Max Maths, Year 1, Learn together, Reading a clock

In the Max Maths Year 1 curriculum, young learners are introduced to the fundamentals of telling time using an analogue clock. The lesson 'Reading a clock' focuses on understanding how the position of the hour hand correlates with the time displayed. The lesson is structured around observing the hour hand as it moves around the clock face, with the minute hand fixed at 12, indicating the start of a new hour. For instance, when the hour hand points to 2 and the minute hand is at 12, it signifies that the time is 2 o'clock. This is a straightforward way for children to recognise whole hours on the clock.

The lesson continues to reinforce the concept of reading time by presenting different scenarios where the hands of the clock are in various positions. In each case, the minute hand consistently points at 12, while the hour hand points to different numbers. For example, if the hour hand is pointing at 6, the time is 6 o'clock. Similarly, when the hour hand points to 8, it is 8 o'clock, and when it points straight up at 12, it indicates that it is 12 o'clock. Through these exercises, children learn to associate the position of the hour hand with the corresponding hour, an essential skill in time-telling.