Preventing the Summer Slide with EasyRead Time Teacher

For children, the summer holidays are often full of fun, laughter and ice cream. But when September comes, many will find it tricky to get back into the swing of things at school.

In addition, The American organisation, The National Summer Learning Association, found that teachers spend a significant amount of time reteaching the information that has been forgotten thanks to summer learning loss.

So how can this be tackled?

There are many classes and clubs that you can take your child to over the summer, from play and stay classes at the local library to crafty classes and sports camps. But one of the most beneficial things we think you can do to help your child during the holidays is to help them learn how to tell the time.

As Dave Allen’s comedy sketch on teaching your kid time shows, learning how to do it can fox the smartest of kids and take lots of hard work and dedication. Consequently, the school holidays offer the perfect chance to make a start or sharpen existing skills.

At EasyRead Time Teacher, we have devised the Rainbow Past and To Wall Clock, which uses a three-step system to teach the ‘past and to’ method. Children follow three easy steps:

1. Read the number at the end of the long hand
2. Say ‘minutes to’ if it’s pointing to the red side of the clock, or say ‘minutes past’ if it’s pointing to the green side
3. Read the number at the end of the short hand. Like this: 8…minutes past/to…4.

We have also brought out a range of Past and To Watches that are available in a wide range of colours and sure to catch the attention of your child. If you would like to find out more about our approach to teaching children to tell the time, please contact us, or to buy a time teaching clock, please see here.