Earlier and Later Time Worksheet: Telling Time Practice
Comparing clock times to determine which is earlier or later is an early step toward telling time for children ages 4-5, requiring them to read a clock face and reason about the order of events across a day. This worksheet builds that skill in two directions: first identifying a time earlier than a given reference point, then identifying a time later than a different clock shown. Practicing both directions helps children understand that 'earlier' and 'later' are relative concepts depending on what they're being compared to, not fixed labels attached to specific times.
Part of the pack
Month 8: English, Math, Science | Ages 6-7Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at the reference clock showing 4 pm together and read the time aloud. Have your child examine the other clocks and identify which one shows a time earlier than 4 pm. Move to the second part of the page, look at the given clock, and ask your child to find the clock that shows a time later than it. Talk through their reasoning together for at least one example, asking how they knew which clock was earlier or later.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Eraser
Extension activities
- •Have the child draw their own clocks showing different times and compare them to the worksheet's clocks.
- •Use a real clock to practice telling time, pointing out the position of the hour and minute hands.
- •Talk through your family's daily schedule and identify which activities happen earlier and which happen later.
- •Play an earlier-or-later guessing game using two random times you say aloud, without drawing clocks.
Tips for parents and teachers
Encourage the child to verbalize their reasoning, since explaining why one clock shows an earlier or later time than another reveals whether they're truly reading the clock or just guessing. Use a clock to demonstrate the concept of earlier and later directly, moving the hands together to show how time progresses through the day. Reading an analog clock is a genuinely complex skill at this age, so keep expectations modest and celebrate correct reasoning even if hour-hand reading is still developing.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
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