First graders have recently begun exploring a new and exciting real-life tool: analog clocks! This week, we reviewed what they learned in Kindergarten, including the parts of a clock and telling time to the hour. The trickiest part of telling time for first graders is often remembering to notice which hand is which when reading a clock! We will spend lots of time practicing this important skill as we build confidence and accuracy.

We began the week by making practice clocks and labeling the parts. First graders wrote the hours on a paper clock and also practiced skip counting by 5’s to label the minutes represented by each hour mark. This connection between counting and time helps students see patterns and strengthens their number sense. We are practicing telling time to the hour and half hour, taking time to really understand how the hour and minute hands work together.

Part of the fun of learning to tell time is getting the chance to use our practice clocks! We broke out the hand-held clocks this week to get some hands-on experience manipulating the hour and minute hands and reading different times. Students enjoyed playing a game called Show Down, where they set their practice clock to a specific time and then reveal their answer to the group and to Ms. Ursino at the end of a 3 second countdown.

As we continue our unit, we will keep practicing and building on these skills so students become more fluent and confident. By the end of first grade, our goal is for students to be comfortable telling time to the hour and half hour and to understand how time helps organize their day. We are looking forward to becoming time-telling experts by the end of first grade!