Take three hands-up answers for the estimate, not open call-outs. Then write 200 × 3, 30 × 3 and 4 × 3 on the board as three separate mini-questions and let the class answer each. Don't add them yet — that is the reveal in Watch and Notice. The point of the hook is to surface that a big multiplication is really three small ones we already know.

Walk one example at a time. Before each box, ask for a prediction and take a few hands, then reveal. Pause between examples so answers don't blur.

234 × 3, the clean case: 200 × 3 = 600, 30 × 3 = 90, 4 × 3 = 12, add to 702. Name the term here: each box answer is a partial product. Point at the three box answers so they see the same three numbers ready to add.

156 × 4: biggest box is hundreds too. Pause before the biggest box and take a hands-up prediction on which is largest. 100 × 4 = 400, 50 × 4 = 200, 6 × 4 = 24, add to 624 (no ten crossed).

308 × 6, the key one: zero in the tens makes one box do nothing. Head off the slip of skipping the empty box. 300 × 6 = 1800, tens box holds 0, 8 × 6 = 48, add 1800 + 0 + 48 = 1848. Say nought tens times six is still nought, the box is real.

This round is for talking it through together — a pupil comes to the board and the rest of the class predicts and confirms out loud.

Invite one pupil to the board to partition 243 into hundreds/tens/units so the rectangle splits into three sub-rectangles, read off each partial product, and add them for the total. The rest of the class predicts each box before it is filled (hands up) and confirms the running total aloud. Listen for pupils who multiply only the units digit and forget the hundreds — revoice every box must be filled before we add. Pupils get two more products (243 × 4 and 327 × 3) to build for themselves in the copybook step next, then four contextual problems in the Class Challenge, so keep this single worked product brisk.

These are the practice questions — pupils take turns at the board, check each answer, and the class confirms before moving on. Keep the board work brisk rather than over-explaining.

These are 3-digit-by-1-digit products dressed as GAA and club problems. For each, a pupil reads the story, chooses the operation (all are multiply here), builds the number sentence and grids the product; the class confirms with Check. Note the deliberate change of multiplier: earlier the zero-in-the-tens example was 308 × 6, but here it is 308 × 5 (five days) — state the multiplier carefully at the board so you don't slip back to six. Take a prediction before the 308 problem is solved, and watch for pupils who forget to fill the empty box.