Setting clock: to the minute
You learn to count in 5-minute steps on a clock face.
How to work it out
- Remember: each number on the clock face is 5 minutes.
- Count from 12 in 5s, and place the big hand there.
- Place the small hand between the two hours: the later the minute, the closer to the next hour.
A worked example
How many minutes is the big hand at 2?
- Count in 5s: 1 is 5, 2 is 10.
- The big hand at 2 is 10 minutes.
More examples
Where is the big hand at 25 minutes?
- Count in 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.
- Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- The big hand is at 5.
Count the minutes on a clock from 12 in steps of 5
At the 1 is 5, at the 2 is 10, at the 3 is 15, at the 4 is 20, at the 5 is 25, at the 6 is 30, at the 7 is 35, at the 8 is 40, at the 9 is 45, at the 10 is 50, at the 11 is 55, at the 12 is 60.
Watch out
You count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 instead of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.
Each number is 5 minutes. From 1 to 5 is already 25 minutes.
Tips
- Learn to say: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 while you point at each number.
Why it works
The clock has 12 numbers. From one number to the next is 5 minutes. So from 12 to 3 is 15 minutes, from 12 to 6 is 30 minutes. You count by 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60.