Hello, little learner! I am Tiko, the Time Bird.

I love clocks, bells, school starts, snack time, story time, and bedtime.

Today I will show you how to read a clock step by step.

We will learn the short hand, the long hand, and what times like o'clock, half past, and quarter past mean.

Ready to flap through time with me? ⏰✨

A clock helps us know the time.

It tells us when to wake up, go to school, eat lunch, play, and sleep.

Many clocks have a round face with the numbers 1 to 12.

They also have hands that point to the numbers.

The hands are what help us read the time.

The short hand tells the hour.

The long hand tells the minutes.

If the short hand points to 3, the hour is three.

If the long hand points to 12, it means zero minutes.

That is why 3 o'clock is read when the short hand is on 3 and the long hand is on 12.

When the long hand points to 12, we say o'clock.

The short hand shows the hour.

If the short hand points to 1, it is 1 o'clock.

If it points to 6, it is 6 o'clock.

So first, look at the long hand. If it is on 12, you are reading an o'clock time.

When the long hand points to 6, it means 30 minutes.

We say half past.

Half past 2 means it is 2:30.

The short hand will be between two numbers because the hour is halfway through.

So half past 2 has the short hand between 2 and 3.

A quarter means one part out of four equal parts.

On a clock, one quarter is 15 minutes.

When the long hand points to 3, it is quarter past.

When the long hand points to 9, it is quarter to the next hour.

Quarter past 4 is 4:15. Quarter to 5 is 4:45.

Time also helps us know what part of the day it is.

Morning is when we wake up and get ready.

Afternoon is after lunch.

Night is when it gets dark and we rest.

So time is not only about numbers. It helps us follow our daily routine too.

Some clocks are analog clocks with hands.

Some clocks are digital clocks with numbers like 7:30.

Both kinds tell the same time.

If you see 3:00 on a digital clock, that matches 3 o'clock on an analog clock.

If you see 6:30, that means half past 6.

Long ago, people did not have wristwatches or alarm clocks.

They looked at the Sun to understand time.

When the Sun was low in the sky, it was often morning.

When the Sun was high above, it was around middle of the day.

When the Sun started going down, people knew it was becoming evening.

A sun clock is also called a sundial.

It uses sunlight and a shadow to show the time.

As the Sun moves across the sky, the shadow moves too.

People looked at where the shadow pointed to guess the time of day.

A sundial works best when the Sun is shining brightly.

1. A clock tells the time.

2. The short hand tells the hour.

3. The long hand tells the minutes.

4. Long hand on 12 means o'clock.

5. Long hand on 6 means half past.

6. Long hand on 3 means quarter past.

7. Long hand on 9 means quarter to the next hour.

8. Long ago, people also used the Sun and shadows to guess time.