Every few weeks or so, tutors change the target skills we are working on with our students. Currently, we are focusing on Elapsed Time with our 3rd grade students.

Elapsed time is the period of time between events (also known as duration). In everyday life, we frequently calculate elapsed time to determine scheduling in our busy lives. Here are some examples:

1. The school bus will arrive in 10 minutes. Will we have time to watch our favorite t.v. show if it is 30 minutes long?

2. Our hockey team is playing at an ice rink that is in another time. Our GPS says it will take us 52 minutes to drive to this rink. Our game is scheduled to play at 3:00. What time should we leave the house?

3. We are going to the movies with our friends. The movie begins at 1:35 and is 1 hour and 55 minutes long. When will it be over?

Learning to calculate elapsed time can be a tricky skill to master. It requires numerous skills, including the following:

- A solid grasp on telling time on an analog clock

- Addition and subtraction skills

- Regrouping calculations (time) that exceed 60 minutes

- Knowing when to add (end time) or subtract (beginning time)