NCERT Maths Mela, Class 3, textbook pages 165–176

How to teach Class 3 Maths Chapter 13, Time Goes On, at home

Calendar, age and clock time, taught with things you already have at home: a 10-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.

123456789101112half past 88:30

NCERT Class 3 Maths Chapter 13 Time Goes On: what it teaches

Your child makes a calendar for a month, finds days and dates, works out ages from birth dates, and reads the clock to quarter past and half past. They also measure how many minutes everyday jobs take.

Why it matters later. Reading time to quarter hours and working with dates are everyday skills; Class 4 adds minutes and a.m./p.m.

See it: this chapter in pictures

MTWTFSS12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Count forward on the calendar from the day after.
123456789101112quarter past 8123456789101112half past 8
The hour hand moves too, a little past the 8.
wash hands: 1 minbrush: 3 minbreakfast: 15 min
Time jobs in minutes with a phone timer.

You need

  • a wall calendar
  • a clock with hands (or a paper plate clock)
  • a phone timer

Tonight’s 10 minutes

  1. Make next month’s calendar on paper with dates under the right days.
  2. Ask date questions: “School closes on the 7th for 15 days. When does it open?”
  3. Show 8:15 (quarter past 8) and 8:30 (half past 8) on the clock.
  4. Time breakfast with the phone: how many minutes did it take?

Words to use

  • date
  • day
  • month
  • year
  • quarter past
  • half past
  • minutes
  • hours

Watch for

  • Moving only the minute hand for half past. At half past, the hour hand is halfway between two numbers.
  • Counting days and forgetting the start day. Count forward on the calendar with a finger, starting from the next day.

What it sounds like at home

A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.

YouWhere is the minute hand at half past 8?

Your childOn the 6.

YouAnd the hour hand?

Your childBetween 8 and 9.

YouSchool opens 15 days after July 7. When?

Your childJuly 22.

A game for this week: Clock match

  1. Call out a time: “quarter past 7”.
  2. Your child sets it on the paper clock.
  3. Swap roles.
  4. Add a daily activity for each time.

A 5-day plan, 10 minutes a day

  1. Day 1Make a month calendar.
  2. Day 2Date questions: days after, days before.
  3. Day 3Quarter past and half past on the clock.
  4. Day 4Time jobs in minutes.
  5. Day 5Clock match game.

Everyday moments to practise

  • Counting days to a birthday.
  • School timetable times.
  • Timing homework.
  • Working out grandparents’ ages.

Quick check

Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.

How many months in a year?

12.

Where is the minute hand at half past 8?

On 6.

Three days after July 22?

July 25.

Ready for the next chapter when your child…

  • Reads dates and days on a calendar.
  • Reads o’clock, quarter past and half past.
  • Estimates minutes for daily jobs.

Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Maths Mela (Class 3). See the full Class 3 parent guide for every chapter.

Questions parents ask

What time topics are in Class 3?

Calendar, ages, and reading the clock to quarter past and half past, plus measuring duration.

How do I explain quarter past?

The minute hand has gone a quarter of the way round, to the 3.

How do I work out age from a birth date?

Count years from the birth year to this year, checking if the birthday has passed.