Time - Telling time to 5 minutes - Planning

The Year 2 curriculum introduces students to the concept of telling time to five-minute intervals. This week-long unit, aimed at enhancing their understanding of time, employs a variety of resources such as mini clocks with movable hands, worksheets, and presentations to support learning. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms like 'o'clock', 'half past', 'quarter to', 'quarter past', 'interval', 'hour', and 'minute'. The lesson begins with a practical exercise using a clock or interactive clock to count in increments of five minutes, reinforcing the skill of counting by fives. The children are first taught to recognise 'past' times by focusing on the minute hand and identifying special names for 15 and 30 minutes past the hour. Once confident with 'past' times, the lesson progresses to 'to' times, again highlighting special names for 15 minutes to the hour.

Following the initial introduction, activities are designed to develop fluency in reading time to five-minute intervals. One activity involves modelling how to draw the hands on a clock face, distinguishing between 'past' and 'to' times. Partner work encourages children to use their clocks to tell a story with time, such as a character's trip to the shops, and to articulate their reasoning for whether a time is 'past' or 'to'. This practical approach helps address common misconceptions such as confusing the minute and hour hands or not understanding the difference between 'past' and 'to' times. The plenary includes a "Give me five" reflection where children consider what they've learned, the skills they've used, and what they found challenging. Differentiated activities cater to varying levels of proficiency, from working towards expected standards to achieving greater depth, ensuring all students can progress in their ability to tell time accurately.