Counting in 5s

Teaching counting in 5s

Prerequisites: o’clock, half past and quarter past/to, and fluency counting in fives (5, 10, 15 … 60).

Suggested sequence (10–15 min)

1. Chant: count in fives together, pointing round the clock from 12.
2. Link: “Which number is the hand on? So how many minutes?” Use the minute numbers on the clock to show 5, 10, 15 as the hand moves.
3. Mix: Show a time on the minute hand only, then add the hour hand.
4. Practice: Projector view. Start on the first level (no quarters or halves), then move to all the fives.

Common misconceptions

• Reading the minute hand as the hour number. “Hand on 4” is 20 minutes, not 4 minutes.
• Counting the ticks rather than jumps. Encourage counting the big numbers in fives.
• Losing count past 30. Practice 35, 40, 45 … 60 separately.

Questions to ask

• “What number is the long hand on? What do we multiply by?”
• “Which numbers do you already know from the 5 times table?”

Curriculum links

UK Year 2: tell and write the time to five minutes; count in multiples of 5. US CCSS 2.MD.7: tell and write time to the nearest five minutes; links to 2.NBT.2 (skip-counting by 5s).

What your child is learning

Your child is learning that each number on the clock stands for 5 minutes. This lets them read any time to the nearest five minutes using the 5 times table they already know.

Why it can feel tricky

• The numbers on the clock look like “1 to 12”, but they mean “5 to 60”.
• Children need to switch between counting 1s (hours) and 5s (minutes).

Easy ways to help at home

• Count in fives in the car or on walks: “5, 10, 15…”
• Point at the clock and ask “What number? So how many minutes?”
• Make a paper plate clock and write 5, 10, 15… on the outside.
• Keep it short and playful. 2 or 3 minutes at a time is plenty.

Try this: “The long hand is on 6. What’s 6 × 5?” (30 — half past!)