3rd Grade · Measurement & Data
3.MD.A.1: Tell time to the minute, and work out how many minutes have passed
3.MD.A.1 is a 3rd grade Common Core math standard in Measurement & Data. Here’s what it really covers, and how you can help your students learn it.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
The standard
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.
In plain words
Tell time to the minute, and work out how many minutes have passed.
Sample questions from student practice
These questions from Bobby's Math Club are the kinds of questions your students will see. You can try answering them to see what a student might see.
Question 1 of 6
Jada reads the time out loud: "four twenty-one." How is that time written?
- 4:21
- 21:04
- 4:12
Where students can get stuck
Tell time to the minute.
- 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.
Work out how many minutes have passed.
- Adding times as if an hour had 100 minutes, so 3:45 plus 25 minutes becomes 3:70 instead of 4:10.
- Subtracting the clock numbers directly, so the time from 2:50 to 3:15 comes out as 65 minutes instead of 25.
- Adding instead of subtracting to find a start time, so lunch that ended at 12:20 after 35 minutes seems to have started at 12:55.
Effective teaching strategies
- Use a demonstration clock and count the minutes by fives from 12 around to the minute hand, then add the extra ones.
- Show elapsed time on a number line, jumping to the next hour first, such as from 3:45 to 4:00 and then 10 more minutes to 4:10.
- Ask students to say where the hour hand is before reading the minutes, noticing that it sits close to the next number near the end of the hour.
Units that teach this standard
Find where 3.MD.A.1 lands in the program you teach. Each unit has a guide written for families. Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence.
Bridges in Mathematics
enVision Mathematics
Everyday Mathematics
i-Ready Classroom Mathematics
Illustrative Mathematics
Math Expressions
Don’t see your curriculum? Contact Bobby and we’ll see if we can help!
Share it with families
Each skill has its own guide for families, with a plain-language look at the skill, three questions to try together, and ideas for helping at home.
Help every student practice measurement and data at home
In Bobby's Math Club, students practice at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free for every family.
See how it works for teachers
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.