WHY CANâ€™T CHILDREN TELL THE TIME ANY MORE?

Many children find it difficult to learn to tell the time on analog clocks. In fact some kids, surrounded by technology and all things digital, never
Do we want our adults of tomorrow to walk through Grand Central Station, or ride past Big Ben, and not be able to read the clock? No!
EasyRead Time Teacher makes analog clocks, watches & teaching aids for young Our colorful timepieces are designed for success, with a simple teaching method that really works.
EasyRead Time Teacher“s products are widely used in the UK & We“re excited to be at New York Toy Fair for the first time this year.

It“s a fact that lots of children struggle to learn to tell the time on analog clocks, sadly some never do. The analog clock is still taught in elementary school, but our homes are filled with digital technology and it“s hard for children to learn analog without regular use. In the UK last year, a news item hit the headlines during exam season (1,2). High schools were replacing the analog clocks in their exam halls with digital, because teenagers couldn“t understand them. This news was picked up around the world and in the US, the Jimmy Â Kimmel Show (3) featured a segment on kids not being able to tell the time, with similar findings. Do we want our adults of tomorrow to walk through Grand Central Station, or ride past Big Ben, and not be able to read the clock?Â No! The round clock face helps with so much more than just telling the time. It helps youngsters visualise and understand the whole concept of time – an important life skill, not to be lost.

What“s the problem?

Â So why is it difficult for children to learn analog time? Â Working with the children in our own families, EasyRead Time Teacher identified three problems:

In general, regular clocks and watches only display the hour numbers and if you“re lucky, some markings to indicate This is only about 20% of the information we need to tell the time. 80% of the information we need is missing from the clock face.

The hands can be ambiguous; they“re often nearly the same length and not pointing specifically to either the hours or the Most of the time they“re in between numbers, so it“s hard to know which number to read.

We have lots of different ways of expressing the Often, the way we speak is different to the way we“d write the time and in conversation, we“ve got various ways of saying the same time, e.g. ”˜three forty five“ and ”˜quarter to four“.

All of this is confusing for children. There“s a lot of information to learn and remember before they can read a regular analog clock.

The EasyRead Time Teacher solution

Armed with this knowledge, EasyRead Time Teacher designed two styles of clock face, and both carry all the information we need to tell the time ”“ the hour numbers and the minute numbers. The adult simply has to decide which style of telling the time they“d like their child to learn first. That choice depends on how they normally speak the time.

The “24-Hour“ style clock is designed to be read like a digital clock, e.g. ”˜one fifty“, so it“s best to teach this style first if that“s the way you talk.

The ”˜Past & To“ style clock is designed to be read as ”˜minutes past“ and ”˜minutes to“ the hour, e.g. ”˜ten to two“. Â If that“s the way you say the time, teach this style first.

In both styles, every number on the clock face is in an individual box. EasyRead Time Teacher has tailored the length of the hands so that the tips clearly point to which number to read. Instead of having to memorize all the missing information, children now simply learn the process of reading the clock:

24 Hour Style:

Step 1:Â

Read the number at the end of the short hand”¦ Â ”˜1“

Step 2:Â

Read the number at the end of the long hand”¦ Â ”˜52“

Say it like this: Â ”˜1:52“

Â It“s that simple!

Past & To Style

Step 1: Read the number at the end of the

long hand”¦Â Â Â Â ”˜8“Â

Step 2: Say which side the long hand is

pointing to”¦.Â Â Â ”˜minutes to“

Â Â Step 3: Read the number at the end of the

short hand”¦Â Â Â Â ”˜2“

Â Say it like this: Â ”˜8 minutes to 2“

Â It“s that simple!

Both styles of clock face make it much easier for children to learn to tell the time. With regular use, they quickly start to memorize all the hour & minute numbers and soon they“re able to read any analog clock. Â It really is ”˜the simplest time teaching system for children“.

EasyRead Time Teacher“s product range

EasyRead Time Teacher“s attractive and colorful products include wall clocks, children“s wrist watches and bedside alarm clocks, all designed to help children age 4+ learn to tell the time. With a choice of color schemes, the clocks look great in any room. An EasyRead Time Teacher wrist watch makes an ideal first watch ”“ one that a child will wear with pride and remember for the rest of their life. Â There is also a school range of products including Classroom clocks, Playground clocks and Classroom Teaching Aids, all using the same design concept and teaching method. Â An EasyRead Time Teacher classroom kit is the elementary school teacher“s new best friend!

EasyRead Time Teacher Ltd is a family company, founded in 2013 by brother & sister duo Roger & Sue Shackleton. Roger is based in Sydney, Australia and Sue is in Malvern, UK. Roger developed the EasyRead concept after struggling to teach his own children to tell the time. Sue is excited to be bringing EasyRead Time Teacher to New York Toy Fair for the first time this year. She“ll be ready to chat all things time-related in the Launch Pad, Booth 4237.

Roger“s designs are protected by copyright and design registrations. The company holds stock in the US, UK and Australia.

References

The Times Educational Supplement, 24 April 2018
BBC News, 24 April 2018
Jimmy KimmeÂ Show, Kids Can“t Tell Time Anymore, 2 May 2018

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!