1 · The two hands
The short hand tells the hour. The long hand tells the minutes. When the long hand points straight up at 12, it is exactly o'clock.
When the long hand points at 6, it is half past: 30 minutes. Notice the short hand has moved halfway between 3 and 4.
2 · Counting by fives
Each big number on the clock is 5 minutes for the long hand. Count around: 5, 10, 15, 20...
The long hand points at 4, so count 5, 10, 15, 20. The short hand is just past 7. The time is 7:20.
3 · To the minute
The small marks between the numbers are single minutes. Count by fives to the last big number, then count the small marks one at a time.
Long hand: past the 4 (20) by 3 small marks = 23. Short hand: past 7. The time is 7:23.
4 · a.m. and p.m.
The clock goes around twice a day. From midnight to noon is a.m. (morning). From noon to midnight is p.m. (afternoon and night).
7:30 a.m. is breakfast time. 7:30 p.m. is bedtime-story time. Same clock, different half of the day.
5 · Elapsed time: hop along a number line
Elapsed time is how much time passed. Hop in easy pieces: whole hours first, then minutes.
Start at 2:40 and go 1 hour 20 minutes. Hop 1 hour to 3:40, then 20 minutes to 4:00.
6 · Finding the end time
Soccer starts at 1:45 and lasts 2 hours 45 minutes. Hop 2 hours: 3:45. Hop 15 minutes to the next hour: 4:00. Hop the last 30 minutes: 4:30.
Breaking the minutes at the hour keeps you from going past 60.
7 · How long did it take?
Now the start and end are known. From 9:15 to 11:05: hop to 10:15 (1 h), then 11:05 is 50 minutes more. Total 1 hour 50 minutes.
8 · Length: inches and centimeters
Line the object up with 0 on the ruler and read where it ends. This pencil is 5 inches long.
The small marks split each inch into halves and quarters, just like a line plot.
9 · Picking the right unit
Small things: inches or centimeters (a paper clip is about 3 cm). Medium things: feet or meters (a door is about 7 feet, or 2 meters). Long distances: miles or kilometers.
If the answer would be a huge number, pick a bigger unit.
10 · Weight: grams, kilograms, ounces, pounds
A paper clip weighs about 1 gram. A textbook weighs about 1 kilogram (1,000 grams). A slice of bread is about 1 ounce; a loaf is about 1 pound (16 ounces).
A balance tips toward the heavier side. 1 kilogram beats 500 grams.
11 · Liquids: milliliters and liters
A spoonful is about 5 milliliters. A big water bottle is 1 liter, which is 1,000 milliliters.
This jug is filled to 750 mL, three quarters of a liter.
12 · Converting units
Some facts to keep in your pocket: 1 foot = 12 inches, 1 yard = 3 feet, 1 meter = 100 cm, 1 kilogram = 1,000 g, 1 liter = 1,000 mL, 1 hour = 60 minutes.
2 feet = 2 × 12 = 24 inches. 3 hours = 3 × 60 = 180 minutes. You are ready for the test! 🎉
Ready to check what stuck?
Take the free 24-question test. It starts easy and builds to harder, ISEE-style reasoning. It's auto-scored, and you can review every answer afterward.