Many children find that learning becomes both fun and easy when the lesson is taught through music. Sing several songs about time to your preschoolers each day to introduce them to the concept of telling time. You can use published music or make up your own song. Hold hands and walk in a circle with the children or simply let them dance around the room while you sing to them.
Games are a quick and simple way to add variety in learning about time. Play several games with your preschoolers to not only get them interested in telling time, but also to make learning a fun challenge. Even the youngest preschoolers can participate in a time-telling game if you make the activity simple. For example, let the children help you draw a large picture of a clock on a poster board. Cut up several small pieces of paper and label each paper with a number. Give each child a number and let the class help you glue the numbers in the appropriate places on the clock. If a child struggles with knowing where to put the number, ask the other preschoolers to help her out.
For variety, join your preschoolers on visits to websites about telling time. Look at pictures of clocks and talk about different ways to tell time. Educational websites, such as timemonsters.com and primarygames.com, offer games designed to teach students to tell time. Older preschoolers may enjoy the challenge of playing a time-telling video game, while younger preschoolers may simply like looking at pictures.
To teach preschoolers about larger concepts of time, such as months and years, incorporate the use of visual aids in your classroom. Display a monthly calendar and write down birthdays and field trips on the calendar. At the end of each day, allow one preschooler to cross that day off the calendar. Spend time counting down the days to important and exciting events and talk about how many more days it will be until the activity occurs.
When you speak to your preschoolers, make a conscious effort to use words that demonstrate periods of time. For example, use words like "today" and "tomorrow." You can also use specific times or lengths of time to communicate information to your preschoolers. Instead of saying "we will read for a little bit," try saying, "we will read for ten minutes."