At some point every kid needs to learn how to tell the time. This is especially true for homeschooled kids, who may not have the structured timetable that a school schedule brings. Luckily, homeschooling allows for the use of creative tools and equipment when it comes to learning. Anything can be an education source. When it comes to telling the time, there is no need to use paper worksheets and workbooks to learn – simply use a real clock!
If your kids are at the stage where they are ready to start learning the time, and you want to give them a good base from which to learn, let them use, play and learn with a collection of the following. Digital clocks, wall clocks, mechanical clocks eg wind up alarm clocks, and you can take them to see the town clock (if your town or city has one), a church clock, the clocks in the train station, the possiblities are endless. You could even devise a set of excursions around telling the time and clocks, or go and spot the clocks out and about in the public space.
Even at home without getting anything new you will probably find that there are already many clocks at hand to learn from. Your own watch, for instance. You could get your kids a watch each to encourage them, or as a reward for accomplishing the skills needed to tell the time. Your computer will have the time showing on it. You probably have an alarm clock.
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