WorksheetsAbout this worksheet
Each clock face shows a time; the child writes it as hours and minutes. Begin with full hours, then half hours, then quarters, then five-minute steps. Reading to the exact minute comes last.
Children who see only phone clocks may never have read a clock with hands. A cheap wall clock at home, and a question now and then ("what time is it?"), does more than any sheet.
What this skill is
A clock face is two number lines bent into a circle. The short hand reads the hours on the numbers 1 to 12. The long hand reads the minutes, and for it each number stands for five minutes, with sixty minutes in one full turn. Reading the time means reading both hands and joining the two readings.
A worked example
The long hand points at 8. The short hand is between 3 and 4.
- Hours: the short hand has passed 3 and has not reached 4, so the hour is 3.
- Minutes: count in fives to the 8: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40. Or multiply: 8 × 5 = 40.
The time is 3:40. People also say "twenty to four", because 20 minutes are left before 4 o'clock.
Tips for parents and teachers
- The short hand tells the hour and moves slowly. The long hand tells the minutes.
- At half past, the short hand stands halfway between two numbers. The hour is the number it has already passed.
- For minutes, count in fives around the clock: the 1 is five minutes, the 2 is ten.
How to use this sheet at home and in class
- At home: go through the steps over some weeks: full hours, then half hours, then quarter hours, then five minutes. Stay on a step until a 9 clock sheet is all correct.
- In class: a paper plate clock with two card hands lets each child set the time you call out, before any sheet is given.
- Tie clock times to the child's own day: school starts at 8:00, lunch is at 12:30. Times with a meaning are remembered.
Mistakes to watch for
- Reading the hands the wrong way round, so 3:40 becomes 8:15. Short hand first, always.
- Naming the hour the short hand is nearest to. At 3:40 the hand is closer to 4, but the hour is still 3 until the long hand reaches 12.
- Reading the minute number directly, so the long hand on 8 is read as 8 minutes. Count in fives.
What to try next
- Unit conversion worksheets: hours, minutes and seconds.
- Number sequences worksheets: counting in fives.
- Times tables worksheets: the 5 table makes minutes easy.