Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour
Children are so excited when they finally learn how to tell time, especially when they connect it to important times in their lives. “We eat dinner at six o’clock.” “My bedtime is eight thirty.” As in all math skills, there are steps that most children progress through when telling time. First they learn to tell time to the hour and then to the half hour. Sometimes the next step is to learn to tell time in fifteen minute increments, five minute increments, and finally to the minute. Later they will also learn about elapsed time, determining what time it will be one hour from now, etc. Eventually they will learn phrases such as half past, quarter to, etc. Telling time really involves a lot of skills, including being able to count by fives. Children are exposed to digital clocks everywhere they look but aren’t always familiar with analog clocks. Sometimes getting them their very own watch is all the motivation they need to learn how to read an analog clock. I know some people who have covered their digital clocks to provide even more practice telling time. And in the end, that’s how children will learn to tell time … practice, practice, practice!
Children are so excited when they finally learn how to tell time, especially when they connect it to important times in their lives. “We eat dinner at six o’clock.” “My bedtime is eight thirty.” As in all math skills, there are steps that most children progress through when telling time. First they learn to tell time to the hour and then to the half hour. Sometimes the next step is to learn to tell time in fifteen minute increments, five minute increments, and finally to the minute. Later they will also learn about elapsed time, determining what time it will be one hour from now, etc. Eventually they will learn phrases such as half past, quarter to, etc. Telling time really involves a lot of skills, including being able to count by fives. Children are exposed to digital clocks everywhere they look but aren’t always familiar with analog clocks. Sometimes getting them their very own watch is all the motivation they need to learn how to read an analog clock. I know some people who have covered their digital clocks to provide even more practice telling time. And in the end, that’s how children will learn to tell time … practice, practice, practice!
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