My Day, Hour by Hour
Primary 1 · English
My Day, Hour by Hour
Lesson 3 of 6
12 min
Let's begin
Grown-up: read this page out loud. Show your child a real clock, or draw a big circle on paper.
There is a clock in Uwase's class.
Uwase looks up at it. Two hands go round and round.
"What time is it?" she asks her teacher.
Today you will read a clock too.
A clock is in your class and in your house.
It tells you the time.
The numbers go round the clock: 1, 2, 3 and on to 12.
You have two hands. A clock has two hands too.
One hand is short. One hand is long.
The short hand tells you the hour.
The long hand tells you the minutes.
Careful! The long hand is longer, but it is not the hour.
The short hand is small and it tells you the big thing: the hour.
Look at the long hand first.
When the long hand points straight up at the top, say o'clock.
Then look at the short hand. It points at one number.
Worked example. The long hand is straight up. The short hand points at 7.
You say: It is seven o'clock.
Worked example. The long hand is straight up. The short hand points at 3.
You say: It is three o'clock.
Your friend asks: What time is it?
You answer: It is nine o'clock.
Ask a big person at home now. Then say the time out loud.
Count in English and in Kinyarwanda. You need the numbers to read a clock.
Tip
Short hand, big thing
The short hand tells you the hour.
The long hand tells you the minutes.
Long is not the hour. Short is the hour. Say it while you point.
Do each one out loud, then tap Show answer to check.
How many hands does a clock have?
Answer: two. One short hand and one long hand.
Which hand tells you the hour?
Answer: the short hand. The long hand tells you the minutes.
The long hand is straight up. The short hand points at 6. What time is it?
Answer: It is six o'clock.
The long hand is straight up. The short hand points at 10. What time is it?
Answer: It is ten o'clock.
Your friend asks: What time is it? Answer for four o'clock.
Answer: It is four o'clock. Say the whole thing, not only the number.
What you learned today
Quick check
The long hand tells you the hour.
