Children need lots of experiences and conversations to acquire a well-developed sense of time. It is an abstract concept that is much more than being able to read a clock face. Without understanding time, children can experience frustration or anxiety as they may not understand why certain events are not happening immediately or how long they have to wait for something to occur.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
As adults, our job is to make time more apparent and relevant to children, so:
Use practical ways of seeing time pass
Using an old-fashioned egg-timer, where children can see the sand passing through it, has more meaning to children than looking at a digital clock when waiting for one or two minutes to pass. The egg-timer can be useful for taking turns or showing how long they will have to wait before getting ready to go out.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
