Understanding and reading times in 24-hour format (e.g., 14:30 means 2:30 pm).
Where your child meets this in real life: Reading bus timetables, train schedules, or digital clocks on phones and computers
SEAGReady breaks read 24-hour time into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Read 24-hour times from 01:00 to 11:59 and recognize them as morning times
Read 24-hour times from 13:00 to 23:59 and recognize them as pm times
Read and distinguish between midnight hour (00:00-00:59) and noon hour (12:00-12:59)
Three free sample questions from our read 24-hour time course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
Sean looks at the clock on the school computer. It shows 08:15. What time is this in words?
Answer: A. Quarter past 8 in the morning
The time 08:15 is in 24-hour format. The hour is 08, which is between 01 and 11, so it's morning. 15 minutes past the hour = quarter past. Answer: Quarter past 8 in the morning (8:15 am)
Stuck? Start here: Look at the two numbers before the colon - that's the hour.
The bus to Derry departs at 14:30. What time is this in 12-hour format?
Answer: A. 2:30 pm
The time 14:30 is in 24-hour format. 14 is greater than 12, so it's afternoon. Subtract 12 from the hour: 14 - 12 = 2 Keep the minutes: 30 Answer: 2:30 pm (half past 2 in the afternoon)
Stuck? Start here: Is 14 greater than 12? If so, it's an afternoon/evening time.
Ben's phone shows 00:15. What time is this?
Answer: A. 12:15 am (quarter past midnight)
00:15 is in 24-hour format. 00:00 is midnight (the start of the day). 00:15 means 15 minutes after midnight. In 12-hour format, this is written as 12:15 am. Answer: 12:15 am (quarter past midnight)
Stuck? Start here: 00:00 is a special time - it's midnight, the start of a new day.
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Ciara checks the digital clock on the school computer. It shows 09:25 in 24-hour format.
What time is this in words?
09:25
Step 1 of 5
Ciara checks the digital clock on the school computer. It shows 09:25 in 24-hour format.
What time is this in words?
The clock shows twenty-five past nine in the morning.
The key insight: Morning times in 24-hour format look almost the same as 12-hour times - just with a leading zero!
Watch out: Reading 09:25 as 'nine twenty-five pm'. Hours 01-11 are always morning times. Only hours 12 and above can be pm.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in read 24-hour time, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with read 24-hour time? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.