...to expect everyone to be able to tell the time on an analogue clock?

[TamaraDeLempicky]

Over the weekend, DS's friend (13) told me that he can't tell the time by looking at an analogue clock. I was shocked! He said he doesn't need to because he has a digital clock on his phone.

I have various analogue clocks around the house and at work which I use all the time. Do you think everyone should have the ability to read an analogue clock?

In theory yes but I know a few people who’ve really struggled. My sister hates analog clocks and really struggles with telling the time on them. It’s not laziness or having not been taught. She’s dyslexic and I think that might be a factor.

I'm surprised when anyone under 20 years can tell the time on an analogue clock.

It causes problems at GCSEs because they obviously don't have phones and can't time themselves properly.

@NotExactlyHappyToHelp

I'm dyslexic too, I glance at my watch and I only know if it is 3 or 9 because I have a general idea of whether it is morning or evening.

It’s part of the National Curriculum in Primary School isn’t it?

Obviously they should, and it is something that is taught. But because clocks are so often digital these days (or they look at their phone), it is a skill that doesn’t get as much practice as it used to and those that struggle aren’t forced to improve through need.

Well it's useful but there's no real need is there.

My kids were taught in y3, we had taught them before that though. Dh is secondary teacher and apparently it's common nit to be able to.

The thing is people don't need to these days everyone has a phone etc ,my 13 has mild learning difficulties and can't ,in the 80,s when I was growing up.digital watches were a,relatively new thing and rarely did peop!e have their own phone so prop!e had to lead to tell the time on an analogue clock.

My kids can all tell the time fine with analogue clocks. I still have trouble though and often make mistakes. Especially if the clock doesn't have actual numbers on it.

Don’t people have clocks in their houses any more? We have at least 3. Might be useful if people did to help children keep the skill. Bit like writing really, bet many children don’t see their parents write anything.

should be taught before the end of primary school. The whole world isn't digital and it isn't actually that hard to do.

It is taught in primary. In fact one of DS’ practice SATS papers involved questions about analog clocks and time.

It is still a real struggle for some though. Who really cares how people tell the time as long as they can find out what time it is?!

A lot of people with dyslexia find using analogue clocks difficult.

My DC had to be able to tell the time on a analogue watch before I ever bought digital. Parents should be teaching that. Again another life skill being left to schools.

It is on the primary curriculum but just because we teach something it doesn't mean the kids learn it, especially something so random and abstract as the analogue clock. Without constant exposure to analogue, it's the sort of skill that's hard to teach meaningfully and therefore it doesn't always stick. It's not for want of trying though! I've spent many a lesson teaching analogue time - and have the grey hairs to prove it!

I work with someone who doesn’t understand 24 hr clock. Struggles with analogue as well

I do think they should but I know my two are not good at it. You can practically hear their brains going 'the big hand says...the little hand says...'.
We did it at home
They did it at school
They just don't need the skill therefore it's dying

I teach plenty of kids who struggle with the 24 hour clock and telling the time. It’s not unusual.

I had a friend with dyslexia at school who couldn’t tell the time so he always wore a digital watch

I'd be quite shocked by that, and I do think it's an important life skill my DC could do it from 4 years old! That said I wouldn't discount specific learning difficulties that might make it difficult.

It is taught so its surprising to bot know at all - but profeciency comes with practice so if noone uses them, they wont be good.
Its quite hard isnt it though? When you first try an explain it to a child and you have to say the number 2 represents both 2am and 2pm also called 02:00 and 14:00 and it can also show ten past and 10 seconds.

My son is better at using an analogue clock than I am, he’s 5 in June.

I’m a Cambridge educated actuary, I’m fantastic at maths and mental maths, my brain just can’t quite make it an automatic skill.

I can give you a near enough time on a clock with clear numbers. If it just has dots for example I really struggle if I can’t compare it to a picture of a clock with numbers on. I know how it works, I’ve taught my son how to tell the time, I just can’t do it without a great deal of thinking.

This is why the exam hall at my school has both an analogue clock and a digital display. The latter is projected from a laptop in enormous figures along the front of the hall. I find it quite intimidating; like it's counting down nuclear Armageddon. (The teenagers don't understand that concept, either ).

I’m dyslexic but I struggle more with the digital 24hr clock, but I do have to take a good look at an analogue clock to actually absorb what time it is (if that makes sense?) my older brother is also dyslexic and he taught me how to read an analogue clock in a method that works for us - I never got it when my Grandparents/Teachers tried...

My daughter who is dyslexic finds it extremely difficult to tell the time. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve sat with her with a toy clock she just cannot work it out. She struggles with digital too once it gets to 13:00, she just cannot understand why 16:00 is 4pm.

She is year 6, and time features heavily in the SATS that she’ll be taking in May so we’re really trying to find strategies to help her. So instead of judging, maybe consider how difficult some children and adults find it.

Yes this always amazes me!
Also the amount of people who can't read a bus timetable!