Grades Grade 3 Measurement & DataTelling Time to the Nearest Minute

Telling Time to the Nearest Minute

📊 Measurement & Data

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Telling Time to the Nearest Minute

Read an analog clock all the way down to the exact minute!

A clock has two hands: the SHORT hour hand and the LONG minute hand. The hour hand points to the hour. The minute hand makes one full trip around the clock every 60 minutes. Each small tick mark on the clock is 1 minute.

How to read a clock to the nearest minute:

1Look at the SHORT (hour) hand — it points to (or past) the current hour

2Look at the LONG (minute) hand

3Count by 5s as you pass each number (12=0, 1=5, 2=10, 3=15 …)

4Count by 1s for any extra tick marks past the nearest number

5Write the time as Hours : Minutes (e.g., 3:47)

🕒Reading 4:23

Hour hand: pointing just past 4 → the hour is 4.
Minute hand: pointing between 4 and 5 on the clock face.
Count: 5, 10, 15, 20 (at the 4) then 3 more ticks → 23 minutes.
The time is 4:23.

Quarter past

15 minutes after the hour (minute hand at 3)

Half past

30 minutes after the hour (minute hand at 6)

Quarter to

45 minutes after — 15 minutes BEFORE the NEXT hour (minute hand at 9)

These three landmarks help you quickly estimate the time before counting exact minutes.

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Remember This!

When the minute hand is on the RIGHT half of the clock (12 to 6), you say "X:__ past." When it is on the LEFT half (6 to 12), you could say "__ minutes to" the next hour.

✏️ Try It!

The minute hand points to 7 and the hour hand points just past 2. What time is it?

Take Quiz 📝 — 25 Questions