Here are some benefits the Montessori Wooden Clock learning tool offers your child:
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Understand numbers through counting and sequence
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Helps build an understanding of time through intuitive and simple learning phases (see guidance below)
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Simple design with a natural wooden finish: Allows children to more easily focus and understand the purpose of the learning tool
This beautifully crafted clock helps your child develop and build their understanding of time, numbers, and sequence. This clock can be used from the early stages of development when your child is starting to understand numbers and counting, right through to advance reading of time where they can recognise time beyond round numbers for example 5 minutes past 12. Refer to the details in the description below for guidance on progression.
The phases of learning detailed below are not designed to be prescriptive, use it as a guide, adding, and changing according to what works for you and your child.
Phase 1: Progression and Sequence
For this stage, you will only need the clock face and numbers (set the fraction pieces and clock hands aside)
Ask the child to place the numbers around the clock face in order. Once mastered, remove one number and ask the child what the missing number is. When the child can easily identify the missing number repeat the exercise with multiple numbers missing. You can also talk about one less than e.g. one less than 12 is 11.
Phase 2: Minute and hour hands
Allowing the child to explore each of the clock hands, turning and twisting them as they like. Then ask questions like ‘what are the differences between the two clock hands?’ Then teach them the minute hand is the long hand and the hour hand is the short hand.
Phase 3: Time - Round numbers [Also called O'clock]
Allow your child to practice telling the time according to round numbers i.e. 1,2…to 12 o’clock. Having them move the clock hands themselves helps to deepen their understanding.
Phase 4: Numbers up to 60
This phase requires building an understanding of numbers up to 60 as 60 is an important number in time - 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour.
This can be done with counters, counting sticks, or other objects your child enjoys counting. This phase should not be rushed, understanding minutes, and how they work together can require much time and attention. Here the child also needs to understand addition and grouping (i.e. counting in 5’s, 10’s etc) this also develops multiplicative understanding of 5 X tables, 10 X tables.
Phase 5: Fractions
This phase requires the clock face numbers and the fraction pieces, remove and set aside the clock hands.
Use the 5-minute pieces to show the minutes to every number on the clock face (takes 5 minutes to move from 12 to 1 etc). Show that two 5-minute pieces combine to equal 10 (use a 10-minute segment to show that it’s of equal size)
Show that 3 of these 5-minute pieces combined cover a quarter of the clock hence why we say “A quarter passed” or “A quarter to”.
Once this concept has been mastered repeat, this time showing that two 15-minute pieces cover half of the circle in the center and that this is the same size as the 30-minute piece. Letting the child know this is why we say half passed, as half the hour has passed.
Phase 6: Telling time beyond round numbers
Now you can introduce the clock hands. Going through time examples referred to in phase 5. You may like to go through ¼ example of time i.e 12:15, and then ½ 12:30 as it can be easier for a child to visualise as these are using fractions. Then you can show other examples of time such as 12:05 etc.
[Very important understanding here is 1/4 of 60 is 15, most of the time the misunderstanding the child has is 1/4 is 25 mins, as they know 1/4 of 100 is 25]
Dimensions/materials:
Made from solid sustainably sourced beechwood, with a natural finish. The wooden clocks are highly durable and can be enjoyed for generations to come. This clock is manufactured in China.
Dimensions: 23.5cm by 23.5cm. Height of 3cm.