Words to Hickory Dickory Dock teach children time and routines.

Teaching About Time

before learning to tell time, children need to understand that time move them through the activities of their day. Hickory Dickory Dock is a way to teach children about time.

follow Hickory, the Mouse through his daily activities

Young children have little concept of time. You may hear them say” yesterday” or “last week” for a previous event they remember. They may use these terms without any understanding of how long ago something took place. That is completely normal and developmentally appropriate. Consequently, it is good to keep a calendar displayed and review important days and events each month. This is important as they are beginning to gain an understanding of time.

Grasping routines and daily schedules can be easier. For example, as children follow daily routines they are learning that different events happen at different times. For instance, they may wake up, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, have lessons, eat lunch, take a nap, play, eat dinner, take a bath, and share a bedtime story. By providing a list of the things they will do each day, preschoolers gain a sense of security by learning that time is predictable.

to teach children about time, create a list of things that your child does each day and match it to a specific time.. Then as each activity begins, check the time on the clock.

teaching the why in telling time

Activities for Hickory Dickory Dock

Once a child becomes comfortable knowing schedules and routines, it is a great time to implement clock images to the chart. Make sure to include images of both an analog clock and a digital clock. Our world has digital clocks everywhere. However, analog clocks are rarely used. Having young children read analog clocks even just for hourly time is important and will set them up for success as they get older and learn how to count seconds and minutes too.

Lastly, Hickory, the Mouse Learns About Time is a great little book to read with your child. You can download this resource, print it, or read it together on your computer or phone. You will be able to follow Hickory through his day and view an analog and digital clock in each illustration.