How to teach a child to determine the time by the clock

Psychologists say that by the age of six, the child has alreadyready to learn the clock. At this age, children understand the meaning of the words "tomorrow", "today", "yesterday", realize the day outside the window or night. Specialists do not recommend compulsively to teach the child, but they propose to do it when he starts asking you about time, for example: "When will the cartoons begin?", "Is the hour a lot or a little?", "And what are the minutes?" And t Parents may themselves be interested in their child. You need to associate certain hours with your child's favorite activities. You can use such tricks: "At two o'clock we'll go for a walk on the street," "At five o'clock we'll go for a drive by car," "In half an hour your favorite show starts," "Tomorrow we'll visit my grandmother," etc. So, if your the child is interested, then consider that you are already on the path to success and it remains to move on to the methods of teaching.

Where to begin?

Photo: Getty ImagesStep 1.To teach a child to determine the time by the hour, it is worthwhile to prepare. Practice counting to 60. Ask the child to write numbers from 1 to 60, pronouncing them. If he forgot a number, do not swear and give him time to rest. Repeat for a few days until he writes the number in the correct sequence. Hang the letter with numbers in a prominent place and periodically ask the child to read aloud. In the store, pay your child's attention to two-digit numbers and ask them to sound. To the child does not become bored, praise and encourage his games, or you can buy him a favorite treat if he correctly calls his price. Step 2. After it is worthwhile to teach the child to count the numbers as a multiple of five. On the same sheet where your child wrote numbers from 1 to 60, let him allocate a figure of five and then count five more and select the number 10, etc. After simple calculations, ask the child to write out the allocated numbers on a separate sheet. And be sure to praise your baby for the work done. Step 3. Teachers offer to learn a song-counting, you can easily find it on the Internet. Try to sing it often with your child for a walk or when you bathe. So you can in a short time to teach the child to count.

Give the concept of hours and minutes

Photo: Getty ImagesStep 1.It is better to start with the concept "exactly one hour". You should have a watch with large and clear numbers on the dial at home, it's better to buy toys with removable arrows. Show the baby which of the hands marks the clock, and attach it to the dial. Set the arrow for a certain time and tell the child that it is, for example, "two hours straight" or "five hours straight". After you ask him to set another time, an hour ago or two hours in advance. As you master the hour hand, you can move on to the minute. Attach it to the dial and show the difference between the two. Minute - thin and long, hour - thick and short. Tell us that the minute hand makes an hour in an hour, and when the hour hand shows exactly three or five hours, the minute hand is always raised up, pointing to the number 12. Now do the same thing as with the hour hand, ask to show the child five or seven hours, using both arrows. Step 2. Continually go to the concept of "half an hour". Show where the arrow stands, if only half an hour has passed. Ask the child to indicate on the watch any time (half past three or half past six) and speak it out loud. Experts believe that children under the age of 7 years are enough to determine the time with an accuracy of half an hour, so do not require too much from your baby. Better fix the result. Step 3. The next step is to study the minutes or "quarter of an hour". Repeat with the child the account through 5 (5, 10, 15 ...) to define values of a minute hand on hours. Regularly exercise, give him the task of finding on the clock the time you named. Soon the child will easily call the time to the nearest minute.

Secure the result

Photo: Getty ImagesStep 1.A great way to finish off your training will be to make a clock with your child. You can simply draw it on a regular sheet of paper or a paper plate. Give your child a lot of colored pencils and place a clock in front of him. By drawing the numbers and hands on his own, the child will remember all the meanings faster. Step 2. Gradually move from a toy clock to a real clock, just make sure that the numbers are clearly visible. Ask your child more often: “What time is it?” – and praise him for the correct answer. Step 3. Try to make your child pay attention to the time without your asking. Ask him: “When did you wake up?”, “What time did you come home from school?”, “When does your favorite fairy tale begin?” This way, the child will begin to remember his daily routine by the clock.