From first grade on, skills related to telling time are part of the Common Core State Standards as well as the DLM Standards. Not only is telling time an educational standard, it is also a life skill! Being able to follow schedule, understand times, of day, and read a clock all help children become more independent, which is so important for special education students. Read on for some of ways that I help my students learn to tell time.
Direct Instruction in Telling Time
For direct instruction, I use Simple Math Telling Time Workbooks with my class. These workbooks contain all of the info that students need to learn about clock hands, counting by 5s, and reading analog clocks. I make my lessons hands-on by using model clocks with my students as well.
Analog vs. Digital Clocks
My school replaced all of our analog locks with digital ones this year. I was disappointed at first because I spend so much time teaching my students to read analog clocks that digital feels like cheating. But, I have realized that the two types both have a place! The world seems to run on digital clocks these days, so students need to know how to accurately read them. Analog clocks are also important for helping students learn about elapsed time and timers. So I make sure to incorporate practice with both types of clocks.
AM and PM
The concept of time of day can be difficult to understand. Learning the difference between AM and PM helps students better understand schedules and sequence of events. One way that I help students understand the difference in AM and PM is by showing pictures of clocks at different times of day. For example, I might show a clock that reads 2:00 and is in front of a sunny window. After students tell me the time, I ask them if it is AM or PM. We discuss what we might be doing at 2:00 AM (sleeping) vs 2:00 PM (at school). These images help students see the differences in time of day! A digital clock with an AM/PM indicator is also a useful tool for this.
Generalizing Telling Time
Generalization of a skill means that a student is able to apply learned skills in different contexts. Generalizing is so important for our special education students! One way I generalize telling time is by showing a variety of clocks. Not all clocks look like the one in the classroom! It’s important that students see clocks of different shapes, sizes, number styles, hand types, et cetera. This ensures that they are able to transfer the skill to different types of clocks.
Having students practice with student clocks (affiliate link) also helps generalize their learning. I have my students read the digital clock in our room and make their practice clock read the same. This hands-on practice is a good way to reinforce their learning. Having different styles of practice clocks makes it even better!
Practice, Practice, Practice!
After students have mastered reading a clock, it is important to keep practicing! Students may not see or use analog clocks as often as digital clocks, so they don’t get as many chances to practice telling time. There are many fun activities that you can use to practice with both kinds of clocks.
Telling Time Bingo (affiliate link) is a fun game for students play during math class. I give my students a practice clock to use while we play to help reinforce their learning!
There are also many different learning tasks you can use to have students practice telling time. In addition to the analog clock file folders, I also make task cards by cutting and laminating items from the Simple Math Time Workbook. I can incorporate these activities into my students’ task boxes so that they get regular practice with telling time.
Learning to tell time can be a long process for students, but it helping your students master this life skill is worth it! Do you teach time in your classroom? Share your tips and tricks for telling time below!
