Look at the hour hand first
Look at the minute hand second
If there is a second hand, check it last
The short hand shows the hour
The long hand shows the minutes
Each number on the clock represents an hour
Each small mark between numbers represents minutes
Count by 5s for each number on the minute hand
Read the hour by the position of the short hand
Read the minutes by the position of the long hand
Combine the hour and minute to tell the time
If the minute hand is on 12, the time is exactly on the hour
If the minute hand is on 6, it is 30 minutes past the hour
If the minute hand is on 3, it is 15 minutes past the hour
If the minute hand is on 9, it is 45 minutes past the hour