Time - Vocabulary

Understanding time is a fundamental concept taught in Year 1, encompassing various measures from seconds to years. A minute, for instance, is a measure of time consisting of 60 seconds, longer than a second but shorter than an hour, which itself comprises 60 minutes. Days are longer still, made up of 24 hours, while months can vary in length from 28 to 31 days. The longest standard measure of time within this context is a year, which is divided into 12 months. Students also learn about the sequence of events, with 'first' indicating the beginning and 'before' and 'after' denoting the order in which things happen. 'Yesterday', 'today', and 'tomorrow' help define past, present, and future, respectively.

Time is also understood through the use of clocks, with 'time to the hour' and 'time to half past the hour' being key concepts, referring to when the minute hand points to 12 or 6, respectively. The terms 'slow', 'slower', and 'slowest' are used to describe the relative speed of time taken to complete tasks compared to 'quick', 'quicker', and 'quickest'. Understanding chronological order is another important aspect, where events are listed as they happened in time. Tools such as calendars and stopwatches aid in the measurement and sequencing of time, while 'earlier' and 'later' help to compare when events occur. This vocabulary forms the basis of the Year 1 Time Vocabulary Assessment, ensuring students can identify and use these terms effectively in the context of time.