Last week, as I was using this little thingy for the bazillionth time, I realized I love it just as much now as I did the first time I ever used it with a student- 20 years ago!- and I thought maybe I should share this little goodie with you.

If you have ever tried to teach a child to tell time, you know that it can be a LITtle frustrating (for them, of course.)  There’s a short hand, long hand, the three is also a fifteen, the six means thirty, and then there’s the problem of the hour hand being reeeeaally close to the eight but it still counts as a seven.  Ya know?

What helps, I’ve learned, is for students to learn each of these little concepts one at a time, practicing each one before adding the next.

And what better way to practice than hands-on?
Enter this handy little guy…

…the Clock-O-Dial!

This is my pick for best teaching tool ever.  And I have had it…forever.

But!  I did a Google search and found that it is still available for order from several sources, such as Amazon (average price was $15.00, and well worth it.)  The funny part: it was called “collectible” and “antique” on some of the search results. What does that say about me?  :/  I would call it…classic. 😉
I was so excited, because I know those of you with younger kiddos would use it until the little rubber tips fall off the back, like we have.

It comes with interchangeable wheels, one per skill, increasing in difficulty.  The teacher in me loves this.  Children love it because it seems more like a game than schoolwork.  They use their own hands and set the clock to match the time showing at the bottom of the little window, then open the window to see if their clock is correct.  When they close the window, the wheel turns to the next time-cue.  And ’round and ’round it goes.  When they master one wheel, you can switch out the wheel for a harder one.

I know there are all kinds of high-tech gadgets available now that weren’t available 20 years ago, but sometimes simple is best.  And I they don’t call it classic for nothin’, do they? 😉

So, the Clock-O-Dial still wins my vote for best teaching tool ever.

How about you?  Do you have it?  Love it?

Have something else you love?

Let us know, so we can love it, too!