Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour

Reading a clock is a fun and important skill! To tell time, we need to look closely at the two hands on a clock.

The Clock Hands

A standard clock has two main hands that move around in a circle:

• The Short Hand (Hour Hand): This hand tells us what hour it is. It moves slowly.
• The Long Hand (Minute Hand): This hand tells us how many minutes have passed. It moves faster than the hour hand.

Telling Time to the Hour (O'clock)

When it is exactly the start of a new hour, we say it is "o'clock."

• The long minute hand points straight up to the $12$.
• The short hour hand points directly to a number on the clock.

Example: If the long hand is on the $12$ and the short hand is pointing exactly at the $3$, the time is $3:00$ (three o'clock).

Telling Time to the Half Hour (Thirty)

An hour has $60$ minutes. Half of an hour is $30$ minutes. When half of the hour has passed, the minute hand has moved halfway around the clock.

• The long minute hand points straight down to the $6$. This means $30$ minutes.
• The short hour hand will be pointing exactly halfway between two numbers.

Example: If the long hand is on the $6$ and the short hand is halfway between the $7$ and the $8$, the time is $7:30$ (seven thirty). We look at the number the hour hand just passed (the $7$) to know the hour.

Let's Practice!

Here are a few examples to help you practice reading the clock:

1. What time is it? The long hand is on the $12$ and the short hand is on the $9$.
   • Answer: $9:00$
2. What time is it? The long hand is on the $6$ and the short hand is halfway between $4$ and $5$.
   • Answer: $4:30$
3. Drawing the hands for $10:30$:
   • Draw the long hand pointing to the $6$.
   • Draw the short hand halfway between the $10$ and the $11$.