Young children cannot tell time on old clocks

Newstelegraph.co.uk ^ | September 17, 2002 | Sarah Womack

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Nearly one in three children aged between four and eight cannot tell the time on traditional clock faces.

A study has found that the prevalence of digital clocks on computers, video timers, radio alarms and mobile phones means that children learn to tell the time this way - such as "10:45" rather than "a quarter to eleven".

The survey of 2,950 parents found that the number of children who recognised the "big hand, little hand" method had decreased from 75 per cent to 66 per cent in a year.

Government guidelines state that all children in reception classes - those aged four to five - should be able to read traditional clocks. But 59 per cent cannot.

By year one, aged five to six, they are supposed to understand half and quarter hours, but 52 per cent cannot.

A year later they are meant to have a sense of hours, minutes and seconds, but more than one in four are still struggling. Nearly two thirds of this group cannot tell the time on a digital clock.

Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "Children are continually being confronted by digital displays and so it is essential that they also learn to tell the time on analogue clocks and watches."

The research was carried out by BMRB International for the watch-makers Flik Flak.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

When I was a kid I knew how to amuse myself with a book, a bicycle or a piece of paper and a pencil. I've seen children whom Heaven help the parents if the electricity were to go out.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

We have a child's toy clock that has the hands on it and I'm teaching my kids to tell time on it. Although I can't for life of me think of a good reason other than it helps them understand fractions at an earlier age.

[Dimensio]

I think of time in terms of minutes past the hour, but I can garner it from an analogue clock -- even one with out numbers (I keep a cheap one that was a protional item from a video game by my computer desk for when I'm playing a game and don't want to check the system clock).

Looking at it, I can tell that it's about 22:25.

[AUsome Joy]

When I taught school, we had a couple of lessons on telling time in the fourth grade textbook. Some of the kids could get it but a lot couldn't. When I was a kid, our parents said we could get a watch when we could tell time on it, so we were eager to learn. Now the kids use digital.

[LibKill]

The analogue clock is going the way of the whale-oil lantern.

It will have one bad effect. Telling some recruit to 'watch his six', or 'look at two o'clock, enemy patrol' will only evoke confusion.

[gatex]

"Clockwise" and "anti-clockwise" are sometimes useful.

[Coeur de Lion]

I remember in kindergarten we the teacher had a simple clock made out cardboard and she actually taught us how to tell time. This was in the late fifties. Now, a lot of the kids already knew but their were some that didn't.

[LibKill]

"Clockwise" and "anti-clockwise" are sometimes useful.

You're right, somehow I forgot those.

[Commander8]

Not only do children have problems with old clocks, they also struggle with Roman Numerals.
I have a 14 year old nephew who can't tell time on a grandfather clock because of this.

[Thinkin' Gal]

A year later they are meant to have a sense of hours, minutes and seconds, but more than one in four are still struggling. Nearly two thirds of this group cannot tell the time on a digital clock.

They'll be registering as Democrats soon enough.

[Thinkin' Gal]

My kids pointed out that there was a mistake on the Roman Numeral clock I recently purchased... four I's instead of "IV". I hadn't even noticed.

[mikrofon]

It's funny this thread should come up .... Just this morning my 12 y/o daughter was proudly showing me her new analog watch, and after kidding her if she knew how to read it (to the typical "Dad!"), I remarked to her whether they even taught the young kids in school to tell time the old fashioned way any more. So this report is not really that surprising.

[Romulus]

Nearly one in three children aged between four and eight cannot tell the time on traditional clock faces.

Oh, the humanity!

Put me down as one who couldn't tell time till I was at least 6 years old. OTOH I have no memory of not being able to read.

[webboss]

I had one of these when I was a kid in diapers.

 

 

These were kool!

[Axenolith]

My moms father and my father-in-law are both major keepers of arcane knowledge. Moms dad was a Millwright and has a garage full of stuff and contraptions he's made and fabricated with all of the precision tools in standard units. We cruised the mountains during hunting season in a completely home made 4X4 running on a 1940's 4 cylinder, air cooled, Wisconsin haybaler engine (still runs like a top too!).

The in-law dad worked at a place that restores really old cars (they did work on Jay Leno's Stanley Steamer) and he machined\fabricated parts that didn't exist anymore from raw metal .

Its bizarre to see standard clocks heading into this realm...

[better_dead_then_red]

Go to ebay and search for wrist watch and just see how popular those old analogue watches are. And people are buying them to wear (I have 3 good ol' none electric analogues and I love them) I was bidding on one and bailed out when it went past $100. Pretty good for a whale oil lantern.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Well, we could replace them with widdershins and deasil.

[LibKill]

People collect the strangest things. :)

I wouldn't mind having a vintage gold Rolex, but it's way off my tiny budget.

[doc30]

You can put rotary phones in that category, too. Step-son saw one in an after-school day care. He was in middle school and it was a plastic Fisher-Price toy in the kindergarten/ 1st grade toys, but NONE of the kids could figure out how to dial on it! SOme couldn't even recognize it as a phone!

[tutstar]

My homeschoolers can!!!!