Tell Time 5 Minutes

Grade 2 · measurement · 57 practice problems · read aloud

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Telling Time in 5-Minute Intervals ⏰

What is it and why is it useful?

Learning to tell time in 5-minute intervals means you can read the clock when the minute hand is pointing at any of the big numbers! This helps you know exactly when things happen, like when recess starts in 5 minutes or when your favorite show is on.

How to Tell Time in 5-Minute Steps

  1. Look at the hour hand first: This short hand tells you what hour it is.
  2. Count by 5s with the minute hand: The long minute hand points to the minutes. Start at the 12 and count by 5s for each big number it points to. (5, 10, 15, 20...)
  3. Put it together: Say the hour, then the minutes.

Let's Look at Some Examples

Example 1: The hour hand is just past the 2. The minute hand is on the 3.

  • Hour: 2
  • Minutes: Count by 5s to the 3. (5...10...15)
  • Time: 2:15 or "fifteen minutes after two"

Example 2: The hour hand is between the 8 and 9. The minute hand is on the 6.

  • Hour: 8 (It's not 9 yet!)
  • Minutes: Count by 5s to the 6. (5...10...15...20...25...30)
  • Time: 8:30 or "eight-thirty"

Watch Out for These Common Mistakes!

Mixing up the hands: Remember, the short hand is for hours, and the long hand is for minutes.

Forgetting to count by 5s: Don't just say the number the minute hand is on! If it's on the 4, that means 20 minutes (4 x 5), not 4 minutes.

Misreading the hour: If the hour hand is between two numbers, it's always the smaller number. Between 2 and 3, it's still 2 o'clock.

Tips & Tricks to Remember

Sing a song! 🎵 "5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60... that's how we tell the minutes!"

Use the "Clock Numbers": Each big number has a "minutes" number: 1=5, 2=10, 3=15, 4=20, 5=25, 6=30, 7=35, 8=40, 9=45, 10=50, 11=55, 12=0.

Half-past and Quarter-past: When the minute hand is on the 6, it's "half-past." When it's on the 3, it's "quarter-past."

How to Practice

  • Ask a grown-up to give you a time, then you set a toy clock to match it!
  • Throughout the day, look at a clock with a face and say the time in 5-minute intervals.
  • Draw clocks showing different times like 4:45, 1:10, and 11:55.

Practice problems

6 of the 57, worked through step by step — try them before opening the answer.

1 What time: 8:35

Hint: Look at the hour hand first, then count the minutes by fives around the clock

Show the answer

Answer: 8:35

  1. The hour is 8, so the hour hand is between 8 and 9.
  2. The minutes are 35, which means 35 minutes past the hour.
  3. On a clock, 35 minutes is 7 groups of 5 minutes (5 × 7 = 35).
  4. Count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35.
  5. 35 minutes means the minute hand points to the 7 on the clock. The time is 8:35.

2 What time: 6:25

Hint: Look at the hour first, then count the minutes by fives around the clock

Show the answer

Answer: 6:25

  1. The hour is 6, so the hour hand is between 6 and 7.
  2. The minutes are 25, which means 25 minutes past the hour.
  3. On a clock, 25 minutes is 5 groups of 5 minutes (5 × 5 = 25).
  4. Count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.
  5. 25 minutes means the minute hand points to the 5 on the clock. The time is 6:25.

3 What time: 8:40

Hint: First identify the hour, then count the minutes by fives around the clock face.

Show the answer

Answer: 8:40

  1. The hour is 8, so the hour hand is between 8 and 9.
  2. The minutes are 40, which means 40 minutes past the hour.
  3. On a clock, each number represents 5 minutes. 40 minutes is 8 groups of 5 minutes (8 × 5 = 40).
  4. Count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40. This means the minute hand points to the 8 on the clock. The time is 8:40.

4 What time: 8:55

Hint: First identify the hour, then count the minutes by fives around the clock face.

Show the answer

Answer: 8:55

  1. The hour is 8, so the hour hand is between 8 and 9.
  2. The minutes are 55, which means 55 minutes past the hour.
  3. On a clock, each number represents 5 minutes. 55 minutes is 11 groups of 5 minutes (11 × 5 = 55).
  4. Count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55. This means the minute hand points to the 11 on the clock. The time is 8:55.

5 What time: 8:50

Hint: First identify the hour, then count the minutes by fives around the clock face.

Show the answer

Answer: 8:50

  1. The hour is 8, so the hour hand is between 8 and 9.
  2. The minutes are 50, which means 50 minutes past the hour.
  3. On a clock, each number represents 5 minutes. 50 minutes is 10 groups of 5 minutes (10 × 5 = 50).
  4. Count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. This means the minute hand points to the 10 on the clock. The time is 8:50.

6 What time: 6:50

Hint: First identify the hour, then count the minutes by fives around the clock face.

Show the answer

Answer: 6:50

  1. The hour is 6, so the hour hand is between 6 and 7.
  2. The minutes are 50, which means 50 minutes past the hour.
  3. On a clock, each number represents 5 minutes. 50 minutes is 10 groups of 5 minutes (10 × 5 = 50).
  4. Count by fives around the clock: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. This means the minute hand points to the 10 on the clock. The time is 6:50.
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