Help Your Child Learn: Telling Time (Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2 of our interactive series on telling time. This is for children who are familiar with the clock and can already tell the time to the hour and thirty minutes. If you're not there yet check out part 1 of the time series.
Learning to tell time can be difficult for children because it’s a new concept that’s not like anything else in math. Time also has its own new language so this resource is designed as a verbal 1-2-1 activity for parent and child. It will guide parents step by step though telling time.
Introducing our interactive clock
One of the problems about teaching time at home is the lack of an interactive practice clock - so we’ve made one for you. The rest of this series will use this clock to teach time through examples.
Clicking on the image below will open the clock. Note that all links to the clock will open a new tab so you will have to use the tabs / windows to get back to this page.
If you feel confident you can easily create your own clock examples. Here’s a guide to help you.
The clock works in modes. In “Show Clock” mode above you see the clock at full screen on your device. This is what you show your child.
Click “Show Controls” to see the control panel for setting up a new time example.
Control Panel
Hide numbers mode
This allows you to select hour numbers and minute numbers to hide from the clock so that you can ask your child “What’s the missing number?”
Note that the clock hands are hidden in this mode.
Step 1 - There are 60 minutes in one hour
Now open this clock example and ask the questions below. (Remember - examples always open in a new tab / window so read the questions first.)
The answers are in brackets.
- Do you know how many minutes are in an hour? (there are 60 minutes in an hour)
- Which hand points to the hours? (the small / short hand)
- Which hand points to the minutes (the big / long hand)
- Where can you see the minutes written on this clock (the green numbers)
- What time is it? (twelve thirty)
In this exercise ask your child: which green minute number or numbers are hidden?
- Example 1 (5 is missing)
- Example 2 (30 is missing)
- Example 3 (15 is missing)
- Example 4 (10 and 20 are missing)
- Example 5 (35 is missing)
- Example 6 (45 is missing)
- Example 7 (5, 10, 15 20 & 25 are missing)
- Example 8 (40, 45,& 50 are missing)
Step 2 - Five and ten (aided)
In this exercise ask your child: what’s the time?
- Example 1 (three o’clock)
- Example 2 (three o-five)
- Example 3 (three ten)
- Example 4 (six ten)
- Example 5 (one o-five)
- Example 6 (ten ten)
- Example 7 (four ten)
- Example 8 (eight o-five)
- Example 9 (eleven ten)
- Example 10 (twelve o-five)
Step 3 - 15, 20, 25 (aided)
In this exercise ask your child: what’s the time?
- Example 1 (seven fifteen)
- Example 2 (nine fifteen)
- Example 3 (five twenty-five)
- Example 4 (eleven twenty)
- Example 5 (eight fifteen)
- Example 6 (three twenty)
- Example 7 (twelve twenty-five)
- Example 8 (ten fifteen)
- Example 9 (one twenty)
- Example 10 (two twenty-five)
Step 4 - second half of the hour: 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55 (aided)
In this exercise ask your child: what’s the time?
- Example 1 (three thirty-five)
- Example 2 (seven forty-five)
- Example 3 (two fifty-five)
- Example 4 (eleven forty)
- Example 5 (four fifty)
- Example 6 (one forty-five)
- Example 7 (eight forty)
- Example 8 (six thirty-five)
- Example 9 (five fifty-five)
- Example 10 (nine fifty)
Step 5 - mixture of the whole clock (aided)
- Example 1 (three ten)
- Example 2 (nine twenty)
- Example 3 (eleven twenty-five)
- Example 4 (six fifteen)
- Example 5 (seven o-five)
- Example 6 (one fifty)
- Example 7 (three fifty-five)
- Example 8 (five forty)
- Example 9 (four forty-five)
- Example 10 (eleven thirty-five)
Step 6 - Minutes between 5 o'clock and 6 o'clock
In this exercise we've removed the shader and minute numbers. We're going to go through the times from 5 o'clock to 6 o'clock in five minute intervals to get some practice working out the minutes without the support of the minute numbers around the clock edge.
- Example 1 (five o’clock)
- Example 2 (five o five)
- Example 3 (five ten)
- Example 4 (five fifteen)
- Example 5 (five twenty)
- Example 6 (five twenty-five)
- Example 7 (five thirty)
- Example 8 (five thirty-five)
- Example 9 (five forty)
- Example 10 (five forty-five)
- Example 11 (five fifty)
- Example 12 (five fifty-five)
- Example 13 (six o'clock)
Step 7 - more examples up to 30 minutes
What's the time?
- Example 1 (twenty-five minutes past twelve)
- Example 2 (twenty minutes past four)
- Example 3 (ten minutes past eleven)
- Example 4 (quarter past eight)
- Example 5 (twenty-five minutes past ten)
Step 8 - examples in the second half of the hour
What's the time?
- Example 1 (three forty)
- Example 2 (ten thirty-five)
- Example 3 (seven fifty-five)
- Example 4 (eleven forty)
- Example 5 (nine forty-five)
Step 9 - Reinforce the learning
What's the time?
- Example 1 (six thirty)
- Example 2 (eight forty-five)
- Example 3 (five thirty-five)
- Example 4 (four twenty)
- Example 5 (twelve forty)
- Example 6 (nine fifty)
- Example 7 (six fifty-five)
- Example 8 (five twenty five)
- Example 9 (three fifteen)
- Example 10 (eleven fifty-five)
I hope you found this interactive learning resource useful. In Komodo maths we cover all aspects of telling the time, including AM & PM, 24 hour time, digital clocks, time problems, and much more. You can sign up for a free trial here.
I'm Ged, Co-founder of Komodo, ex-math teacher and dad. If you have any feedback or questions please get in touch.
About Komodo - Komodo is a fun and effective way to boost K-5 math skills. Designed for 4 to 11 year olds to use in the home, Komodo uses a little and often approach to learning math (20 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week) that fits into the busy routine. Komodo helps users develop fluency and confidence in math - without keeping them at the screen for long.
And now we've got Komodo English too - check it out here
