The Pedagogy of the Analog Clock
- Ananthnag M
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
One day, my wife told me, “Ani, let us remove this digital clock and put an analog clock.” A little puzzled, I asked, “Why?” She replied that numbers are being introduced to Sriranga, our 4-year-old son, in his Montessori school. I felt it was a good idea, as school and home should complement each other in a child's learning.
On the same day, we brought a simple analog clock with decimal numerals, removed the digital clock, and hung the ‘new’ one on the wall. Though we thought this would help him familiarize himself with the numbers and their ordering, we were greatly surprised by the benefits it brought. The emergent learning was much more than intended!
The clock quietly became his companion. Six months later, he could not only recognize the numbers on the clock but also:
Identify the long and short arms,
Distinguish which arm moves faster,
Think about what number comes after another number,
Recognize which number is greater.
In addition to this, it also brought some sense of discipline and a common ground for agreement. Whenever his mother asks him to come for lunch or go to bed, he looks at the clock and negotiates, saying, “let the big arm come to...” — and he follows it. A great relief for parents!
D. V. Gundappa, one of Kannada’s greatest poets, wrote:“ಎಳೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳೊಳು ತಿಳಿವು ಮೊಳೆತು ಬೆಳೆವುದು ನೋಡು, ಇಳೆಯೊಳಗದೊಂದು ಸೊಗ ಮಂಕುತಿಮ್ಮ”(One of the greatest joys in the world is to watch a young child learn and grow.) This joy is amplified when parents and adults facilitate it — not by constantly instructing, but by creating environments where learning occurs naturally.
This highlights that engaging children with some old analog systems gives them more scope to conceptualize and connect ideas. However, we are overwhelmingly surrounded by ‘digital’ visuals. Sometimes, we need to take a step back for the sake of learning.
We are now thinking of bringing back the calendar, hanging it on the wall, and referring to it in his presence. We are excited!
Based in Mysuru, Karnataka, Ananthnag M works with Agastya’s Teacher Transformation Program.
