Telling time Y3

[Frogusha]

DD1 has been learning to tell time for 4 years probably, since reception and still struggles. No other obvious issues, she seems reasonably good at maths, when she concentrates, her tests always show her in the higher ability group, she’s bilingual and plays instruments, but it seems she just has a mental block in regard to telling time. We do have all kinds of various clocks including those that are supposed to help (showing it “past” and “to”), regular clocks, she has an analogue and digital watch (which she just seems to wear as decoration ), obviously I tried to explain 100s of times. This morning again, it was 8.40 and she told me it was 8 to 9... any good apps? She tried some basic telling time app when she was younger and obviously it didn’t help. Anyone else faced similar? I just don’t understand how she learnt all times tables pretty much by herself and in a few weeks but telling time is taking years!

Its a different type of learning - times tables is rote learning whereas time is understanding a concept.

Can you incorporate lots of "what time is it now?" "If I let you do x for 20more minutes what time will it be?" Type questions into the day. Start with where she can easily answer questions (o clock/half past? /quarter past?) . We watched a bitesize tv on it recently (last week?) As part of the programme which is another way to do it.

Id do little and often everyday, rather than expect her to get it in one day.

Analogue time is tricky int terms of x past/x to as well as understanding halves and quarters.

Make sure she understands half and a quarter, as well as rotation language. You can buy learning clocks too which help them understand. Also YouTube videos of clocks on time lapse so she gets the concept of it.

Thanks both. She does understand half and quarter and since she plays 2 instruments she’s clear on this too (as it’s the same concept with duration of notes there: semibreve, minims, crotchets, quavers, semiquavers). I think it’s “to” bit that is hard for her to remember. I think it’s rote learning too - to remember 8 will be “20 to” but somehow she just doesn’t hold it in her memory. I explain, she remembers for 5 mins and next time there’s some homework on clocks she says “8 to” again. We have 2 learning clocks and have had them for a couple of years :( I didn’t check YouTube, that’s a good idea! Will also check out BBC bitesize, thank you for the suggestion! And I’ll try to incorporate it in the daily life, something I am not so good at!

I think it is hard to learn as a one off. A bit like children learning to read don't "get it" overnight but in stages.

Maybe choose a point in the day (meal times and bedtimes?) For a few weeks and just ask the time . Or point out, "look at the time, its 10 to 6 isnt it? That means 10minutes to play until til supper. " Or " how long do you have to play until lunch/what time will lunch be if its in 20mins?" I think lots of little scaffolded conversations where it can be related to real life works better than an abstract exercise for time. Also remove any pressure of "getting it wrong." Sometimes they sense our frustration and it makes it harder to learn.

I think it's partly down to analog clocks not being used so often in normal life.

My DD is 14 and she still can't reliably tell the time on an analog clock and yet is always on time for things! She's otherwise very good at maths but just has a mental block about this.

I wouldn't worry too much.

Theres a free game at mathsframe.co.uk for time telling. You can start at hour. Then half past. And really take it from the beginning a bit a day.

Frogusha - I have the same with my DD who is yr4 - also bilingual, plays a musical instrument and generally in top of school. She also doesn’t get telling the time. I’m struggling with the homeschooling - she doesn’t want to do it, have me as teacher so doing everything is an uphill battle anyway. DD often gets the hands round the wrong way - so mixing up big hand and little hand, hours and minutes.
She did some sheets on it and struggled , but getting there slowly. I occasionally ask her in the lounge, so what time is it now (we have an analogue clock on the wall) - that seems to work quite well. We also were doing the 24 hour clock .
I think it’s just something that’s going to take a long time to click .
I think I’ll look at that free site for the telling time maths game Underhiseye2 - thanks for the tip.

Do you have an analogue clock in your main family room/ living room, and any other room you're in together a lot such as the kitchen?

You need one on the wall in the room you're in most.

You need to build it into your life.

You need to answer questions like "can I watch TV/ have a snack" with answers like "in quarter of an hour, at quarter to/ past eleven".

Our primary school is next to a church and the children know when playtime ends according to the church clock and bells, and we have a big analogue clock in the living room and we've always coincidentally said things like "ok you can watch TV but only for 20 minutes, lunch is at half past twelve/ dinner is at 6.15" magically creates children who can tell the time without thinking about it by year 3.

Use a paper plate to make an analogue clock and colour it in two different colours for each half of the clock. That way she'll be able to identify that past and to the hour are separate. Label it at the appropriate intervals with the numbers on the clock. Use a split pin and attach the hands in the middle (using card or thicker paper will be more robust). Practise lots of past the hour initially in five minute chunks counting on in 5s from 12. Then when she's secure with that practise with to the hour, counting back in 5s from 12.
Practise is key here I think.

Just keep asking her regularly.

The OP's DD needs to learn it properly though so that's the first step.

I think some kids just find time particularly difficult. I know I struggled with it and so did my eldest but he got a grade 8 in his GCSE maths so try not to worry. If I'm really honest, I'm not sure he can do it now age 17! 😏

You can get a variety of children's clocks that help

All of you with bilingual children - can your children tell the time in their other language? Is it a language where it's half to instead or half past, and where it can be 3/4 8 as well as quarter to 8?

Do it in increments. Start with on the hour and half past. When she's confident with those, move to five minute increments but only the 'past' times, not the 'to'. Then, when she's very confident with those, move on to the 'to' times, again in five minute increments. Then, go back to the 'past' times but in one minute increments, then finally the 'to' times, again in one minute increments. I'd spend a few days at least on each- don't expect her to get more than one concept per day and then rush to move on. She's not confident until she's done it without prompting or support/correction over a number of days. There's a teaching clock on the Top marks website that's useful, Google 'Topmarks teaching clock'.

Oh, and praise, praise, praise. Praise effort, praise perseverance, don't focus praise on when she gets it right. If she senses you're getting exasperated she may panic a bit and it'll make it harder to learn.

Good luck!

Super medium, in my native language, we don't say half past/ 10 to/ quarter past /quarter to, etc. We just say 8:30 or 10 45, we never say half past 8 or quarter to 11 . So yes, in my dc's case, there were no confusion saying time in English or another language.

Thank you so much again for more wonderful suggestions and comments re: your own experience with kids!! In my native language it’s 10 minutes of 11, not 10 past 10 and so on, and yes “half of 11“ means 10.30. No, she can’t tell time in my language my it probably made her more confused as I always try to speak to her in my native language and spends a lot of time with my parents also...