Teaching Time – Level 1: Resources for Beginners

Telling time is a difficult skill for second and third graders. When students get to third grade, teachers will focus on telling time to the minute and solving elapsed time problems. To complete these challenging tasks, students need to have mastered the basics of time. Below is a list of ideas and resources you can use in your classroom to help your students master the basics.

Talk About Time Each Day

Have your classroom schedule posted for students to see. This will help students learn how to ‘read’ time. Tell students to refer to the schedule when they have important questions about the day. (When is lunch/specials/recess? 😉 )

Hang an analog clock on the classroom wall. Some schools are providing teachers with digital clocks for their classrooms. Students are already exposed to digital clocks everywhere (phones, tv, microwave, etc.). They need to have exposure to analog clocks. Refer to the clock daily. (We will go over our morning work at 8:45. It’s now 8:40, so I will set the timer for 5 minutes.)

Use Manipulatives

Have small analog clocks available for students to use during your math unit, morning work, or math centers.
During the first week of school, introduce the classroom schedule using the analog clocks. Students read when math starts (9:00) and then show nine o’clock on their clock.
You can find many different kinds of analog clocks online for purchase. You can also print a class set or have students make them.