Dear Parents and Caregivers, We appreciate the support you give to your child’s education. You are a vital partner in this learning. We would like to share some information to help you better understand Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards. The purpose of these letters is to clarify vocabulary and strategies that your child may use to make sense of numbers and develop underlying mathematical ideas. We do not expect you to teach these methods but want to help you understand the work your child will be bringing home. The topic of this letter is telling and writing time to the hour and half hour in first grade. End-­‐of-­‐year goals In first grade, students learn to tell and write time to the hour and to the half hour. Students learn to tell and write time using analog clocks (a clock with moving hands, with the hours marked from 1-­‐12 to show the time) and digital clocks (a clock that shows the time with numbers, not hands). Understanding a clock Students learn that analog clocks have hands and that the hour hand (the little hand) on an analog clock shows the hours and the minute hand (the big hand) shows the minutes. They learn that on a digital clock time is shown with numbers, not hands. The numbers on the left side of the colon on a digital clock represent the hour and the numbers on the right side of the colon represent the minutes. They learn that a clock has a face (front). In first grade, students focus on learning time to the hour and to the half hour. Time to the Hour Time to the Half Hour Hour Hand from the document or the Hour summary of frodocument an or the interesting summary of an Face Minutes point. You interesting frodocument fromthe can position point. ou can or tYhe document the text box position the of an summary or t
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he box.] Text the pull quote Box Tools Minute Hand 3:00 3:30 Analog Digital Telling time to the hour Students learn that when telling time to the hour on an analog clock, the minute hand is on the 12 and the hour hand is on the hour. They say the hour first and then “o’clock”. For example, if the hour hand is on the 4 and the minute hand is on the 12, they say 4 o’clock. “It is 4 o’clock.” 4:00 Students learn the concepts that within a day, the hour hand goes around a clock twice (the hand moves only in one direction) and they learn that when the minute hand goes around and comes back to the 12, another hour has passed. They learn that when the hour hand points exactly to a number, the time is exactly on the hour. Students learn time on the hour is written in the same manner as it appears on a digital clock. Telling and writing time to the half hour Students learn that when telling time to the half hour on an analog clock, the minute hand is on the 6 and the hour hand is between the current hour and the coming hour. They say the current hour first and then “thirty” or they say “half past” the current hour. For example, if the hour hand is between the 8 and the 9 and the minute hand is on the 6, they can say “eight thirty or half past eight.” “It is eight thirty.” “It is half past eight.” 8:30 Students learn the concept that the hour hand moves as time passes, so when it is halfway between two numbers it is at the half hour. They learn that there are 60 minutes in one hour; so, at halfway through an hour, 30 minutes have passed. Students learn that the half hour is written with “30” after the colon. How to help at home •
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Ask your child to tell y ou the time on clocks around the house, when the time is showing time to the hour or half hour. Ask your child to write the time they see on clocks around the house, when the time is showing time to the hour or half hour. •
Give your child times to the hour and half hour and ask them to draw a clock and the hands on the clock or manipulate the hands on a toy clock to show the time. Ask them to write the time. •
Use sites such as listed below to practice time to the hour and half hour. http://www.primarygames.com/time/start.htm http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/on_time_game1.htm •
Remember, making mistakes is a part of learning. Mesa Public Schools/Grade 1/Telling Time/2013 Authorization to reprint or disseminate must be granted by Mesa Public Schools (February-­‐2014).