Telling Time

E and I stayed up late together tonight after D and L went to bed. She sat with me at the computer, and we talked while I checked email and message boards. Then she started watching the hands on the clock. She had asked me to pull it off the wall earlier today when she was wondering what time it was. Every couple of days she gets interested in the time. She'll ask what time it is, what time the sun comes up, what time daddy is coming home. I always tell her and point to either the digital clock on the stove or the regular clock in the office. If she continues to ask I will pull the clock down and talk about the numbers and hands.

Tonight, she was especially interested in watching and waiting for the minute hand to move as the second hand went around. She said she was waiting for it to stop, and I told her that it wouldn't stop unless it was broken- Time doesn't stop. That was a big idea for a little girl.

Then I googled "telling time games" and found a few fun sites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/snapdragon/yesflash/time-1.htm
http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/clock/clockres.html

I guess I should say that we used them in fun, whether the designer liked it or not. Aparently, the second one is a "Tool for Teachers" and "For Evaluation Only." Good thing I'm not a teacher. E looked at those words and told me that there was a mommy O and a daddy O and an O for her, but no O for L. There are only 3 O's in "for evaluation only." I suggested that L could have the "L," but she said no. Instead she said L could have the number 8, because that is like two O's. Of course, none of that had anything to do with telling time so it's a good thing I wasn't using this as a lesson plan or evaluating anyone. hahaha

Anyway, I'm glad that people who have the skills to make those kind of interactive things do it, and make them free. That is really cool! She really enjoyed both sites, and I'm sure we'll be using them more as she learns to tell time.