How to Introduce the Clock to Elementary School Children

Children are typically taught how to tell time when they begin elementary school in kindergarten. Reading a digital clock is introduced first, followed by the more difficult analog clock. In order to read a clock successfully, a child must be able to count to 60, since there are 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute. By using a variety of educational tools to introduce the clock, learning how to tell time can be a fun accomplishment for a child.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Talk about the different ways to tell time. Show examples of an hourglass, pocket watch and stopwatch. Discuss how to use the sun and shadows to tell what time of day it is.
     
   • 2
     Show examples of clocks. Display a digital clock and an analog clock that are both set for the same time. Ask the children to describe the differences between the two and explain how they are similar. Have the children read the time on the digital clock and ask if they can guess what time it is on the analog clock.
     
   • 3
     Understand the parts of the analog clock. Explain the differences between the hour, minute and second hands of the clock. Ask them to point to the big numbers on the clock and tell them when the short hour hand is pointing to one of the numbers, that is what hour of the day it is. Show them the tick marks in between each number and explain to them when the long minute hand moves from one tick mark to the next, one minute has passed. Ask them what activities they can do in one hour and that they can complete in only one minute.
     
   • 4
     Have the children guess how long a minute is. Ask children to close their eyes and instruct them to raise their hands when they believe one minute has passed. Let them know you will clap when a minute has passed. Put their hands down if they are too early. Have them watch the second hand on the clock for one minute and then ask them to try again.
     
   • 5
     Have the children create a paper plate clock. Write the numbers 1 to 12 on the edge of the plate as on an analog clock. Attach construction paper hour and minute hands with a brad fastener to the center of the plate.
     
   • 6
     Play a game. Call out a time and ask the children to move the hands on their clock to display the correct time. Give a prize to the first child who does this correctly. Children may also be divided into teams and awarded points for their team for correct answers.
     

Ideas for Teaching Spelling

Spelling is a part of many school lessons. Copying a spelling list is a traditional approach to memorizing words, but you can add a more interesting twist on classroom spelling practice to motivate the students. A break from simply rewriting the words may make students more willing to participate actively.

1. Back Spelling

   • The kids work with partners for this spelling practice game. One student uses her finger to "write" the letters of a spelling word on her partner's back. She should write one letter at a time, giving her partner a chance to process the word. The partner thinks about the list of spelling words and the letters he feels on his back to figure out what the other student is writing. Have the students switch so both kids get a chance to write the words.

   Newsprint Spelling

   • Gather lots of newspapers and magazines for this classroom spelling activity. The students use their list of spelling words as a guide for the activity, searching through the print materials to find all of the letters to spell each word on the list. The kids then glue the letters in the correct order to recreate the spelling list. This activity works well as both a group or individual lesson.

   Letter Guessing

   • This spelling game shares similar attributes with the game "Hangman" because the students try to guess the spelling word by picking letters. Each student needs a copy of the alphabet. Provide a sheet with several rows of the alphabet, one for each spelling word. One at a time, the students guess a letter. The teacher tells them whether or not that letter is in the spelling word. The kids cross out the letter if it's not in the word or circle it if it is. They use these letters to figure out the spelling word.

   Scrabble Spelling

   • The letter tiles from Scrabble make a natural choice for practicing spelling words. The tiles also allow you to add a math aspect to the spelling practice. The kids form each spelling word using the Scrabble tiles. They add up the total point value for each word based on the numbers on the tiles to determine which one has the highest value. This spelling activity works well in a learning center with individual students, because you won't likely have enough Scrabble tiles for the entire class.

   Artistic Spelling

   • Adding an artistic aspect to spelling practice can reach the more creative students in the class. One simple idea involves using letter stencils. The kids can use markers, colored pencils or other writing instruments to trace the stencils and spell out words. Another creative way to spell out words is with rubber stamps. Provide a washable stamp pad for the kids to dip letter stamps into before stamping onto the paper.

How to Teach Languages to Young Learners

Teaching language to young learners is an exciting task. Children enjoy learning new words. They pick up vocabulary quickly in their native and second languages. Language learning for young learners combines formal language assessment with fun games and activities. Children of all ages benefit from fun language instruction. Here are some ideas to try.

How to Make Inferences in Reading

Making inferences in reading is a crucial skill that must be mastered for a reader to have real comprehension. Making inferences involves reading the text and recalling prior experiences that are similar to what you are reading. Then, you use context clues from the text to draw a logical conclusion about what might happen next. This mental process happens quickly and improves as you move to more complex reading material and have more life experiences for reference.


Instructions

1



Read short sections of text at a time. If you are reading a book, this may mean stopping at the end of every chapter, or at the end of five to seven paragraphs if you are reading a short story. Ask yourself the following questions: Has this scenario ever happened to me or somebody I know? Have I heard about someone who has gone through this? If so, what was the reaction and/or consequence? From what you have read and what you already know, make a prediction about what is going to happen. Read on to find out if you were right or close in your inference.
2



Adjust your inferences. If you are proved right in the further reading of your text, then you are making connections that help you comprehend and more likely to remember what you have read. If what you inferred does not happen, then adjust them accordingly. Compare the events in the text to your prior experiences. Did you think the same way as the main character or have the same emotional response? It is in these metacognitive exercises that you further relate to what you are reading. By re-thinking what you have read, the text will have deeper meaning for you.
3



Practice inferring. People do not naturally infer, necessarily. Like any skill, it has to be practiced. This can be done in several ways. There are many websites that have downloadable worksheets or interactive games in which a short scenario is presented in a few sentences. You then choose the best inference from three or four possible answers. These activities reinforce and build your inferring skills.