Developed in partnership with Education Services Australia

The Australian Curriculum sets the goal for what all students should learn as they progress through their school life. Skills in the Year 5-6 curriculum include:

• reading and interpreting times on digital and analogue clocks to 1-minute intervals
• recognising that 1 hour is equal to 60 minutes, half an hour is 30 minutes, and a quarter of an hour is 15 minutes
• converting between 12- and 24-hour systems; for example, knowing that 3:30 pm is equivalent to 15:30 in 24-hour time
• adding and subtracting time to work out duration.

It’s easy to help your child practise these skills as part of everyday life – just use these simple ideas.

Make time for time

It can be confusing learning the two ways we use to tell the time, so give your child lots of practice with ideas such as these:

• if you can, have at least one clock in the house showing 12-hour time, and one showing 24-hour time
• if your child uses a watch or a computer, tablet or bedroom clock, set the time display to the unit that they need to practise the most (12-hour or 24-hour time)
• whenever you need to know the time, ask your child to check the time on one clock, predict what it will be on the other clock, and then check
  
  What time is it on the oven clock? So what will the microwave clock say? Did you get it right?
• ask your child to work out how much time they will be between two events
  
  We won’t get home til 10pm tonight so it’s going to be a late night. How much sleep will you get before you wake up for school at eight o’clock?
• ask your child to help you plan a journey by public transport, train or airline (preferably using a 24-hour schedule).
• What time will I need to leave?
  
  When will I arrive?
  
  What about the return journey?

Go online

For online reinforcement, Late again! will give your child practice at:

• understanding 12- and 24-hour time.

Time tools: 24-hour to the minute: time challenge will give your child practice at:

• telling the time to the minute using 12-hour and 24-hour analogue and digital clocks.

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