The concept of time can be challenging for young children to grasp. Explaining that you won’t have another birthday until ‘next year’ or that Santa won’t visit until December can be even more challenging. One of the fundamental steps in teaching the concept of time is introducing the days of the week. By referring to the days based on the number of night-time sleeps, children can relate it to something familiar.
Our Days of the Week Chart is a brightly colored and visually appealing resource that can be displayed on a wall or any visible area for your child to see every day of the week. It provides a visual representation of the days and helps children develop a better understanding of time.
Free, Printable Days of the Week Chart
If you’re looking for more practice in learning the days of the week, check out our Days of the Week Worksheets. They provide additional exercises to reinforce your child’s knowledge.
Days of the Week Chart Quick Tips
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Start by reciting the days in order. The days of the week have a melodic flow, almost like a song, which can aid in children’s memory retention.
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Differentiate the two days of the weekend from the five weekdays. You can explain that Saturday and Sunday (the ‘S’ days) are days when we don’t go to school or when Mom or Dad stay home from work. Choose examples that are relevant to your child’s lifestyle.
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Once your child is ready, you can encourage them to sound out the words. Once they recognize the word ‘day’, they will only need to focus on the first half of each word. The only tricky one is Wednesday!
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Having a calendar handy can make it easier to explain the concepts of ‘yesterday’, ‘today’, and ‘tomorrow’. You can cross off each day and look forward to upcoming events such as birthdays, outings, and holidays.
Quick Facts – Meanings of the Days of the Week
The names of the days of the week have roots in both Roman and Germanic cultures. Sunday, Monday, and Saturday have retained their Roman names, while Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday have Germanic equivalents.
- Sunday is traditionally considered the first day of the week and is associated with the Sun.
- Monday is known as Moon’s Day and is considered the first day of the week in terms of date and time-related data.
- Tuesday is named after Tiw, a god of war and law.
- Wednesday is named after the Germanic god Woden.
- Thursday is named after the Germanic god Thor.
- Friday is named after the Germanic god Frigg.
- Saturday is named after the Roman god Saturn.
Remember, understanding the days of the week is an essential building block for children’s grasp of time. Make learning fun and engaging with our Days of the Week Chart!
Go to Days of the Week Worksheets >>
