We’re living in an increasingly digital world and yet children are still expected to learn to tell the time on an analog clock as part of the primary curriculum. If you rely on your phone, computer screen, or smartwatch to know what time it is, that’s understandable, but in order to help your child learn it’s a good idea to start putting some analog clocks around your home. One great way to support your child’s learning is by putting a clock in their bedroom. Time teaching resources such as our children’s bedside clock can really make a difference to their understanding, and of course, help them to appreciate when is an acceptable time to get out of bed!
The concept of time
Ok, so we may have overexaggerated on the getting out of bed thing. We appreciate that young children are just too excited to start their day to worry about whether the adults have had enough sleep, but that said, having a clock your child can refer to when they wake is the start of building an understanding about the concept of time.
Interactive learning
A child’s alarm clock also has the benefit of being interactive. Not only can they look at the hour and minute hands and large numbers to try to put the elements of time together, but they can also use the button to set and unset the alarm.
Not just an alarm clock!
Our clocks also double as a night light with their built-in LED lighting, so if little ones don’t like sleeping in the dark, they can rely on the gentle glow from their bedside clock to provide some reassuring light.
Improve the bedtime routine
You can use an alarm clock to help a child understand their bedtime routine. For example, you can clearly point out when it is time to brush their teeth or get into bed. This helps them to associate certain routines with particular times of day, and then see what they look like on the clock. As they become more confident, you can ask them to let you know when it’s time to grab their toothbrush or get dressed ready for bed.
What to look for in a child’s alarm clock
For young children who are just starting to learn to tell the time at school, an alarm clock with bold, bright colours and easy to read numbers will be most helpful. Our children’s bedside clocks have been designed with either our ‘past and to’ or ‘12/24 hour’ time teaching method, both of which feature bold colourful numbers for each hour and a clear breakdown of the minutes, to help support what children are learning in the classroom.
Another important feature to look out for is silent hands. Kids don’t need much of an excuse to avoid going to sleep, so putting an alarm clock with a noisy ticking sound next to their bed could be fuelling their night time restlessness. We much prefer a silent clock, which is why we’ve designed our children’s alarm clocks with silent sweeping hands.
For parents of little sleepy heads, the crescendo alarm is a popular feature as it starts off with a gentle beep and gets louder until it is turned off.
To find out more about the features and benefits of our children’s bedside clocks or to choose your preferred time teaching method and colour, please click here.
Whether you’re a parent trying to support your child in their learning, a grandparent looking for an educational gift or a teacher sourcing the best resources to use in the classroom, you’re in the right place to find the perfect clock for teaching time. With many different products available, we’re here, as parents with experience of the time teaching struggle, to show you what features you need to consider when buying a clock to help your child learn this vital skill.
The best size clock for teaching time
We’re firm believers that there isn’t one size that fits all as some children will prefer to see a clock on the wall when learning to tell the time, whereas others will prefer a watch on their wrist to practise on the go. However, if you are looking for a teaching time clock for your walls at home or in the classroom, we believe our clocks are perfectly proportioned!
Wall Clocks – Our wall clocks are ideal for use at home – in bedrooms, nurseries, playrooms and kitchens. With a diameter of 29cm they are the perfect size to be seen across the room, without taking up too much space.
Classroom Clocks – our classroom clocks are a larger version of our popular wall clocks and have been upscaled to a diameter of 35cm to enable them to be seen by students across the classroom. With an ergonomic hanger and curriculum notes printed on the back of the clock, they are a really helpful resource for demonstrating time teaching in the classroom.
Alarm Clocks – our alarm clocks are a great bedside companion for helping children practise telling the time before they go to bed and when they wake up. At just 12.5cm in diameter, these clocks are small enough to easily fit on a bedside table or nearby shelf and feature a built-in night light to add gentle glow to your child’s room.
Outdoor Clocks – our wall clock design has been supersized and strengthened to create an outdoor clock which enables you to take the time teaching outside – at school, on the farm, at an activity centre or in the garden. Whether you use it as part of an outdoor lesson on a sunny school day, or place it where children can use it to practise their own time telling abilities, this 38cm diameter black and white weatherproof clock is definitely up to the job.
A clear and easy to read face
As with anything that is trying to impart wisdom and knowledge, the information should be clear and easy to read and we took these key principles on board when designing our time teaching clocks. Born from the struggles we’ve had as parents getting our own children to learn to tell the time, our clocks feature either our 2-step ‘12 & 24 hour’ or our 3-step ‘past and to’ time teaching systems. Each system is simple to grasp and with the colourful, bold designs of our clock faces, all children need is a little practice and telling the time will soon come easily.
A clock that doesn’t tick!
As an adult you might find the ticking of a clock in your bedroom quite soothing, but do you really want to risk putting anything in your child’s room that might prevent them from sleeping? If you’re worried about the ticking of a clock disturbing your child, make sure you choose one with silent hands. Our range of clocks all come with silent, sweeping hands, so you can confidently place them in any room without risk of disturbance.
A teaching time clock that comes recommended
We can’t stress enough that when trying to help your child learn, you choose tools that have been endorsed by professionals or at least recommended by other parents. Our learning to tell the time clocks have achieved a number of awards over the years, including:
You can also find out what parents and grandparents have to say about our products by reading our reviews.
If you need help finding the right clock or time teaching system please do get in touch with us. You can contact us here, or connect with us on Facebook.
From around the time your child starts school, they will begin learning how to tell the time. Not only is this a key part of their primary education, but it also helps them to grasp the concept of time and gives them confidence and independence.
If your child or grandchild is starting school this year you are probably looking for a kids first watch or clock or to help them tell the time more easily and we’ve got just the products you need!
Download our latest catalogue to browse our range of tell the time wall clocks and watches, suitable for children from around 4 years of age. All of our products feature our simple time teaching system and can help give your child confidence as they learn this important skill.
Best kids first watch to learn to tell the time
The best watches to help children learn to tell time are those that make it easy for them to distinguish between the minutes past and to or the hours in a 12 and 24 hour format.
With our time teaching watches you can choose from our ‘Past & To’ method or our ‘12/24 Hour’ method:
Choose from a rainbow or red and blue watch face and make a choice from our selection of strap colours and your kids first watch is ready to go.
For urban adventurers, or slightly older children who still need help telling the time but want something that looks a little cooler on their wrist, try our camo watches!
Again, you can choose from our ‘Past & To’ or ‘12/24 Hour’ time teaching method to suit your child’s needs and pick either a white or black face and colourful camo strap.
The time teaching shouldn’t stop just because you’re on holiday having fun, so upgrade your child’s time teaching watch to a waterproof one ready for summer splashing. These scratch resistant time teaching watches are waterproof to 50 metres and come with a blue or purple strap:
If your child is fixated on another colour, that’s no problem as we have a range of additional straps to choose from. With 14 different colours, there’s a strap for every mood!
Best wall clock to learn to tell the time
The best wall clocks to help children learn to tell the time are those that clearly display the numbers so they can be easily recognised from a distance. Our wall clocks feature a clear dial, brightly displayed numbers and of course a choice of our two simple time teaching methods ‘ Past & To’ and ‘12/24 Hour’.
We also have a range of alarm clocks to help children know when it’s time for bed and more importantly, when it’s time to wake up 😀.
If you’re looking for the perfect kids first watch, or the best wall clock to help the whole family tell the time, download our latest brochure and get in touch with us if you have any questions.
We often talk about the importance of learning outside the classroom and we’re big supporters of resources that help children to develop their maths skills at home. After a very disruptive 18 months, children need all the support they can get to help catch up on those lessons they have missed and with Christmas on the horizon (yes, it’s coming!), now is the perfect opportunity to research educational gifts such as our time teaching clocks.
Help the whole family stay on time
Whilst our wrist watches have always been popular festive presents due to the fact they can be bought for a child who is learning to tell the time at school, a teaching time clock is a gift that the whole family can benefit from. Hanging one of our clocks on the wall will not only support those children in your family who are learning to tell time, but they will also help younger children get used to the concept of time and looking at a clock, not to mention giving parents a clock face that can be easily read from a distance – priceless when all you get is a quick glance out of the corner of your eye to make sure the whole family is leaving the house on time!
Perfect in any room
A tell the time clock is a great accessory for your child’s bedroom but it can also be hung in the playroom, nursery, kitchen or hallway to ensure the whole family knows what time it is. Choose from our colourful rainbow face, striking red and blue face or plain white face to suit your home decor. Our wall clocks are 29 centimetres in diameter, made of durable plastic and take just one AA battery. They weigh 0.53kg, so are easy to hang and if you’re a multilingual household, you might be interested to know that our wall clocks are available in English, French and Spanish.
Simple time teaching methods
When you select the colour of your clock face you’ll also have a choice of our two simple time teaching systems:
- Past and To – a 3-step system that encourages children to read the number at the end of the long hand, point to either the ‘past’ or ‘to’ side of the clock face and read the number at the end of the short hand.
- 12 & 24 Hour – a 2-step system that encourages children to read the number at the end of the short hand, then the number at the end of the long hand and put them together.
With regular practice, using a teaching time clock featuring one of the above systems, reading the time will become something your child does naturally and confidently. Please click here to find out more about our time teaching systems and watch our quick videos to find the right system for your child.
A teaching time clock with no noisy ticking!
One of the things we often get asked by parents is whether our clocks are too noisy for the bedroom. The answer is no, because they feature silent hands and therefore will not disrupt your child’s sleep.
If a teaching time clock sounds like the perfect educational present for a child on your Christmas gift list, click here to browse our full range and buy now to avoid any last minute shopping panic!
The beginning of a new year is the ideal time to take on new ventures and set targets for the year ahead. Aside from the traditional new year’s resolutions, like eating healthier foods and losing weight, you could look to teach your child how to tell the time in 2020, which is made very easy with our fabulous EasyRead time teaching products.
We’ve all been there. As a young child, learning how to tell the time is difficult to get your head around at first, but it doesn’t need to be. With the right guidance, learning this important life skill can be very straightforward and mastered within no time.
Additionally, employing the most effective time teaching system will make the learning process a lot easier for you and your child. With that in mind, if your new year’s resolution is to help your child to learn how to tell the time in 2020, you should use our award-winning time teaching products and here are the main reasons why.
Make Learning Fun
Amongst many other things, our EasyRead time teaching products, such as our EasyRead Wrist Watches and EasyRead Wall Clocks, do a great job of making a tedious task fun and enjoyable for children, which is crucial in keeping them engaged with learning.
With their bright colours and eye-catching designs, our time teaching watches help to bring time to life for children, making them more likely to absorb information than when learning from a clock or watch that has a dull design.
Simple, Yet Effective
At EasyRead Time Teacher, we are proud to say that we offer the simplest time teaching system for children. Our unique system, which has been endorsed by educational professionals around the world, allows children to learn how to tell the time quickly and efficiently.
Compliment Your Child’s School Life
Another thing which makes our products so effective is that they tie in with and complement what your child is learning at school. At EasyRead Time Teacher, we sell a range of products that are designed to help teachers, so we have a good understanding of what type of system children require when learning the time.
It takes the average child 2 to 3 years of school lessons to master the time. Our EasyRead products, which can be easily used at home and on the move, help to drastically speed up this process, without causing any unwanted confusion with your child’s school studies.
Assisting your child with the learning of valuable life skills is something that will give you both a great sense of achievement, and a memory that you will cherish forever. So, why not help your child to learn how to tell the time with our EasyRead time teaching system in 2020?
For more information on our range of products, browse our collection or get in touch with our team.
Last year, you may remember we launched a limited-edition Welsh language time teaching clock. Well, our initial supplies dwindled incredibly quickly and due to popular demand, we can now confirm that we have more clocks back in stock!
Before we look at the clocks themselves, let’s remind ourselves why embracing the Welsh language is so important.
There have been a number of items in the news recently about the Welsh language, including:
- The Welsh government is hoping there will be 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050
- The number of children going to Welsh language schools (Welsh Medium schools) has more than doubled in the last 30 years
- Welsh is a compulsory language for pupils across Wales in Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4
- The BBC recently launched a second welsh language radio channel
- Welsh was officially allowed to be used as the language of a debate at the Houses of Parliament, during a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee recently
So, it seems Welsh is a language on the up, and with government initiatives to encourage more speakers and many pupils in Wales being taught in Welsh, there is a need for resources that will fit in with Welsh time teaching lessons.
Our Welsh classroom clocks feature our simple, 3-step time teaching system and are ideal for the classroom wall as they are silent – so no ticking to distract your students!
We developed our time teaching method back in 1992, and we still believe it the best way to teach children to tell the time, no matter what language they are learning in. Our clocks are designed to be bright and engaging to make children want to interact and learn.
Orders can be placed online, so please click here to view our Welsh language time teaching clocks or call us on 01684 566832 for more information.
With November firmly underway, kids around the country have started writing their lists ready for Father Christmas. And with an abundance of specific toys to buy, shopping can be an arduous task. Whether it’s a Hatchimals toy, a Luvabella Doll or a Paw Patrol Sea Patroller, you’re sure to be spoilt for choice.
Although shopping for the Christmas toy of the year might be a fixture in our calendars, sometimes the best presents are available all year round, last longer than a few months and offer a clear educational benefit.
Take our time teaching clocks and wrist watches for example – they’re fun, interactive, educational and last for years to come. Whether you pop a wrist watch in your child’s stocking or give them a wall clock, our products are sure to offer a welcome break to the norm this Christmas. What’s more, your little one can go back to school after the festive break with a clear head start on telling the time.
Despite time teaching now being a part of the maths curriculum, an EasyRead Time Teacher clock gives your child the chance to consolidate their learning at home. Additionally, our products make learning to tell the time an exciting process which keeps children engaged for longer – fantastic for a topic that many children find confusing and difficult to understand.
We haven’t just developed a range of clocks and watches, but have also created a set of fun teaching resources such as flashcards that make learning to tell the time an exciting and rewarding process – perfect for a stocking filler or tree present.
If you would like to find out more about the EasyRead Time Teacher methodology or discuss any of our products, please call Sue on 01684 566832, or email us here [email protected].
Coaching children on how to tell the time is never easy, and educators often have to find new and exciting ways of teaching this essential life skill.
Most teachers will know that explaining how to tell the time can be a tricky task that leaves many pupils confused and frustrated, and will be on the lookout for anything that can make life easier both for them and the youngsters they’re schooling.
With the new academic year hot on the heels of August, getting the classroom set up is often a key priority at this time of year. Whether it’s colourful cues or engaging stickers, there are plenty of learning methods that appeal to children. One of the key time teaching resources we think should be in all classrooms for the 2017-18 academic year is our EasyRead Time Teacher Past & To Classroom Wall Clock.
This handy little number offers a simple three-step teaching system that’s based on the ‘past and to’ method, and has a silent hand that glides around the clock rather than ticking – perfect for the classroom environment where it doesn’t take much to distract children. You can use this clock in three easy steps, as outlined here.
If you’re a teacher yourself, you might be wondering what else you need to prepare for your impending return to school to go smoothly, and whilst we are sure you all have your own tried and tested back to school routines, don’t forget that when it comes to teaching the time, EasyRead Time Teacher are here to help.
Children often learn better when resources are used, whether it’s flashcards and pictures or videos and songs. At EasyRead Time Teacher, we’ve developed a whole range of time teaching resources that can help you teach children how to tell the time, why not take a look?
If you’re a teacher or work in a school and are interested in how we can help you teach children to tell the time, you can call us on 01684 566832, or email us here.
For children, the summer holidays are often full of fun, laughter and ice cream. But when September comes, many will find it tricky to get back into the swing of things at school.
In addition, The American organisation, The National Summer Learning Association, found that teachers spend a significant amount of time reteaching the information that has been forgotten thanks to summer learning loss.
So how can this be tackled?
There are many classes and clubs that you can take your child to over the summer, from play and stay classes at the local library to crafty classes and sports camps. But one of the most beneficial things we think you can do to help your child during the holidays is to help them learn how to tell the time.
As Dave Allen’s comedy sketch on teaching your kid time shows, learning how to do it can fox the smartest of kids and take lots of hard work and dedication. Consequently, the school holidays offer the perfect chance to make a start or sharpen existing skills.
At EasyRead Time Teacher, we have devised the Rainbow Past and To Wall Clock, which uses a three-step system to teach the ‘past and to’ method. Children follow three easy steps:
- Read the number at the end of the long hand
- Say ‘minutes to’ if it’s pointing to the red side of the clock, or say ‘minutes past’ if it’s pointing to the green side
- Read the number at the end of the short hand. Like this: 8…minutes past/to…4.
We have also brought out a range of Past and To Watches that are available in a wide range of colours and sure to catch the attention of your child. If you would like to find out more about our approach to teaching children to tell the time, please contact us, or to buy a time teaching clock, please see here.
