Kids Tell Time

No tablet used by a young learner is complete without one that helps develop telling the time skills.  This app covers both analogue and digital times over six different exercises that cover time recognition and the setting of time. 

The graphical style of Kids Tell Time is different to many other telling the time apps.  Rather than follow the common design of decorating the clocks and background with an explosion of colourful graphics this app takes a more restrained approach.  A clean and uncluttered style is favoured here and it has a number of advantages.

The overly busy designs of other apps may attract children to look more closely at them, but it is debatable as to whether they are helpful once the app is engaged with.  Here the clocks, both analogue and digital, are clear and reflect real world ones more closely.  Neither are they unattractive, either in the most unadorned versions or the ones on certain levels that use a slice of fruit to add some colour to the clock faces.  They are, however, extremely clear.  An extra advantage of this less childish style is that it makes the app an ideal choice for helping older children, who have never quite mastered the skill, learn telling the time.

The methods of interaction within this app are similarly simple and clear.  Dragging the hands of clocks moves them, sliding down digital numbers changes them.  Rather than have a button to enter the answer, when the app detects a user entered selection matches the correct response it accepts it and moves on.  This works nicely and the chances of a child inadvertently stumbling onto the correct answer are small.   

A particularly nice feature of this app is the comprehensive speech throughout it.  Instructions and times are spoken.  The narration has the slightly stilted qualities of much computer generated speech but it is very clear and very useful for independent learning.  It is also available in three languages giving the app an extra use in learning to tell the time in Spanish or French.

The different activities make it clear when an answer is correct and they award stars on completion.  This lets children, parents and teachers keep track of progress and engagement.  The awarded stars can be reset for each new player to allow it to be usefully employed to check an individual understands the chosen skill.  This option is hidden behind a small ‘i’ icon and so it is not immediately obvious, but it is one that teachers will be pleased to find as it enhances the app’s usefulness for working with multiple students.

The untimed nature of the questions gives teachers the chance to explain and help children to achieve the correct answer.  It would be effective in small group tuition or when mirroring the screen to a class display. 

This is an effective and useful app for a subject that all primary teachers will need to address in their classroom. Parents will also find it a useful one for helping their children and checking their progress.

You can download Kids Tell Time on your iOS devices from the Apple App Store.