{"id":652,"date":"2018-08-25T15:05:06","date_gmt":"2018-08-25T15:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinneybrothers.com\/blog\/?p=652"},"modified":"2024-04-21T15:26:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T15:26:40","slug":"clock-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kinneybrothers.com\/blog\/blog\/2018\/08\/25\/clock-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Clock Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kinney<\/a>Yuki had a green paper watch wrapped around his wrist with the hands of the clock permanently drawn to 3:00.\u00a0 I asked him what time it was.\u00a0 “Oyatsu no jikan!” (Snack time!) he replied.\u00a0 “Oh!” I said.\u00a0 “That’s something to look forward to!”<\/p>\n

Yuki couldn’t read a clock yet, but at four years old, his teachers were introducing the concept of analog clocks in a fun way and anchored in a daily event that was important to him<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Those little paper watches are super easy to make and kids really like them.\u00a0\u00a0Download<\/a> a free set of templates by clicking on the image below.\u00a0 Teachers also use these watches for sight-word<\/a> and CVC<\/a>\u00a0word practice!<\/p>\n

\"Watch<\/a><\/p>\n

How and when to begin…<\/h3>\n

I begin teaching my ESL kids clocks when they start learning in their own language.\u00a0 Because my classes are only once a week for 50 minutes, I regularly teach a little bit about clocks over a very long period of time.\u00a0 Starting with paper watches, I plan ahead by planting seeds for future practice.<\/p>\n

For young English language learners, reading, writing, and speaking the time is a convergence of several different concepts and skillsets.\u00a0 Numbers alone can be used to teach most of the language skills necessary for reading digital clocks and speaking the time.\u00a0 Once kids have learned CVC words<\/a> like six<\/em> and ten<\/em>,\u00a0sight words<\/a> like one<\/em>,\u00a0two <\/em>and it’s, <\/em>and\u00a0CVCe, or long ‘e’ words, like five<\/em> and nine<\/em>, reading time as text can begin.\u00a0As for the concept<\/em>\u00a0of reading an analog clock, you can give that up to the culture at large and simply ride closely on its coattails.\u00a0 As your kids learn to tell time at home and at school, be there to support their efforts and begin introducing easy, parallel English lessons.<\/p>\n

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FYI – In Japan, being able to hear the spoken hourly time and read digital time is part of the first (Bronze) level of the aural\u00a0\u00a0Jidou Eiken<\/em><\/a> tests for young English language students.\u00a0 Click the link to learn more and download sample tests.\u00a0 It’s worth investigating if only to learn about the vocabulary required to pass the three-level tests.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Getting ready…<\/h3>\n

Practicing time can begin very early on.\u00a0 I prefer flashcards to plastic clocks with hands that can be manipulated simply because they don’t break and they aren’t perceived as a toy that older kids may object to.\u00a0 With a good set of clock flashcards<\/a>, there are numerous games you can play that will make repetition more enjoyable.<\/p>\n

Here are a few fun ideas to try in class:<\/p>\n