Are you ready to introduce elapsed time to your students? If you feel they may need to review basic telling time, you can find a free activity here.

Elapsed time can be tricky, so it’s best to use visuals when introducing this concept. Two common visuals are number lines and t-charts.

Number Line Model

It’s best to start with simple elapsed time problems. Below is an example of a number line anchor chart. I would complete this chart with students and refer to it as needed.

• What information do you know? (start time, end time, elapsed time)
• Determine where you’re starting
• Keep the jumps simple (1 hour, 30 min, 10 min, 1 min)

T-Chart Anchor Chart

Some students may find it hard to keep track of their jumps on a number line. You can model using a T-Chart to keep track of the elapsed time. Below is an anchor chart example. You will find a free printable bookmark with these examples at the end of this blog post.

Elapsed Time FREE Bookmark

The following free bookmarks include examples of the number line and t-chart elapsed time strategies. These are great little visuals students can refer to as needed.

Small Group Instruction

Small group instruction is very powerful. You are able to quickly see when students are confused. You can then quickly redirect them, so they don’t continue to get confused and frustrated. These math tri-fold booklets are perfect for guided math groups.

• Three booklets per topic – perfect to use with the gradual release model
• Quality questions – spend more time on questions that matter

Click here to view the third-grade math tri-folds.

Are your students still struggling?

Some students may need a more structured introduction. Place the following elapsed time templates inside sheet protectors. You can then use these with your small groups during an introduction to elapsed time.

Some students will love these worksheets, because they provide that extra support they need. Other students may find these restricting. The mountains, hill, and rocks are nice for beginners, but go ahead and let them make a 6-minute jump if they are ready.

Download the Resources

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Which strategy do you like?

I personally like the number line model! 🙂