Teaching the concept of time to a child is not an easy task. However, with a daily routine, this interactive kid’s calendar is the right tool for any parent.
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Concept of Time
I created this tool for my child when he started asking about his birthday. Every day he would ask “is it my birthday?” At first, it was funny, but when he persisted for months I knew I needed to start teaching him how to better understand the concept of time.
My husband and I knew it wouldn’t be an easy task but we worked together. At bedtime every night, we made sure to explain the difference between night and day. But that wasn’t enough. I drew him a calendar on his chalkboard wall and we had him cross off a day every night.
After a few months, I decided to make something a little nicer and cleaner, a cute little calendar print-out that would go on his wall right by his bed. Every night, he could stick each day’s number on the calendar. He could also clearly read and touch (without smudging) the days of the week as he slowly learned his alphabet.
Benefits of Our Daily Calendar Routine
My husband was the perfect team partner and practiced the days of the week with him every night until he finally got it. Our boy sure didn’t make it easy at first. Since we started this daily routine with the calendar, his number-recognition skills have improved greatly. It was also a fantastic way of teaching two-digit numbers.
Now that our son is in preschool, more interested to learn, and excited about the alphabet, he’s been recognizing the days of the week and months in a whole new way. Pretty soon he’ll be reading all on his own!
An added benefit, his little sister, who’s a whole year younger, has been overhearing everything and learning as well. It’s been a pleasant surprise because we’ve usually been separating them during this routine so that he would stay focused but, every once in a while, she gets the answers right before he does.
As the multilingual family that we are, our daily calendar lessons have become another great way to introduce our second and third languages. Initially, we focused on English but have recently begun with some Spanish, and once they have the confidence I’ll focus on Portuguese as well.
Calendar Download and Setup
This calendar has been so essential to our family that I wanted to share this printable set with you. There are twelve blank months and a set of numbers to be cut out. Because the months are blank, the calendar is not exclusive to a specific year.
The numbers can either be reused or reprinted. A sturdy cardstock paper is preferable rather than regular printer paper to keep from warping or bending. With a small piece of double-sided tape on each blank date, the numbers can easily be stuck on. I like to store the numbers nearby so it makes it easier for any of us to place the number in the right spot.
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My name is Paula and I’m a mom of two scrumptious cuties. Thanks Mommy Blog became a project for me to help guide other new moms and current moms through any of my own personal experiences and struggles. My hobbies include singing, doing jigsaw puzzles, baking, designing and trying to stay creative.
I used something like this in my preschool and it proved extremely valuable!
I love this calendar idea…anything to keep my family on track works great for me
Since the quarantine we have been singing the days of the week and drawing what the weather looks like on the calendar everyday. So much learning takes place via a calendar.
Great idea! The concept of time is a tough one to teach I’m sure. We’re not there yet but getting closer! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea !!! We also did it for our son..