What is Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise?

Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise

Help your KS1 and KS2 st udent s learn t he difference bet ween clockwise and ant i-
clockwise and how t o apply t his when rot at ing shapes.

What are Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise?

Clockwise and ant i-clockwise are ways of indicat ing t he direct ion of a t urn.

So, what way is clockwise? Clockwise, involves a t urn t o t he right as it follows t he

hands of a clock and anti-clockwise involves a t urn t o t he left , against t he direct ion of
a clock’s hands.

When do Children learn about Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise?

Children begin by learning t he concept of t he whole, half, quarter and three-quarter
turns in Year 1. Following ont o Year 2, by t hen st udent s should be able t o underst and
t hese t urns and which direct ion t hey are going in, clockwise or anti-clockwise. They
also learn how t o t ell t he t ime t o t he quarter-hour and be aware of t he direct ion t he
hands on t he clock go.

Help you child learn which way is clockwise wit h helpful resources like t he display
post ers pict ured just below.
Having t hese skills builds a foundat ion of knowledge for st udent s t o apply in t heir
learning about angles, which is a concept t hat is int roduced in Year 3 and above.
St udent s will underst and what a right angle is and recognise t hat t wo right angles
make a half-t urn, t hree makes t hree-quart ers of a t urn and four is a complet e t urn.

Furt her, int o KS2, children are t aught what acute and obtuse angles are and will begin
t o use a protractor t o measure t hem. To do t his, t hey will be aware of which way t o
t urn t he protractor, eit her clockwise or anti-clockwise and will be able t o calculat e
angles around a point , st raight line and wit hin 90°.

In t heir final year of Primary School, Year 6 st udent s need t o apply all t heir knowledge
from KS1 and KS2 as well as underst and how t o rot at e shapes t hrough 90˚ or 180˚
eit her clockwise or anti-clockwise.

How can Children learn about Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise?

It may be difficult t o come up wit h fun and engaging ways t o t each your KS1 and KS2
st udent s about clockwise and anti-clockwise rot at ion. Here are a few ways t o make
classroom learning excit ing:
 Encourage your class t o st and up and act out a quarter, half or whole turn
in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direct ion

Assign st udent s int o pairs and ask t hem t o direct each ot her

Give st udent s a figurine t o complet e act ivit ies where it has t o be moved in a
cert ain way

Resources to help children understand Clockwise and Anti-

Clockwise
Here at Twinkl, we're here t o help your children flourish and grow in all subject and
t opics. Help t hem learn which way is clockwise and ant iclockwise wit h t hought fully
designed resources. That 's why we have an array of good-qualit y ready-made resources
t hat are available at t he t ouch of a but t on for you t o explore. All of our resources are
perfect for bot h at home and in school. We want t o equip parent s/carers and t eachers
wit h reliable resources t herefore all of which are in line wit h t he Nat ional Curriculum and
children's year group in mind, t hey've also been t eacher-made for your reassurance.

All of t he resources above and linked below are brilliant t o help children underst and t he
concept of clockwise and ant i-clockwise, and import ant ly why and how we use it in
everyday life. Once children have mast ered t he concept you can t ry different resources
t hat st ill use t he pract ice of clockwise and ant i-clockwise, such as angles and
direct ions.

Why don't you explore one of t hese resources for a great st art ing point ?

Animals Turning Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise Worksheet

Maths Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise A4 Display Poster

Maths Quarter and Half Turn PowerPoint

Right Angles Worksheet

Right Angles as Degrees Of Turn Game

Try t his video below for some more ext ra help and support :

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