Reception Maths: Telling the time to the hour
Part of the Reception Maths time and money words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Telling the time to the hour
Ben has lunch at 1 o’clock. He looks at the clock.
A clock has a short hand and a long hand. The short hand shows the hour. When the long hand points to 12, it is o’clock. The short hand shows which hour it is.
Key ideas
- The short hand shows the hour.
- The long hand points to 12 at o’clock.
- Read the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 3
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 3 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 7
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 7 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 12
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 12 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Watch out
Watch out: the short hand tells the hour. The long hand on 12 means the time is exactly on the hour.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Use a paper plate with two hands. Ask: “Which hand is short? Where does the long hand point?” Set the time to 3 o’clock together.
Exercise 9C The time to the hour
Non-calculatorKey words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 2
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 2 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 5
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 5 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 9
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 9 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 12
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 12 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 7
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 7 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 11
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 11 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 4
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 4 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Method. Think about which hand moves more slowly.
- Look at the two hands. One is short and one is long.short and long
- Think about the hour. The short hand moves slowly and shows the hour.short hand
- Write the answer. short hand
Check. The short hand points to the hour. ✓
Watch out. The long hand shows the minutes.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 1
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 1 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 9
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 9 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Key words. O’clock means the time on the hour, when the long hand points to 12.
Method. The short hand points to the hour. The long hand points to 12, so it is an o’clock time.
- Look at the short hand. It points to the hour.short hand on 7
- Look at the long hand. It points to 12, so the time is on the hour.long hand on 12
- Write the time. 7 o’clock
Check. The long hand on 12 means o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand tells the hour. Look at the short hand first.
Method. Look at which hand is on the hour.
- Look at the long hand. The long hand is on 12, not on 2.long hand on 12
- Look at the short hand. The short hand is on 2, so it shows the hour.short hand on 2
- Write the answer. No. The short hand is on 2, so it is 2 o’clock.
Check. The short hand on 2 means 2 o’clock. ✓
Watch out. The short hand shows the hour.