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Learning to tell time can be fun! 

When it comes to the concept of “telling time”, nearly everyone has at least one digital clock at their disposal at any given time. Yet, while almost anyone who is able to understand numbers can report the time displayed on a phone, computer, or digital alarm clock, the learning process around understanding the passage of time can be difficult for some people. 

Of course, this includes children. Yet, individuals of all ages who are on the autism spectrum or have other developmental or learning disorders may experience particular difficulty understanding time in relationship to an analog clock. But we believe everyone can learn! A tool we think can be especially helpful to everyone is the Time Timer visual timer. 

Whether a person is an adult, child, neurotypical, or a mainstream learner, this timer is a great addition to your productivity tools in the classroom, at the office, or home! Time Timer’s disappearing red disk clearly displays the passage of time in five-minute increments – so you’ll always know how much time is left for a task, class, or routine. While tools like these can help users “see” the passage of time within a set timeframe, teaching someone how to “tell” time on an analog clock can be more challenging. 

We’ve collected a list of fun, creative, and clever ways of teaching others to “tell time”, and we’re sharing them here. As you may have guessed, many of these ideas come to us courtesy of some amazing people – teachers, of course!! 

Roll and Read the Time! 

Courtesy of This Reading Mama, this fun, free printable game uses motor skills (dice), counting, and a bingo-like format to learning to tell time. Great classroom fun! 

Photo courtesy of This Reading Mama

Each Minute, Every Moment Book 

How long does it take to tie your shoes?  How about to feed your dog, lay out your clothes or eat lunch?  Readers of all ages will love how "Each Minute, Every Moment“ imagines ways we can use our time each day to make every moment count! The book includes a Time Timer® manipulative so that students can set the timer for each activity in the book. With the Time Timer visual timer reinforcing the movement of an analogue clock, this is a great way to teach time and its importance.  

ABCYa.com Time Telling Game 

If you’re a teacher or parents of little ones and you need something for the laptop or tablet, check out this super fun “Time Travel” game from ABCYa.com. This engaging activity will have your kids telling time in no time (yes, pun intended)! 

Personalized Paper Plate Clock 

Bring out your students creative side with the paper plate version of a clock! With just a few materials you can have a classroom of students with their very own clocks.  

Fun Fact! Did you know the first model Jan Rogers made of the Time Timer was made using paper plates? This is how she first physically showed the concept she had come up with 😊  

Photo courtesy of The Spruce / Rita Shehan

Plastic Egg Matching Game 

Easter is just around the corner – and young students in primary grades will love this hands-on classroom game. Using colorful plastic Easter eggs, use a permanent marker to mark the digital time on one half, and an image of the analog time on the other half. Courtesy of The Stem Laboratory. 

Photo courtesy of The Stem Laboratory 

A Fun Sing Along! 

Have some fun and sing with your students. Did you know Time Timer has a song? Sing the Time Timer Song! with your students and pick a students to put the different durations on your Time Timer in your classroom. You can also sing along with the version recorded online here.  

“Class, you have 20 minutes to finish your work.” 

For most students this would be a helpful notice. But for a particular group of students who 

struggle to tell and calculate time, a statement like this would only heighten anxiety. 

These students are dyscalculic. 

The Impact of Dyscalculia 

Dyscalculia is a learning disability which impacts the ability to grasp concepts related to numbers and amounts, including how to tell and calculate time. Numbers do not hold the same meaning for dyscalculics as they do for an average person. Children and adults with dyscalculia will struggle with mathematical concepts others seem to know intuitively or find simple to understand. Dyscalculia is a difference in the brain one is born with. It is not a result of poor education, low intelligence, or a lack of interest in math. 

This disability impacts about 5% of the world’s population (about 1 out of every 20 persons is dyscalculic). Dyscalculia is a relatively new discovery and something that even most teachers are unaware of. Children and adults with dyscalculia often live with this disability without knowing why it is they struggle with numbers to such a degree. 

My daughter was diagnosed with dyscalculia when she was ten years old. Before we knew about her dyscalculic mind, she experienced daily anxiety involving numbers. One of her many struggles included interpreting the clock and calculating time. 

Understanding the Confusion 

There are a few reasons that being told you have 20 minutes left to complete your work would be troubling for a dyscalculic learner. First, the student is unlikely to have a sense of the quantity of 20. Often my daughter will see a double-digit number as two separate numbers, so 20 can be seen as a “2” and a zero. Understanding the abstract idea of measuring time in segments is baffling to dyscalculics. 

Another problem is that dyscalculic learners find it difficult to read a clock. On an analog clock they may be unsure if they are counting the space between the numbers or the numbers themselves. It is also confusing because the clock represents two separate measurements (hours and minutes) on the same circular structure. To further the complication, they must remember the quantity of each segment of time measurement, for example, 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 24 hours in a day. 

Knowing what the time will be 20 minutes from now is a calculation most elementary students can do in a quick glance at the clock. But this calculation is complicated and takes time for dyscalculic learners; they may not even know where to begin. 

My daughter told me that in classroom moments like this, she would feel anxious and repeatedly check the clock. She would be so preoccupied by wondering how much time she had left that she couldn’t finish her work. 

A Visual Tool for Time 

One tool my daughter has found immensely helpful is the Time Timer visual timer. Even before we knew she had dyscalculia, it helped our family with activity transitions when our girls were toddlers. It has continued to be an anxiety-reducing tool even into her teenage years.  

The Time Timer Visual Timer Helps Dyscalculics in Unique Ways:  

Remove Unnecessary Obstacles 

In my writing, coaching, and online class, I encourage the removal or limiting of any unnecessary stresses on the dyscalculic mind. The Time Timer visual timer is a valuable tool to help dyscalculics do just that. 

Using this tool in daily life has greatly decreased the anxiety my daughter experiences with time. She utilizes the Time Timer visual timer when she needs to know how much time she has before we leave or how long there is to finish her homework. Like an old friend, the Time Timer sits on her bedroom dresser, ready to help whenever needed. 

About the Author 

Laura M. Jackson is a mom, writer, and dyscalculia advocate. She is the author of recently released book, Discovering Dyscalculia, published by GHF Press. For a limited time, you can download a free chapter of her new book at: www.lauramjackson.com/book