Has your child ever asked you what time it was when there was a large clock hanging nearby? Author Carmine Dapice believes that children are losing the ability to tell time on round clocks rather than digital.  A retired schoolteacher, Dapice wrote “Let’s Rhyme With Time” designed to teach children in school, at home or independently.

Dapice has created a book and included workbook with pages that contain catchy rhymes and illustrations synonymous with the Letter People – things children are already using in kindergarten.  So Carmine, do you have time for a little chat?

Samantha- What inspired you to write the book?

Carmine Dapice- The writing of this long poem came by way of inspiration to write down my thoughts in poetic form, which I had already been doing for several years. It was later that the realization came to me that many kids were unable to tell time on regular, round clocks and it proved to be a problem for many since their orientation was toward digital clocks. The lively animated numbers and poetic form – hopefully – would attract their interest to numbered clocks that are still found in many areas of life.

S- Why do you feel children are losing this skill?

CD- Simply, ask several children in the age bracket of 5 years and up – even in later years to give the time from an analog numbered clock and you might be shocked with some of the results. My granddaughter was asked to give the time and even though an analog clock was present in that room, she had to walk into the next room to give the time from a digital clock. Now if that isn’t a strong motivation that a learning tool for analog clocks is necessary, what else would be! At the time, she was ten years old. It was sort of shocking to me.
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