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Grade 2 · Maths · Lessons
Telling the time to five minutes
🕐hour⏰alarm🌞a.m.🌙p.m.
Clocks tell us when.
The big ideaHour first, then count the minutes in fives.

How it works

The short hand shows the hour. The long hand shows the minutes.

Count the long hand in fives. The 1 is 5 minutes, the 2 is 10, the 3 is 15, all the way round to the 12, which is 0 or 60.

Say the hour, then the minutes: 6:25 is 'six twenty-five'. A.m. is before noon and p.m. is after.

Example 1: Read 6:25

  1. The short hand is between 6 and 7, so the hour is 6.
  2. The long hand is on the 5. Count in fives: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.
  3. The time is 6:25.

Example 2: An afternoon time

  1. The short hand is between 1 and 2, so the hour is 1. The long hand is on the 7.
  2. 7 × 5 = 35 minutes.
  3. The sun is going down, so it is the afternoon: 1:35 p.m.

Example 3: Late in the hour

  1. The short hand is between 9 and 10, so it is still past 9, not 10.
  2. The long hand is on the 10: 10 × 5 = 50 minutes.
  3. The time is 9:50. It is nearly 10 o'clock.

Words to know

minute hand
The long hand. It shows the minutes.
hour hand
The short hand. It shows the hour.
a.m. and p.m.
a.m. is morning. p.m. is afternoon and night.

Watch out

Try it

  1. The short hand is between 4 and 5. The long hand is on the 3. What time is it?
  2. The short hand is just past 8. The long hand is on the 6. What time is it?
  3. The long hand is on the 9. How many minutes after the hour is that?
Answers: 1. 4:15 · 2. 8:30 · 3. 45
For grown-upsKeep an analog clock where your child can see it. At a few set times a day, ask them to read it to the nearest five minutes.
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