Quarter To :45

Teaching quarter to

Prerequisites: o’clock, half past and quarter past. Quarter to is the first time children name the next hour, so it’s worth spending a little extra time on this.

Suggested sequence (10–15 min)

1. Fractions again: Use the paper circle: three quarters done and one quarter left. “A quarter of an hour left until the next hour.”
2. Model: Turn the blue hand round to 9. “Quarter to… to what? To the NEXT hour.” Point out the red hand nearly at that number.
3. Compare with quarter past: At 3:15 the hour hand has just passed 3. At 3:45 it’s nearly at 4.
4. Practice: Use Projector view on “Quarter to”, then “All the quarters”. Ask: “Which hour comes next?”

Common misconceptions

• Saying the old hour. At 3:45 children say “quarter to 3”. Ask: “What number is the red hand nearly at?”
• Mixing up quarter past and quarter to. Use the pink “to” (left) and blue “past” (right) halves as a visual anchor.
• Reading “nine” or “forty-five”. Children see the blue hand on 9 and say “nine”. Ask: “Which hand tells the hour?”

Questions to ask

• “Is the blue hand on the ‘to’ or ‘past’ side?”
• “Which hour is coming next?”
• “How many minutes until then?” (15)

Tip: ask pairs to show a time on mini whiteboards before you press Space to reveal. It makes the “next hour” rule stick.

Curriculum links

UK Year 2: tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter to the hour. US CCSS 2.MD.7: tell and write time to the nearest five minutes.

What your child is learning

Your child is learning to read quarter to times, such as quarter to 4. The long hand points straight across to the left at 9, and the short hand is nearly at the next hour number.

Why it can feel tricky

• We say the next hour, not the one the short hand has just left.
• Children need to know that “to” means “minutes until”.

This is usually the hardest step so far, so please be patient.

Easy ways to help at home

• Ask “What hour is coming next?” whenever you look at a clock.
• Link it to fractions: “You’ve eaten three quarters of the pizza — one quarter to go.”
• Say quarter-to times as they happen: “It’s quarter to eight — shoes on!”
• Let your child set an analogue clock to quarter to and tell you which hour is next.
• Keep it short and playful. 2 or 3 minutes at a time is plenty.

Try this at breakfast: “It’s quarter to eight. How long until 8 o’clock?” (A quarter of an hour — 15 minutes!)