telling the time?

[lilacben]

My daughter and I was talking today about children learning to tell the time. Do they teach it in school and at what age.? if not what age do children usually learn. And has anyone any tips on how to go about it at home.

[neenynanu]

Depends what school, but it's not on the national curriculum. So kids learn whenever their parents teach them... I reckon about 4 is old enough to be able to grasp it.

I remember when I learned, my parents bought me a book with pictures and went through it with me.

[ronnie3]

my kids where about 7 when they started to learn it at school but my middle son who is 10 just couldn't get to grips with it and only in the past 3 months as he actually got a hold on it but my yougest who is 5 is picking it up already

[madham]

I don't know how old as my Son was pretty young, but you can start by only teaching them the half past and on the hour, then incorporate quarter to / quater past, then finally fill in the blanks. Good luck.

[simsfreq]

Some children's watches are designed to help the learn how to tell the time - Flik Flak watches are the ones I'm thinking of. As well as the 1-12 around the outside they have another ring with 5 past, 10 past etc.

I learned at school in year 2 or 3, I remember my dad said I could have a watch as soon as I could tell the time by myself. I was so proud!

[mimififi]

there are loads of lovely children's books and workbooks which include stars and all sorts available in bookshops esp WHSmiths for telling time. There are so many to choose from. I regularly give one for my kids to do periodically untill they get everything right. They are in the educational book sections. and sometimes also randomly available in tesco, sainsburys etc.

I have to say my kids tell time fine when it is for 'how long may I read in bed for' purposes and then at any other times of day they seem to behave as though the have never seen a clock before! I have started also teaching my son about sun dials too just as a point of interest.

[EssJay1]

Sorry to disagree with neenynanu but telling the time is on the u.k. national curriculum for both key stage 1 & 2. They start with analogue clocks - the hour and the half hour and by the end of year 6 children should be reading digital clocks, analogue clocks and converting between the two. They should be able to use time as a measure of an event, and understand the relationship between all units of time etc, etc.
But with your own child at home - What time do they eat? Go to bed? See daddy? See mummy? How long until they go in the bath? Use it, don't try and "teach" it.

[dancecaller]

SJ I like your "use it don't teach it". The time for her favourite tv programme might be another opportunity.
I seem to remember being 6 or 7 and learning about odd things like ' five and twenty to'.
So it starts early with concepts like day & night, morning, Tuesday (when we go to Toddler Group) etc. Then gets more specific (when the big hand is on 12).
I certainly don't think that every 4 year old should be pressured into it, or even that every 4 year old recognise all the numerals from 1 - 12.

[EssJay1]

Thanks dancecaller.
You've reminded me of another hot topic related to time! With the increasingly common use of digital clocks, there is an argument which suggests children don't need to learn the terms " to the hour" - twenty to, quarter to etc, but rather 40 minutes past or 45 minutes past.
What d'you reckon lilacben?

[dancecaller]

What do people say nowadays? I'm not sure about twenty-five to, but I think we still use quarter to. You could argue that the only time people need to be more accurate than that is when reading a time or TV guide, then you say what is written 9.45 etc.
Maybe thats what should be taught first, then the other ways of saying it as an interesting sideline.
I see the analogue clock face as an intuitive introduction to geometry, it would be a shame if that were lost.