Before, after, and how long — Mathematics, 4–6 years
Put events in order and notice the passing of time in daily life. Mathematics, 4–6 years.
Events have an order
Time helps us say what happened before, what is happening now, and what will happen after. We can also talk about how long an event lasts, even when we cannot see time itself. Breakfast may come before school, and brushing teeth may take longer than putting on shoes.
Why put time in order?
People need to know when to meet, when food is ready, and what step comes next. Without an order, “after lunch” or “before bed” would not help us plan. Watching a daily routine, using a clock, or comparing events gives us ways to organise what happens.
A morning in order
Look at four picture cards: wake up, eat breakfast, put on shoes, go to school. Put them in the order they happen: wake up, breakfast, shoes, school. If breakfast takes 10 minutes and shoes take 3 minutes, breakfast lasts longer by 7 minutes. The cards and numbers explain both order and duration.
A clock does not show duration alone
A child may think the event with the later clock time lasted longer. That is reasonable because a later number feels like “more time”. But 9:00 to 9:05 lasts 5 minutes, while 9:30 to 10:00 lasts 30 minutes. To compare duration, notice both the start and the finish.
Time helps us plan
Time appears in bedtime routines, cooking, travel, games, and waiting for a turn. A timer can tell us when five minutes have passed, while a clock can tell us when an appointment begins. We do not need perfect clock reading to begin: first notice before, after, soon, later, and how long.
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