While you are out in public, like at the grocery store, point out double-digit numbers and have your child repeat the number to you. Use counting songs to help your child practice counting. For instance, you could sing, “100 Bottles of Milk” together. Look for other counting songs online. To encourage your child to learn, make sure to reward them with playtime or their favorite snack for doing a good job.

Make a special “Count by 5s” song to a catchy tune your kid can sing along to. You can even add dance moves to the song; for example, at every quarter, you put your hands in the air or stomp your feet. Sing this song regularly with your kid to help them become comfortable with counting by 5s. You can also find song about counting by fives online, such as on YouTube.

For example, “In the morning we eat breakfast and brush our teeth. At noon, we eat lunch and take a nap. At night, we read a book and go to sleep. ” You can ask your kid, “What happens in the morning?” and “What happens at night?” You can post a daily schedule chart so your child has a visual that shows the different things they do during the day. Refer to the chart when explaining the times of various daily events.

For example, “Guess what we are doing today? We are going to make our own clocks!”

For example, tell them to place a sticker where the number 1 should be. Then have them right the number 1 next to the sticker. Repeat this for each number.

Try starting with red at one o’clock, working upward through the rainbow for each number. This will help make the number progression more intuitive for your child than simply using random colors.

If your child is not old enough to use scissors safely, then cut the minute and hour hands out for them. You can also make the clock hands with construction paper. [10] X Expert Source Courtney CoprivizaElementary School Teacher Expert Interview. 18 June 2021.

You can use the actual clock in your classroom to show your students how the second, minute, and hour hands are moving. [15] X Expert Source Courtney CoprivizaElementary School Teacher Expert Interview. 18 June 2021.

Use differently colored crayons to show the relationship between the second, minute, and hour hands. [16] X Expert Source Courtney CoprivizaElementary School Teacher Expert Interview. 18 June 2021.

Make sure to use the pie slices and colors to your advantage. Reinforce the idea that whenever the hour hand is in a given pie slice, it is ___ o’clock. You can even associate activities with each number to help solidify the hours; for example, “It is 3 o’clock now, which means it is time to watch your favorite cartoons,” or, “It is 5 o’clock now, which means it is time for soccer practice. ”

Say, for example, “School has ended, which means it is 3 o’clock. Move the hands and show me 3 o’clock on your clock,” or, “It is 8 o’clock, which means it is time for bed. Move the hands and show me 8 o’clock on your clock. ” Make a game of setting the paper clock together to match the times of daily activities. Use a working analog clock as a reference tool.

For example, tell your kid that the secret identity of number 1 is 5. Then have them write down a small number 5 next to the number 1. Repeat this for each number. Make sure to point out that you are counting by 5s. Go over each number’s secret identity by singing your special “Count by 5s” song.

For example, point the minute hand at 2 and say, “It is 10 minutes now. ” Then point the minute hand at 3 and say, “It is 15 minutes now. ”

For example, point the hour hand at 3 and the minute hand at 8. Tell your kid that the time is 3:40 because the hour hand is pointing at 3 and the minute hand is pointing at 8. Reinforce the idea that because the minute hand is the secret identity hand, it reads as 40 and not 8. Repeat this activity until your kid gets the hang of it.

For example, point the minute hand at the fourth tick mark and the hour hand at 3. Tell your kid that the time is 3:04. Repeat this process until your kid understands how to read the tick marks on the clock.

Encourage your kid by rewarding them for doing a good job. Take them to the park or to the ice cream shop to celebrate a productive lesson. Try to quiz your students every day by asking what time it is. [24] X Expert Source Courtney CoprivizaElementary School Teacher Expert Interview. 18 June 2021.