Grade 1 foundation
Clock Basics
Learn the clock face, tell the two hands apart, and remember four useful minute positions.
1. Parts of a clock face
A clock face has numbers, tick marks, and two hands.
The short hand tells the hour. It moves slowly.
The long hand tells the minutes. It moves faster than the hour hand.
The numbers mark the hours. Each gap between two numbers is 5 minutes.
2. Four positions to learn first
Start with these positions for the long hand:
O'clock
Long hand at 12
Example: 3:00Quarter past
Long hand at 3
15 minutes after the hourHalf past
Long hand at 6
30 minutes after the hourQuarter to
Long hand at 9
15 minutes before the next hourQuestions parents ask
Why is the minute hand longer?
It reaches the small minute marks around the edge, so the minutes are easier to see.
How many minutes are in an hour?
One hour has 60 minutes.
What is the difference between AM and PM?
AM is used after midnight and before noon. PM is used after noon and before midnight.
When should I teach my child to read a clock?
Most children start between ages 5 and 7. Short practice sessions help more than the exact age.
Print practice after this lesson
Once the hour hand, minute hand, and four main positions make sense, give your child one short page to finish on paper. Start with the hour and half hour worksheet, then move to quarter hour practice.