Understanding time is one of the most practical math skills children learn. From reading analog and digital clocks to calculating elapsed time, these skills help students manage their daily schedules and understand the world around them.

Learning to tell time starts with whole hours and progresses to half hours, quarter hours, and eventually minutes. Reading an analog clock builds number sense and helps students visualize fractions — a half hour is literally half way around the clock.

Elapsed time problems challenge students to calculate how much time has passed or what time it will be after a certain duration. These problems require understanding that there are 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day, which differs from our base-10 number system.

Time concepts extend to calendars, schedules, and time zones. Students learn days in each month, how to read schedules, and eventually how time zones work. These practical skills are used throughout life for planning, travel, and coordination.