Telling time to the minute (age 8+)
Tell and write time to the nearest minute using analogue and digital clocks
What a learner can do afterwards
- Read 7:43 from an analogue clock face
- Write 11:06 on a digital display given a clock with hands
- Match analogue and digital times to the nearest minute
The lesson
You already know that each number on a clock stands for 5 minutes. Look closer and you will see small tick marks between the numbers. Each tick is one minute.
Ben's clock shows the minute hand 1 tick past the 1. The 1 means 5 minutes, so it is 6 minutes past the hour. On a digital clock he writes 11:06, not 11:6. The zero holds the empty tens spot.
When the minutes are less than 10, always write a zero first, like 06 or 04. Digital clocks always show two digits for minutes.
Count the ticks past the last number to find the exact minute, and always write minutes under 10 with a leading zero.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
Where this leads
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.