Ask pupils to guess quietly, then take two or three estimates from raised hands — not open call-outs. Draw out the idea of splitting 23 into 20 + 3 and name it as partitioning. Don't work the answer yet — the split is the hook.

14 × 2: establish the two parts; name area and part-product in plain words. Tens 10 × 2 = 20, units 4 × 2 = 8, add 20 + 8 = 28.

23 × 3: pause before revealing, ask which part will be bigger, take two answers. Tens 20 × 3 = 60, units 3 × 3 = 9, add to 69.

Before the next one, ask who thinks the units part will jump past ten; take an answer or two, then reveal.

16 × 4: the trap. Units 6 × 4 = 24 is bigger than ten, but we still just add it on. Tens 10 × 4 = 40, add 40 + 24 = 64. Say it slowly.

32 × 3: clean split to consolidate. Tens 30 × 3 = 90, units 2 × 3 = 6, add to 96.

This round is for talking it through together — pupils take turns at the board and the class agrees or corrects out loud.

For each fact, set the two factors so the rectangle fills, then have a pupil read the tens part-area and the units part-area before anyone adds. Revoice, using this round's own numbers: so for 22 × 3 the tens part is worth sixty, the units part is worth six, and together that is sixty-six. Watch for pupils who multiply only the tens and forget the units part. After 15 × 2, reset the model to build 22 × 3, then 24 × 4, one at a time.

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.

13 × 2 and 21 × 4 have tidy units parts. 17 × 3 (units 7 × 3 = 21) and 26 × 3 (units 6 × 3 = 18) are the ones where the units part is bigger than ten — that is the wrinkle these two add. Callout: is the units part bigger than a ten? We still just add it on to the tens part.