TICK TOCK · LEARN TOGETHER
Teach o’clock times on an analogue clock
Whole hours are a useful first step in telling the time because the minute hand always stays at 12. Your child only needs to identify where the hour hand points.
How to read an o’clock time
- Check that the long minute hand points to 12. This means zero minutes past the hour.
- Look at the short hour hand and name its number.
- Say the hour followed by “o’clock”.
Short hand at 7 and long hand at 12 means seven o’clock. On a digital clock, this is written 7:00. The two zeros show that no minutes have passed since the hour began.
Three examples to make together
- 2:00: short hand at 2, long hand at 12.
- 6:00: short hand at 6, long hand at 12.
- 12:00: both hands point to 12, so they overlap.
A “make my time” activity
Ask your child to make 5:00 on the interactive clock. Swap roles and let your child choose the next time for you. Deliberately make one mistake, such as putting the minute hand at 6, and invite your child to explain how to fix it. Keep the tone playful and give time to think.
Does 7:00 mean morning or evening?
A twelve-hour clock face can show both. We use context, or AM and PM, to tell them apart. Seven in the morning is 7:00 AM; seven in the evening is 7:00 PM. Introduce this distinction through familiar routines after whole hours feel comfortable.