Early stages of learning to tell the time

• Getting to know the clock face
• Learning to read the time from a clock face
• As this progresses, children learn to apply it
• By associating their daily activities with time
• By becoming more aware of spans of time
• By incorporating them in organising their day
• A perspective of time emerges
• By beginning to place past events into a time frame

 Analogue? or Digital?  How do you tell the time?

• Do you say 8.05 or five past eight?
• 7.35 or twenty-five to eight?
• Five past eight in the morning or 7.35 in the evening?
• Yet another – 8.00 am or 8,00 pm?
• With the 24 hour format some would say 2400, or  0600 hours

Children hear both formats used at home and at school each day, and is a confusing factor.  At school during time telling activities they are introduced to both formats simultaneously. Imagine if you were learning Spanish where the teacher covers certain elements and then says this is how we say it in Italian, let’s say it first in Spanish, then in Italian….  Sound a bit crazy??? It does to me!

I am not saying I couldn’t master both languages, however, I would have to learn one thoroughly first, say Spanish, then use this known knowledge as a means to make connections with Italian words : for example:

Primero, 1st, Segundo, 2nd, tercero 3rd (Spanish)

Primo 1st,; secondo  2nd, terzo 3rd (Italian)

Apply this principle to learning about time and it makes sense to teach one format as a foundation then use the known reference points with the analogue format. This eliminates the confusion.   

The Preparation:

WE teach first, the digital format thoroughly because although difficulties persist with this element of learning, many children have some experience with counting in 5’s. We build on something a child can do! We increase their counting in 5s to 60 through a series of games and activities.  Next, working in the same way we encourage the use of numbers 1-12. Bringing these two sets of numerals together children are enabled to read the time anywhere around the clock face:  first the hour number, (6) then the minute number, (15) say together 6:15, then put in the context of time by getting the child to say  “The time is 6:15.” Enabling children to READ the time at any point digitally, is motivating and increases a child’s self esteem.

The teaching stages:

After building the ‘tools’ in the Preparation section - that is becoming familiar with both sets of numerals, the teaching is introduced in three stages:

Teaching Stage I – Building the Foundation
This teaching stage will form the foundation where all other aspects of time will be laid. It will provide the child with the opportunity to be able to read the time at any point around the clock face giving the child a sense of real achievement. This will boost confidence and will motivate the child to progress further.

This is the most important stage, and must be mastered thoroughly before moving on to Stage II.

Stage II - Introduces fractions relating to the clock. The 'polo' is placed on the clock, now children see the 'past' & 'to' presentations.

Up to this point, time has been read in the ‘hour-minute’ format. In this stage we begin to teach the child to read the time in the ‘minute-hour’ or analogue format, for example, ten past eleven, quarter to five, and so on.

This teaching stage reinforces Stage I and will add the o’clock, quarter and half hour divisions. Fractions are introduced; these are then related to the clock face; children begin to make connections with the digital positions; and begin to make choices. Through more games they practice inter-changing time. Language now includes ‘half past’, ‘quarter past’ and ‘quarter to’. These positions are sometimes referred to as the four points of the clock face. 

Teaching Stage III – Introducing the remaining ‘Past’ and ‘To’ positions

This teaching stage will reinforce the four points of the clock - o’clock, quarter past, half past, and quarter to - and will introduce the remaining ‘past’ and ‘to’ positions, more practice inter-changing time and making choices.

Our aim is to enable children to develop an understanding of both ways of telling time. This has been achieved by many children using the Charlotte Clock where they confidently use a mix of both digital and analogue formats at different times in the same way adults do!  

The bridge to the basic clock face

Over time the positions on the clock face are internalised, merging the two sets of numbers. Children are then able to transfer all understanding to a basic clock face and the Charlotte Clock’s purpose is complete!!!

You can now replace the Charlotte Clock with a regular clock to allow more practice telling the time……..

                            Contact us to get started on 01747 861503