Can a 5 yo manage his own school schedule and when do they learn to tell time anyway?

[Anonymous]

My son is supposed to leave his K classroom and go to 1st for reading. Although he is an advanced reader, he cannot yet tell time (although we work together on it). The teacher apparently does not remind him and he misses his 30 minute reading group what seems to be a few times per week lately. At the beginning of the year, the teacher would send him out the door at the proper time. Then at the (regularly scheduled) parent conference I was informed that the goal is for him to get himself to the other classroom on his own. So, questions:

1. How old are kids before they learn to read the analog clock? The digital clock still isn't clear in his head either, since he keeps focusing only on hours and so far considers minutes to be irrelevant.
2. Is it realistic to expect that a five year old can manage his own schedule?
3. Any recommendations for a watch with an alarm that I can set for reading time?
4. Any other advice?

The class size is quite small and all the other kids get called to their proper reading groups so I don't understand what is different here. The teacher seems intransigent on this issue, like he's an adult now so get with it. My husband says, eh its only kindergarten but I feel like the message to him is who cares about your reading instruction. Thanks for any thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
1. How old are kids before they learn to read the analog clock? The digital clock still isn't clear in his head either, since he keeps focusing only on hours and so far considers minutes to be irrelevant.
2. Is it realistic to expect that a five year old can manage his own schedule?
3. Any recommendations for a watch with an alarm that I can set for reading time?
4. Any other advice?

1. I know in England kids learn to tell time in their pre-k year, but my DC in K is just working on time-telling at school. We have talked about it at home, and worked on it, but DC still doesn't have the minutes down.

2. Not at all realistic to expect 5yo to manage his own schedule, especially if they are doing things in HIS class that are interesting to him at the time.
3. Why not get him a digital watch and set an alarm for 5 minutes before he is supposed to be there. Then the teachers will complain that the beeping is "bothering" the other kids, but it would be a good way to explain to them that it is unrealistic for your son to get himself to reading group on his own.
4. see 3!

Good luck. Truthfully, this seems ludicrous. I cannot imagine expecting a 5yo to manage their own schedule. Let's be realistic, if all Kindergarteners had to manage their own schedule they'd spend all day at recess or in "choice time"!

[Anonymous]

My good friend is a K teacher and said it would be very unrealistic to expect your 5 yr old to manage his time and get to class at a particular time. That is crazy! Sounds to me like the teacher is forgetting herself and is looking for impart blame on someone else. If it is their idea for him to go to another classroom at a certain time, his teacher needs to be the one to dismiss him esp since she started doing that at the beginning on the year. I would be pretty upset that he missed so much instruction and that the teacher has such unrealistic expectations for a 5 yr old.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here. COMPLETELY unrealistic to expect a 5 year old to know when to get himself out the door to another classroom. The teacher shouldn't be expecting it at all.

[Anonymous]

And, if you buy a watch with a timer -- give it to the teacher, not your child, to help her remember to send him!

In addition, I recommend that you keep a daily calendar. Every day your child comes home, ask him if he went to "Mrs. Jame's 1st grade" class for reading to day. Mark down if he did or if he didn't, and the reason why he didn't if he says so. "She was on a field trip, we were practicing for a concert, no one told me to go".

That way you will have a record of how many times he gets sent for his appropriate instruction, in case you need this record to prove a point down the line.

[Anonymous]

The teacher in this case is being absurd. Five year olds rarely can tell time well enough nor do they have the executive functioning at this point to consistently remember to do something different than what the class is doing. MOREOVER, even if every 5 year old in this country did have these abilities, if your child does not then the teacher is responsible for helping him get to his reading class on time. Her explanation of her "goals" for your child was a total cop out. Pitiful.

[Anonymous]

How experienced is this teacher? My son's first grade teacher was a newbie and she had some crazy expectations. The principal observed her (not because of parent concern) and had her remove several unreasonable ones. Here, the teacher is way offbase in assessing his readiness. Plus, she's not applying it to all the students. He's the one who's losing out because of this. I would speak to her one more time and if she won't bend I'd go to the school administration, whoever handles this sort of thing, and share your concerns.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you ask if the teacher if she has taught them to tell time yet? Mine learned (in school) in 1st grade.

You say the other kids get sent to their reading groups. Is yours the only one going to a 1st-grade class? If your child is getting worse treatment, it sounds like the teacher may have some hostility toward him. If the teacher won't change, I'd talk to the principal.

[Anonymous]

My DD is in K and cannot tell time yet. She is working on it and is getting better at it, but there is no way she would remember to go to a different class without her teacher telling her. That teacher sounds crazy.

[Anonymous]

How can you tell time when you can't even multiply by 5s yet?

[Anonymous]

My son could never accomplish what that teacher is asking. He's 9. Basically, you are saying that a kindergarten student should be able to keep part of their brain on the time while engaged in whatever's going on in the
classroom, and at the right moment, get up and go.

No chance. That's asking more than telling time - it is asking for a very serious ability to compartmentalize.

My suggestion is a watch with an alarm on it that you set. That's what I would have to do if I were expected to drop everything at a certain time. Actually, that's what I do at work - I have outlook tell me when it's time to drop what I am doing and go somewhere else. I'm 45.

[Anonymous]

I haven't been in a high school for a while, but I'm under the impression they still ring bells for class changes. No one seems to expect HS students and teachers to get to the next class on time without some noisy external prodding. It sounds kind of passive aggressive: Oh, so you think you child is so special they can read at this advanced level. Well, we'll just SEE if he can take himself to class.

Frankly, I don't think reading instruction in K is that important. He's reading, that's great! Let him read. He'll advance. It's the teacher's attitude that is creepy.

[Anonymous]

some kids can tell time, my 4 year old completely understands the digital clock and is working on recognizing the minute hand on the analog, although he can identify the half past formation. Your son's teacher seems a bit lazy to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:some kids can tell time, my 4 year old completely understands the digital clock and is working on recognizing the minute hand on the analog, although he can identify the half past formation. Your son's teacher seems a bit lazy to me.

telling time is one thing, but applying that time telling skill to the situation -- "Hey, it is 9:20. Time for me to put away my independent work, grab my reading folder, and amble down the hall to the first grade classroom" is a bit much to expect of a 5 year old.

[Anonymous]

PP, 21:40 here. Agreed that's why I think the teacher is lazy.