It is widely believed though, that concepts about time and a sense of the passage of time are critical to the young child's understanding of history. Closely related are the concepts of continuity and change, which are especially important in the study of history. These concepts do have a legitimate place in the early childhood classroom. Children in primary grades can develop conceptual understanding and learning processes about time that are important for future acquisition of history concepts. Recent research on elementary students' historical knowledge and understanding points toward more appropriate ways of teaching the subject to children.
Students learn a great deal about history outside of school.
This knowledge comes from experiences outside of school with historic buildings and sites, artifacts, stories told by relatives, and images presented in the media. Sharing objects, such as family heirlooms or an object from each year of the child's life, can be important. By beginning with student's experiences they have meaning and significance. For history learning to occur, young children need ample opportunities to develop concepts related to time, the passage of time, and continuity and change. Classrooms that are rich in involving children in thinking, speaking, listening, and writing about these important concepts help to create the sense of time needed.