Read analog clocks to the hour, half-hour and quarter-hour

An analog clock has two important hands. The long minute hand tells how far through the hour we are. The short hour hand tells which hour we are near.

Best routine: 1) Find the long minute hand. 2) Decide o'clock / quarter past / half past / quarter to. 3) Check the short hour hand. 4) Say the whole time. 5) Ask whether the hour-hand position makes sense.

The minute hand makes one full turn every hour. The hour hand moves slowly during that same hour; it does not jump from one number to the next.

This movement is important: at quarter to, name the hour that is coming next, not the hour that has already passed.

A clock face is a circle. One complete trip around the face is 60 minutes. Half a turn is 30 minutes. A quarter turn is 15 minutes.

• 12 → 3 is one quarter of the circle = 15 minutes.
• 12 → 6 is one half = 30 minutes.
• 12 → 9 is three quarters = 45 minutes, leaving 15 minutes until the next hour.

This is why the words quarter past, half past and quarter to match positions on the clock face.

Even though this code focuses on hour, half-hour and quarter-hour, noticing that the minute hand moves in 5-minute steps around the numbered clock helps students understand why 3 means 15 minutes, 6 means 30 minutes and 9 means 45 minutes.

Count by fives: 1→5, 2→10, 3→15, 4→20, 5→25, 6→30, 7→35, 8→40, 9→45, 10→50, 11→55, 12→60/0.

1. Minute hand on 12, hour hand on 7. The minute hand says o'clock; the hour hand says 7 → 7 o'clock.
2. Minute hand on 6, hour hand halfway between 4 and 5. The minute hand says half past; the hour started at 4 → half past 4.
3. Minute hand on 3, hour hand just past 9. The minute hand says quarter past → quarter past 9.
4. Minute hand on 9, hour hand nearly at 6. The minute hand says quarter to; the next hour is 6 → quarter to 6.

• Content description: recognise and read the time represented on an analog clock to the hour, half-hour and quarter-hour.
• E1: build an analog clock, place the numbers and two hands, and explain what each hand measures.
• E2: connect movement of the hands with duration, including the halfway position for half past.
• E3: divide the clock face into halves and quarters and connect these parts to quarter past, half past and quarter to.

• Reading only the short hand: always read the long minute hand first.
• Calling 2:45 “quarter to 2”: quarter to names the next hour, so it is quarter to 3.
• Putting the hour hand exactly on 2 at half past 2: it should be halfway towards 3.
• Thinking 3 means 3 minutes: each clock number is 5 minutes for the minute hand, so 3 means 15 minutes.
• Mixing quarter past and quarter to: minute hand on 3 = quarter past; on 9 = quarter to.

Minute hand first → hour hand second → say the time → check.

• 12 = o'clock
• 3 = quarter past
• 6 = half past
• 9 = quarter to
• At half past, the hour hand is halfway between two hours.
• At quarter to, name the hour that is coming next.
• One clock number = 5 minutes for the minute hand.

Quick mastery: Explain why a clock with the minute hand on 9 and hour hand almost at 8 is quarter to 8.

• AC9M2M03 — dates and intervals
• AC9M2M05 — turns and orientation