Charlotte’s Pool Plan

Charlotte and Finn were going to the pool with Dad. Their swimming session began at quarter to five. They were ready at quarter past four. Finn carried his towel to the door. “Have we got a long wait?” he asked.

Dad brought a teaching clock to the table. Charlotte moved the minute hand to three. The hour hand sat just past four. “Quarter past four,” she said. “Fifteen minutes after four o’clock.” Finn put his towel down to look.

They moved the hands on to quarter to five. The minute hand reached nine. The hour hand was between four and five, closer to five. “That’s four forty-five,” said Dad. “There are fifteen minutes left before five.”

Charlotte traced the minute hand’s journey from three to nine. It had travelled halfway round the clock. “Thirty minutes between the two times,” she said. Finn checked in smaller steps. Four fifteen to four thirty was fifteen minutes.

“And four thirty to four forty-five is another fifteen,” he said. Two fifteens made thirty. Dad explained that their walk took ten minutes. They would leave at four thirty, giving them five minutes to put their things away before the session.

While they waited, Charlotte checked the swimming bag. Finn had packed his towel but forgotten his goggles. He fetched them from the hallway shelf. Dad filled their water bottles. They had time to get ready without rushing.

At half past four, they set off. Charlotte carried the bag for the first part of the walk, then Finn took a turn. They reached the pool at four forty. Dad helped them find the lockers while they waited for the session.

Soon it was quarter to five. Charlotte put her folded clothes in the locker and joined Dad and Finn by the pool. “Thirty minutes went quickly,” Finn said. Charlotte smiled. Planning the time had made their afternoon feel calm.