Second Grade · Math · week 24

Quarter past and quarter to

Read and say time using quarter past, half past, and quarter to.

A clock face splits into four equal quarters. Quarter past the hour means the minute hand has gone a quarter of the way around, to the 3, which is 15 minutes.

Half past means the minute hand is halfway around, at the 6 (30 minutes). Quarter to the NEXT hour means only a quarter is left to go, with the minute hand at the 9 (45 minutes).

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Fold a paper plate clock into four equal wedges to make the "quarter" idea visible, not just a phrase to memorize.
  • Practice the tricky "quarter to" phrasing extra -- naming the upcoming hour instead of the current one trips up most kids at first.
  • Say both the digital form (7:45) and the words form ("quarter to 8") side by side every time.
  • Use real daily moments, like "we leave at quarter past 3," to make the language feel natural, not just clock-worksheet talk.
Talk about it:
  • Where does the minute hand point for "quarter past"? For "half past"? For "quarter to"?
  • Why does "quarter to" name the next hour instead of the current one?
  • Can you find a "quarter past" or "quarter to" time somewhere in your daily schedule?

Mastery looks like: They read and say quarter-past, half-past, and quarter-to times correctly, including naming the correct hour for "quarter to."

Common stumbles: Naming the current hour instead of the next hour for "quarter to" times; confusing quarter past (15) with quarter to (45).

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Math for this learner.
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