This grade 1 telling time lesson explains telling time to the hour and half hour in one printable page, with definitions, a method and a worked example.
A clock tells the time. The short hand is the hour hand, and the long hand is the minute hand. When the minute hand points to 12, it is o’clock, like 3:00. When the minute hand points to 6, it is half past the hour, like 3:30. A digital clock shows the same time with numbers.
Grade 1 Telling Time Lesson: key facts
- The short hand is the hour hand and the long hand is the minute hand.
- Minute hand on 12 means o’clock. A digital clock shows :00.
- Minute hand on 6 means half past. A digital clock shows :30.
- At half past, the hour hand is halfway between two numbers. Read the smaller number.
- An analog clock has hands and a digital clock has numbers, but both can show the same time.
What are the parts of a clock?
A clock has a round face with the numbers 1 to 12. It has two hands. The short hand is the hour hand. It tells the hour. The long hand is the minute hand. It tells how far past the hour it is.
How do you read the time on the hour?
When the minute hand points straight up to 12, it is exactly on the hour. We say o’clock. Look at the hour hand to find which hour it is.
The minute hand points to 12. The hour hand points to the hour number. On a digital clock, the time ends in :00, like 7:00.
How do you read half past the hour?
When the minute hand points straight down to 6, half of an hour has gone by. We say half past. A digital clock shows :30.
The minute hand points to 6. The hour hand is halfway between two numbers. Say the smaller number. Half past 4 is 4:30.
Why is the hour hand between two numbers at half past?
The hour hand moves slowly all hour long. After half an hour, it has moved halfway to the next number. At 4:30 it sits between 4 and 5. It has not reached 5 yet, so the hour is still 4.
How do you read a digital clock?
The number before the colon is the hour. The number after the colon tells the minutes. Only two endings matter in first grade: 00 and 30.
| Digital clock | In words | Minute hand points to |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 | 6 o’clock | 12 |
| 6:30 | half past 6 | 6 |
| 9:00 | 9 o’clock | 12 |
| 9:30 | half past 9 | 6 |
How do you tell the time step by step?
- Look at the short hour hand. Find the number it is at, or the smaller number it is between.
- Look at the long minute hand. Is it at 12 or at 6?
- If it is at 12, write the hour and :00. If it is at 6, write the hour and :30.
Example: the hour hand is halfway between 8 and 9. The minute hand points to 6. The hour is 8, and the minute hand says half past. The time is 8:30.
Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour: frequently asked questions
Which hand is the hour hand?
The short hand is the hour hand. It tells the hour. The long hand is the minute hand, and it tells how many minutes past the hour it is.
What does o’clock mean?
O’clock means the time is exactly on the hour. The minute hand points straight up to 12. A digital clock shows 00 after the colon, like 5:00.
What does half past mean?
Half past means 30 minutes after the hour. The minute hand points to 6. A digital clock shows 30 after the colon, like 5:30.
Why is the hour hand between two numbers at 4:30?
The hour hand moves slowly. After half an hour, it is halfway from the 4 to the 5. The hour is still 4 because the hand has not reached 5.
How do you write half past 7 on a digital clock?
Write the hour, a colon, and 30. Half past 7 is written 7:30.
How to use this grade 1 telling time lesson
Use this grade 1 telling time lesson before the worksheet, then check what you learned with the quiz.
See every chapter on the Grade 1 math page.