Slit Clocks?

I think after 19 years of teaching, I might be on the verge of possibly figuring out how to teach time.  The short article below got me on the right track.  It spells out four lessons in such a fabulously concrete and sequential manner.  It makes a lot of sense.  You should definitely read it.  (Click on the picture for your own copy.)  

I love how the article suggests introducing the clock with the hour hand only.  It's a brilliant idea.  Lesson two shows how to use slit clocks for this purpose, which I had never heard of before.  Here are a few pictures of how to make one.

 Draw the numbers of a clock on a paper plate.  Then cut a slit at the 12.

 Cut out a circle.  Draw the hour hand like so and cut a slit as well.

 Slide the small circle through the slit on the paper clock.  Move the small circle from the back and hold the clock with the other hand.

In this lesson, the kids picked up very quickly that if the hour hand is pointing directly to a number, like the 6 for example, it's 6:00.  When the hand is just beyond the 6, they learned to say, "a little past 6:00."  If the hand is almost to the 6, they say, "a little before 6:00."  

The kids had lots of opportunities to practice with partners, both showing times and reading times.  They practiced directly on the hour, and they had a chance to be tricky as well by moving their hour hand a little before or after a number.

Go grab that article.  You'll be glad you did.  I sure am!