Look at the clock on the screen. We are going to point to each number, one after the other, starting at the 12. As we touch each number, say the count with me: 5, 10, 15, 20, all the way round to 60.

Here is the puzzle: there are only twelve numbers on the clock, but a whole hour has sixty minutes. So why does each number stand for five minutes, and not just one?

Look at each clock. Count round in fives to where the long hand points, and each time ask yourself: are we counting past the hour or on to the next one?

Now we set five-minute times on the clock ourselves. When a time is named, one of you comes to the board and drags the long hand to the right number while the rest of us count round in fives to check.

We will try: half past 1, twenty past 4, quarter to 8, and five past 11. We met half past and quarter to on the board a moment ago — now we set them ourselves. For each one, look at where the long hand lands. If it has not yet passed the 6, we count minutes past the hour. If it has crossed the 6 and is climbing the left side, we count minutes to the next hour.

Today we work through these times together at the board: ten past 4, twenty-five past 9, twenty to 6, then five to 1. The 'to' times catch people out, so we will say each one aloud and count the fives before we check it.

What we learned today

• Each number on the clock is five minutes further round, so we count in fives to read the minutes.
• When the long hand is on the right, we count minutes past the hour.
• Once the long hand passes the 6, we count minutes to the next hour.

Coming up

Next we will match the time on a clock face to the numbers on a digital display, so we can read both kinds of clock.