General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: British schools are removing analog clocks from classrooms because kids can't read them [View all]FakeNoose
(32,561 posts)It's amazing what pre-schoolers can learn and remember. My grandson is now eleven, but he could do a United States map puzzle when he was 3 years old. He knew the names of all the states and where each state goes on the puzzle. Then he learned all the name of the state capitols, and he could tell us something about each state. "Michigan is where they build cars." "Minnesota is the Land of Lakes." etc. By the time he was 5 he could name many of the Presidents and what order they served in office. "Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President."
What it takes is adults (parents or older siblings) who are interested in teaching and relating to their children, and keeping them engaged. There are endless possiblities for spelling games, number games, simple fractions, easy addition and subtraction. Last year I taught my grandson how to spell Punxsutawney, which to me is a very hard name to learn and spell. He learned it and he still knows it, so he'll probably never forget it. I gave him a $5 reward for that.
As for reading the analog clock, it's an important skill for estimating arcs such as quarter-circle or half-circle. If they never learn the clock positions, how can anyone follow directions like "Make a two o'clock right turn"? There are still situations where the knowledge of dials and dial-reading is required even when it's not a clock. Science is not all digital and the younger generation needs this skill.