How to Read Time on an Analog Clock

Khan Academy

This educational video provides a clear, step-by-step demonstration on how to read time using an analog clock. Through three distinct practice problems, the narrator guides viewers on distinguishing between the hour (shorter) and minute (longer) hands, determining the correct hour based on the hand's position between numbers, and calculating minutes by counting in increments of five around the clock face. The video utilizes a clean, interactive digital interface that highlights the clock hands and allows for checking answers immediately. The content focuses on key mathematical concepts such as skip-counting by fives, understanding the cyclical nature of time (60 minutes in an hour), and spatial reasoning required to interpret the position of clock hands. A significant emphasis is placed on the common student difficulty of determining the hour when the hand is between two numbers, specifically explaining that the hour remains the lower number until the hand fully reaches the next digit. For educators, this video serves as an excellent modeling tool for early elementary math lessons. It breaks down the cognitive process of telling time into manageable steps—look at the hour hand first, then count the minutes. It creates opportunities for teachers to pause and having students predict the time before the narrator reveals the answer, making it highly effective for whole-class instruction or independent practice stations.