What age would you expect a child to be able to read an analogue clock these days?

[AFewScrewsLucy]

Recently the Year 11 students in the school I work in had to be provided digital clocks for the exam hall as they couldn't read the analogue ones.

And my 11 yo nephew couldn't tell what time 2:20 was on the clock.

Is this a lost skill?

I teach secondary too. I know it's taught in primary school- but like many skills, if it's not practised, it will be lost. In the past, it was something that everyone practised regularly, so most people retained the skill, although it's always been a challenge for those with dyslexia etc.

I'd say about 10-20% of the students I teach can't tell the time from an analogue clock, and probably a further 20% or so could have a go/work it out but not do it quickly and confidently. It doesn't always correlate with intelligence- you get students doing A-level sciences who can't read an analogue dial on equipment.

In exams, where specific timing is important, I think it's a good idea to provide a precise clock that's easy for everyone to read- so using digital makes sense.

I do think, as a parent, if it's a skill you want your children to have, it's good to make sure they have clocks around the house etc to practice from.

I was amazed that in Year 2, my very young 6 year old was one of only a handful of kids in his class who could tell the time. They did it in Year 2 and are still working on it in Year 3! I’m sure I knew how to before then but he’s been able to since he was just turned four.

I should say we have analogue clocks in several rooms in our house so it’s not a dying art as far as we’re concerned but can see why some children aren’t exposed to it.

My 7 year old can , but I have 2 antique chiming clocks , because I love the til tock sound .

My teens can only read one if it is on the hour, quarter or half past. This is with me teaching it to them at home since a young age. I think they cant be bothered to work it out tbh.

Yes. I reported on this to a number of exam boards about 10 years ago.

Kids in function skills don't read analogue clocks

Kids doing A levels don't read analogue clocks

And exam boards and exams officers use analogue clocks.

It is fast becoming an esoteric skill in the UK

Just asked my 15 year old. She said she can 'just about' tell the time, has to remind herself which hand is which, and think for a few seconds. She concurs with pp that she was taught in primary school, but didn't remember.

My daughter could tell the time with an analogue clock before she started school. It's shocking that so many children can only read digital clocks!

These days over 10s always have phones with them which use digital time, and under 10s have an adult to tell the time for them.

Like map reading, the basic skill isn't needed most of the time,
until it is needed.

Children learn to read an analogue clock in primary school but then most of them don't use the skill in everyday life, so they don't retain it.

We gave our children analogue watches and we have analogue clocks at home; they have retained the skill and choose to wear analogue fitness watches as young adults.

I work with secondary school pupils and it's not uncommon for them to be unable to confidently read an analogue clock face. In exams, when they are already stressed, I would hope that the time is displayed in a format accessible to all.

It is a bit of a lost skill. I usually make a habit of mentioning having the ability to read an analogue clock to the parents of my Year 10s. There are a lot of shocked faces.... A lot of students cannot manage their time in exams, ie 6 mins for question A, 10 mins for B etc and literally never finish the exam paper and get lower grades....

With respect to exams, I don't really understand why they don't use digital 'count up' clocks.

So they write up exam is 90mins long. The clock starts at zero and counts up minute by minute to 90. Where needed they can write up that extra time is 112 mins and then it continues counting up for them.

My main guess is that it would be expensive to sort for every exam room in every school.

A digital clock is easier to read for a lot of pupils with SEN as it requires less processing time to understand what time is shown. Exam halls should have a digital clock by default as a reasonable adjustment for these pupils.

DD14 is autistic and can't tell the time on an analogue clock. Her brain just can't process it

Out of interest, do classrooms in secondary schools usually have clocks in them and if do, are they not analogue? Even in year 6 we have a lot of clock watchers, who are very good at working out how long it is till break or lunch, so would have expected this to be worse in teenagers.

My could by 7 (before they were taught it in school) but we have proper watches & clocks at home not just digital screens took some
time to crack though

Most schools have interactive whiteboards now and in the bottom left corner is a digital read-out of the time just like on a computer screen.

Sorry, bottom right

I’d prefer to be able to look at an analogue clock during exams or anything timed because it gives a clear visual indication of how much time is left. It feels like looking at the digital time would take slightly more brain space than analogue if I were concentrating on something else so it’s interesting to hear it’s the other way round for others.

Children learn about time right from year one but like money, it’s one of the things that parents need to reinforce for it to become an easy skill.

I'm an adult with grown up children and actually i struggle to tell the time. I can do it but I have to think carefully...... the big hand is pointing to x which means ...... and the little hand .....

My first watch was digitise and I am
Very good at maths. I think it is lack of practice in my case.

Definitely taught in primary. Some kids get it in a heartbeat.. for others it just will not sink in. As many have said, analogue clocks are so rarely used/seen nowadays that they ones who 'don't get it' are never in the situation where they have to.

Ds10 is 95% there. He will double check that he's read it right. He's dyslexic so it's taken a good while.
I remember his class doing it in y2 and he was one pulled out for a boost for struggling.
He knows left and right by quickly visualising my car and where we sit and often uses similar strategies to get around difficulties.

DS12 is fine with a clock. Struggles more with left and right. Letter reversals affect him far more (dyspraxic as well as dyslexic) so he gets really stuck with the L for Left hand trick as he forgets which way round a L goes and jumbles it with J which could be on his right hand.

Both have analogue clocks in their bedroom.

Interestingly DS2 managed to navigate me with verbal intructions like "1o'clock at the roundabout" when I had issues with google maps talking through the car stereo. I was rather impressed coming from a dyslexic 9yo!

Ds has been able to since he was about 6. He is autistic and him learning to tell the time has been a nightmare as he likes precise timing 🤣

my nephews are both early secondary age and have been able to for a few years.

that said I was on a train yesterday and a young adult was asked the time looked at her watch (analogue) and then admitted she couldn’t read it!

I was surprised that DD was known in reception as 'the one who could tell the time'. Adults would get her to perform, as if it was a circus trick. Back in the Stone Age when I started school, it was a standard skill for infants. But as so many pps have pointed out, analogue clocks are much less common now. So it's become a bit like rules of geometry that kids can understand if they put their minds to it, but don't necessarily see its relevance to real life.

Around 5? Mine certainly could by school age. Do parents not parent now? Mine are only early 20's!