

With our analog wristwatch for children, learning to tell the time is child's play. The learning children's clock supports your child in learning to tell the time and can be used as an aid in the individual steps. The Anio 3 is an analog children's clock that was specially developed for learning to tell the time. Thanks to its child- and learning-friendly dial, it is the ideal clock for learning. The clock features clear and easily recognizable numbers as well as a color-coded hour & minute hand to make learning to read the clock easier. 

 

Your Anio Team!