Level 1 • Lesson 101 — Understanding time: hour and half-hour

Objective

I can read the time to the hour and half-hour on an analog clock. I can use words like o'clock and half past, match times to daily activities, and say which time is earlier or later.

Materials

Analog clock with moving hands (toy clock or paper clock with split pins)
Picture cards or drawings of daily activities (wake up, lunch, homework, bedtime)
Pencil and notebook or scrap paper

Mini-lesson — Reading hour and half-hour on a clock

A clock shows us the time. It has a short hand for the hour and a long hand for the minutes.

Clock parts

The numbers 1 to 12 go around the clock.
The short hand points to the hour.
The long hand shows the minutes.

Times to the hour (o'clock)

When the long hand points to the 12, we say o'clock.
The short hand tells which hour it is.
If the short hand points to 3 and the long hand is on 12, the time is 3 o'clock.

Times to the half-hour (half past)

When the long hand points to the 6, it is half past the hour.
The short hand is between two numbers.
If the short hand is between 2 and 3, and the long hand is on 6, we say half past 2.

Time and daily routines

We can match times to daily activities.
For example: 7 o'clock might be wake-up time.
Half past 3 might be play time or snack time.

In this lesson, we will practise reading o'clock and half past times, and connect them to real-life routines.

Picture strip: 3 o'clock and half past 2

3 o'clock

Half past 2

Guided Practice — Move the hands to show the time

You will use a teaching clock (or paper clock) to show times to the hour and half-hour. Then you will use the tracing pad to practise time words.

Review the hands: Touch the short hand and say "hour hand". Touch the long hand and say "minute hand".
Make an o'clock time: Move the long hand to 12. Move the short hand to 3. Read the time: "3 o'clock".
Try another o'clock: Set the clock to 7 o'clock. Ask, "What could you be doing at 7 o'clock?" (Maybe waking up.)
Make a half past time: Move the long hand to 6. Move the short hand so it sits between 2 and 3. Read the time: "half past 2".
Link to daily life: Choose one activity card, like "lunchtime". Decide if it might be at 12 o'clock or half past 12. Show it on your clock.
Compare two times: Show 3 o'clock and half past 3. Ask, "Which is earlier? Which is later?"
Use the tracing pad: Choose time words like hour, o'clock, half past, early, or late and trace them. Draw a tiny clock near each word that matches the time.

Tracing Pad

Lines Trace

Pen

Practice 1 — Read o'clock times

[PLACEHOLDER PRACTICE 1]

Practice 2 — Read half past times

[PLACEHOLDER PRACTICE 2]

Practice 3 — Match times to daily routines

[PLACEHOLDER PRACTICE 3]

Quick Check — Understanding time: hour and half-hour

Answer each question about reading the clock. Think about the hour hand, the minute hand, and what you do at different times of day.

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Student can name the hour hand and the minute hand on an analog clock. Student can read and say times to the hour (o'clock). Student can read and say times to the half-hour (half past). Student can match simple daily activities to suitable o'clock or half past times. Student can explain which of two times is earlier or later in simple language.

Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can read hour and half-hour times easily. 🙂 I can read some times but still need more practice. 😅 Reading the clock still feels tricky for me.

Next time I will practise…

Reading o'clock times Reading half past times Matching times to my daily routines

Lesson 101: Understanding time — hour and half-hour