Everyone wants to help children learn, develop, and do well for themselves. Everybody wonders how to help their kids grow so that they can tackle the tasks and hurdles of an ever-expanding world. In today’s fast-paced world, this can be challenging, especially when developing the concept of time is a nut that frequently proves tricky to crack. But take heart; there are plenty of beautiful ways to teach your preschooler about time.
Time is not only the concept of everyday life; it involves Math, History, and Science. Nini’s tutor academy provides home tutors in Karachi as well as offering its services of providing home tutors in Lahore.
Relate Time to Activities
The most important thing to remember is that preschoolers cannot understand the concept of time. They do not have a vivid sense of the past, present, and future. To help your child learn about time, you can focus on activities that involve the passing of time.
Use Daily Routines to Teach Time
I am using clocks, calendars, and time charts to show the passage of time.
Speaking about what happened before or after an event. For example, “Yesterday we had a party; today we are going on a trip.”
Using words such as “after” and “before.” For example, “After we take our naps, we will have lunch.”
Using words such as “quickly,” “slowly,” and “soon.” For example, “It takes me a while to get ready in the morning because I have so much to do.”
Introduce the Clock
Introduce the concept of time by showing them how long it takes for things to happen — such as counting out 10 seconds or 30 minutes. This helps children understand how long a minute or an hour is.
Introduce the concept of day and night by telling them what happens at different times during the day or night — e.g., “We get up in the morning at 6 am”, “Daddy comes home from work at 5 pm”, “Dinner is at 8:30 pm”; etc.
Normalize the Concept of Waiting
Teach your child that there are times when they have to wait. If they get upset or disappointed when waiting too long, explain that sometimes things take time. For example, if your child is hungry and you tell them it will take about 10 minutes until their food is done cooking, tell them how many minutes until their food is done. This way, they know exactly how long it will take and can prepare themselves mentally for the wait before feeling impatient or upset about not having what they want immediately.
Explain yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
This will be tricky to explain; unless you keep repeating the events associated with the days they happened or will be happening, the child will have difficulty grasping the concept of present, past, and future.
Thinking of your day broken up into smaller parts can help your child develop a good understanding of the concept of time. Doing this will improve his perception of the passage of time, allowing him better recognize the value of things that happen over more extended periods (such as a week or month) and ultimately instilling an appreciation for these experiences in your child.
