Using a Ruler To Learn How to Tell Time

Many students in the early Elementary grades get confused at the concept of counting hours on a clock. How many times do teachers have to come up with saying to get kids to remember hours/vs minutes? How about how many hours is it from 1:00 until 4:00? When students are first introduced to telling time and learning how many hours there are between times a helpful visual for them is to have a number line so they can view the numbers as linear and not circular.  It is important to remember that the students should still have a clock in front of them as well. The number line is NOT a substitute for learning how to tell time on a clock.

Students can use a pencil, or a dry erase marker if the number line is laminated, to count from one time to another. For example, if the teacher asked how many hours is it between 1:00 and 4:00 the students would see there are three humps connecting the letters and know that the answer was three hours.

This visual is probably best suited for lessons that do not use minutes or distinguish between AM and PM.