TimeTutor Lessons: An Overview

TimeTutor has 150 interactive lessons that teach children and beginners to read analogue and digital clocks, one small step at a time. Each lesson shows a clock, the matching digital time and a short explanation, and learners move forward, back or to a random lesson with the buttons below the clock. This page explains what is covered in each stage, so parents and teachers can see where to begin and where to return for extra practice.

How the lessons are organised

The lessons build on each other, so most learners should start at Lesson 1 and work forward. The six stages below move from the basic parts of the clock, through minutes and seconds, to elapsed time and direction. A learner who already knows the basics can start at the stage that matches their level, and the Parent / Teacher button on the main page lets you jump to any lesson.

Alongside the lessons, our Learn guides explain each idea in writing with worked examples, which makes them a good companion for reading together before or after a lesson.

Lessons 1–25: Clock Basics and “Past” Times

These first lessons introduce the clock face and the two main hands, then build up to reading the hour, counting minutes in fives, and saying times that are “past” the hour. Learners also meet AM and PM and the 12-hour and 24-hour systems, so they see early on that a day has two halves.

By the end of this stage, a learner can read o’clock, quarter past and half past times and understands why the hour hand sits between numbers. It finishes with review and mixed practice, so nothing is left behind before the next stage.

Lessons in this stage include:

Start at Lesson 1 →

Lessons 26–50: “To” Times, Exact Minutes and Elapsed Time

This stage teaches the other half of the clock: times that are “to” the next hour. Learners practise choosing between “past” and “to”, then move on to the small tick marks so they can read exact minutes rather than only the nearest five.

The stage also connects analogue and digital time, revisits AM, PM and 24-hour time, and uses a daily schedule to show why telling the time is useful. It ends by introducing elapsed time, which is how long something takes.

Lessons in this stage include:

Start at Lesson 26 →

Lessons 51–75: Everyday Time, Seconds and Counting Backward

Here learners bring exact minutes into everyday language, then meet the second hand for the first time. They learn how seconds and minutes relate, how to read hours, minutes and seconds together, and how to count seconds by fives.

The second half of the stage introduces counting backward, including counting back across a minute and across an hour. Counting backward is a strong test of whether a learner really understands how the clock is put together.

Lessons in this stage include:

Start at Lesson 51 →

Lessons 76–100: Reading the Whole Clock

This stage pulls everything together. Learners watch how the minute hand jumps, count forward as the minutes change, and practise predicting what the clock will show next. They also see how the hour hand moves steadily through the hour.

Many of the lessons ask learners to read, think and choose: which time comes first, which hour is it, and which time is correct. The stage finishes with the TimeTutor Challenge in Lesson 100.

Lessons in this stage include:

Start at Lesson 76 →

Lessons 101–125: Elapsed Time and Direction

The first part of this stage is about how much time has passed. Learners work out whether a time is earlier or later, find end times and starting times, and compare two times. They also apply what they know to longer periods and everyday situations.

The second part introduces the words clockwise and anticlockwise. Learners practise moving around the clock in each direction and predicting where the minute hand will go next.

Lessons in this stage include:

Start at Lesson 101 →

Lessons 126–150: Minute Marks, Seconds and Final Challenges

The final stage revisits the minute hand in detail. Learners connect the minute marks to the numbers on the clock, practise minutes past and minutes to, and read any minute by counting each tick. They also review the difference between the minute hand and the hour hand.

The stage then returns to the second hand, showing that one minute equals sixty seconds and putting minutes and seconds together. It closes with exact-time reading and a final direction challenge in Lesson 150.

Lessons in this stage include:

Start at Lesson 126 →

Frequently asked questions

Do the lessons have to be done in order?

It is best to follow them in order, because each lesson builds on the ones before it. If a learner already knows the basics, they can start at a later stage.

How do I jump to a particular lesson?

On the main page, press the Parent / Teacher button, choose a lesson from the list, and press Go to Lesson.

Are the lessons free?

Yes. All 150 lessons are free to use, with no account or sign-up needed.

Which devices do the lessons work on?

TimeTutor works in any modern web browser on computers, tablets and phones.

Ready to begin?

Start the TimeTutor Lessons →