Telling Time –

Ideas for teaching telling time and creating a useful teaching tool 

During a Roadmap presentation Deb Devine took teachers through the multifaceted process of teaching students to tell time. (The videos of this session are available below.)  She discussed the importance of teaching students to use and fully understand the hour hand as well as the minute hand.  Time was spent on the many layers of understanding for students must master to truly grasp telling time. She also has created a “desk topper” to supplement the lessons and provide a learning tool for students.

The desk topper (available below) provides a visual representation of the concepts as they are taught and an opportunity for students to practice their skills. Click the following picture for a printable master of the desk topper for your students. Other supplies needed are two craft sticks to represent the hour and minute hands.  These are stored in a pocket when they are not in use. The pocket is created by taping 3 sides of an index card to the back of the desk topper so students can slide the sticks in.  

Step 1 – In the first segment of the presentation Deb Devine looks at the first clock on the left side of the desk topper and provides guidance for its’ use. Listening to the video will provide a clearer understanding of each step.
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1.      Students are asked to fill in the reference points on the clock (12, 6, 3 and 9).

2.      Students are then asked to draw lines through the clock at those numbers dividing the clock into quarters.  Each quarter is colored a different color to create a visual image of 1 quarter or ½ for students. This colored image makes it easier for students to connect the numbers and their position to terms like, quarter after represented by the reference point 3, or half past represented by 6, etc.

3.      Students then take time to write the terms on the lines outside the circle. 

4.      Add the numerals 15, 30, 45 and 60 outside the circle by the words to connect the numbers and terms to the reference points.  

Step 2 - teaching students the role of the hour hand. The second image on the desk topper is used for this lesson. It is the section of the clock from 12 to 3. Students add the 4 tick marks between 12 and 1, 1 and 2, etc.

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We can tell time using just the hour hand and yet not enough time is spent working on this concept with students. This leads confusion about when an hour passes or when it changes from one o’clock to two for example.

1.      Students are taught how to understand that all the tick marks up to 1 means that it is still 12 until the hour hand moves to 1.

2.      Students predict time using hour hand only. If the hour hand is between 12 and one it is probably half past 12 or 12:30, etc.

3.      The next layer is added when students display an understanding of the previous concepts. This is the minute hand – a tool to provide the precise time.

Step 3 - Lines provided at the top of the desk topper on the right side allow the teacher to give students reminders on the things that they need to remember - for example, 60 minutes = 1 hour or 24 hours = 1 day, etc.

Step 4 - The clock with both minutes and hours allows students to visually tie the two concepts together.

View Video on this step 

1.      Students having problems can see that 05 is on the 1 and 10 is on the 2.  By drawing radiating lines from the center through 1 to 05. It is helping students make those connections.

Step 5 -  Built in reinforcement system

As you have the students display time on their desktopper using craft sticks the teacher can walk around the room and mark off one of the circles in the “Just in Time” section if the student is showing the correct answer.  When they have all the circles marked off at the end they may receive a reward.

 
Click here to print your own desktopper.  It is an 11"x 17" document and 2 desktoppers will be printed on each sheet.