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Ways to Teach First-Graders How to Tell Time

The ability to tell time is an important skill that students learn in elementary school. Give your first-graders plenty of practice in telling time by hanging different clocks around your classroom. Purchase inexpensive watches for students to wear during free time. And give them pretend clocks with hands that move for them to practice telling time.
  1. Numbers on a Clock

    • Use a craft project to teach students about the numbers on a clock. Provide each student with a circle cut from white card stock as well as markers. Divide students into groups and give each group a clock to look at for reference. Ask each student to fill in the circle with numbers like a clock face. To help them space the numbers evenly in the correct position, help them write the 12, three, six and nine first, and then fill in the rest of the numbers.

    Clock Hands

    • Teach students time through physical movement. Move the hands of a clock to 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. Encourage students to take note of the location of the long and short hands for each time. Next, ask students to stand up and use their hands and arms to make 12 o'clock by holding both in the air. Next, show students how to make 3, 6 and 9 o'clock by moving one arm to the three, six and nine positions, leaving the other arm at 12 o'clock.

    Daily Schedule

    • Use a daily schedule to help students learn to tell time. Write your daily schedule on the board each day, including the time you begin and end different activities. Put large clocks on the wall around the classroom so that every student can see a clock easily from his or her desk. Ask students to be in charge of telling you when it is time to move on to the next item on the schedule. Invite students to mark off items on the schedule after they occur. Talk about how the schedule allows students to manage their time wisely.

    Counting Minutes

    • Teach students how to count minutes on a clock. Give students a clock that includes marks for each minute. Tell students that the long hand counts minutes and the short hand counts hours. Give students a few minutes to watch how the minute hand moves. Ask students to watch the hands move for an entire minute so that they get an idea of how long a minute is. Next, ask students to count how many lines are between the 12 and one, then one and two and so on, all the way up to 60. Show students how the hour hand moves after 60 minutes have passed.

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