Time Word Problems: How to Teach Kids to Solve Them
"Left at 8:20, walked 35 minutes — what time did you arrive?" Time problems confuse kids more than regular math. Here is the method.
Why time is harder than regular numbers
60 minutes in an hour, not 100. A child used to base-10 stumbles: 8:45 plus 20 minutes is not 8:65 — it's 9:05. The hour "overflows" at 60, not at 10.
Type 1 — How much time passed
Left at 8:20, arrived at 8:55. How long did it take? Count from 8:20 to 8:55 — within one hour: 55-20=35 minutes.
Type 2 — Crossing the hour
Started at 8:45, finished at 9:15. How much time passed? To 9:00 — 15 minutes, after 9:00 — 15 more. Total 30 minutes. Splitting into "before the hour" and "after the hour" solves the crossing problem.
Type 3 — Finding the end time
Started at 7:50, the lesson lasts 45 minutes. When does it end? To 8:00 — 10 minutes, 35 minutes remain after eight: 8:35.
Left at 14:10, walked 50 minutes. Arrival time? (15:00)
A movie ran from 19:30 to 21:15. How long? (1 hour 45 minutes)
Cooking started at 16:40, lasts 25 minutes. Finish time? (17:05)
🕐 Time loves counting to 60!
Our game trains counting and subtraction — the base for solving time problems.
▶ Play free