Telling time to the minute
In 3rd grade, children learn to read a clock with hands to the nearest minute, such as 4:37; to say the time out loud; and to write it the way a digital clock shows it.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
Try these with your child
These are real questions from our 3rd grade practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
Jada reads the time out loud: "four twenty-one." How is that time written?
- 4:21
- 21:04
- 4:12
Why this matters
Reading a clock to the exact minute gives your child a little more say over their own day, from knowing when a show starts to when it is time to leave. It also stretches number sense past counting in tens, since there are 60 minutes around the clock face. In 4th grade, it leads to changing hours into minutes. And clocks with hands are still on classroom walls, in train stations, and on watches.
After this, your child uses the same clock for working out how many minutes have passed.
Where kids can get stuck
- Reading the minute hand as the number it points to, saying 3:04 instead of counting by fives to 3:20.
- Misreading the hour hand when it is close to the next number, so 2:55 becomes 3:55.
- Losing count of the small marks between numbers, so a minute hand two marks past the 7 is read as 3:36 instead of 3:37.
How you can help
- Give your child a time to watch for, such as “Tell me when it’s 4:52,” and let them keep an eye on a clock with hands until it gets there.
- Make your child the family timekeeper on a weekend outing. Whenever you pass a clock with hands, ask them to read it, then check it against a digital clock.
- Draw a clock on a paper plate and add two paper hands. Take turns setting a time like 8:47 for the other person to read out loud.
Bobby's Math Club offers free practice that grows with your child.
Questions parents ask
Why is my child counting by fives to tell time?
Each number on the clock stands for 5 more minutes, so counting by fives turns the 4 into 20. From there, your child counts the single marks to reach the exact minute, so three marks past the 4 is 23. It shows why the clock works, which helps the time stick better than memorizing positions.
My child can read digital clocks but not ones with hands. Does it matter?
Yes, reading a clock with hands is part of 3rd grade, and it helps your child see time as an amount, such as how much of the hour has gone by. Many homes no longer have one, so children may get less practice. Pointing out clocks in stores, at school, and on watches can help.
When should my child be able to tell time to the minute?
It builds over a few years. Children usually learn the hour and half hour in 1st grade, then the nearest five minutes in 2nd grade. Reading to the exact minute comes in 3rd grade. If your third grader is still unsure of the five-minute marks, reviewing prior learning there first can make the single minutes much easier.
Make learning math fun
Bobby's Math Club turns 3rd grade math practice into something fun to do together.
- Free, unlimited practice for every child in your family
- Practice that starts where your child is and grows with them
- Level-ups, badges, and a cheer for every win
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
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Join the clubNote for teachers: This skill is covered by Common Core math standard 3.MD.A.1: “Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram.” Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow. (Common Core 3.MD.1)