2nd Grade Math · Telling Time to 5 Minutes
Read the clock Worksheets
Fresh practice, ready to print. Answer key included.
Write the time each clock shows, such as 3:25.
Make it yours
Or start with a ready-made version.
How it works: a quick refresher
The rules this worksheet practices, then one problem worked from start to finish.
| Strategy | How it works |
|---|---|
| Short hand first | The short hand is the hour hand. Read the hour it has just passed. |
| Count by fives | The long hand is the minute hand. Each number on the clock is 5 minutes: count 5, 10, 15 from the 12. |
| Between two numbers | At 3:30 the hour hand is halfway between 3 and 4. It still shows 3 until it reaches the 4. |
| Write two digits for minutes | Five minutes after 7 is written 7:05, not 7:5. |
| a.m. and p.m. | a.m. is from midnight to noon. p.m. is from noon to midnight. |
Worked example
The short hand is just past the 4, and the long hand points to the 7. What time is it?
- 1The short hand has passed the 4 but not the 5, so the hour is 4.
- 2Count by fives from the 12 to the 7: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35.
- 3The time is 4:35.
Ready-made versions
Three fixed versions you can link to or share. Each is a PDF with its own answer key.
- Read the clock Worksheets, version 1Worksheet PDFAnswer key PDF
- Read the clock Worksheets, version 2Worksheet PDFAnswer key PDF
- Read the clock Worksheets, version 3Worksheet PDFAnswer key PDF
Grade level and standard
Written for 2nd grade math (measurement) and aligned to CCSS 2.MD.C.7. It also works as review in later grades.
Common questions
- Is there an answer key?
- Yes. Every worksheet has a matching answer key with each answer worked on the same grid or layout as the question. The worksheet code printed at the bottom of each page pairs a sheet with its key.
- My child reads the hour from the number the short hand is closest to. Is that right?
- Not always. Late in the hour the short hand is close to the next number, so 4:55 can look like 5:55. Read the number the short hand has just passed.
- Is 12:00 noon a.m. or p.m.?
- Noon is 12:00 p.m. and midnight is 12:00 a.m. These are the two times that confuse everyone, so the a.m. or p.m. problems never use them.
- How many different versions are there?
- About a million per skill. Each time you press the button the problems are generated fresh, so you can print a different version for every student, a retake, or another night of practice.
- Are the worksheets free?
- Yes. They are free to print and copy for your home or classroom, with no sign-up.
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