This is a genuine first attempt, not a teaser. Give about ten seconds of quiet think-time, then take two or three hands-up answers and the route each pupil used. Do not reveal the rule yet — the next step builds it from the evidence.

6 × 13: split 13 into 10 and 3. Factor means one of the numbers being multiplied. Pieces are 60 and 18; ask the class to add to 78.

4 × 25: split into 20 and 5. Pieces 80 and 20 make 100 — a clean one for confidence.

Before the third, hands-up check: which two rectangles when we split 16 at the tens? Take two answers.

9 × 16: split into 10 and 6, pieces 90 and 54. Stress the two rectangles tile with no gap and no overlap.

Only now point to the rule and let them finish it aloud: multiplying by a sum equals multiplying each part and adding, a × (b + c) = a × b + a × c. This naming is the key moment, not the opener.

This round is for talking it through together — invite a pupil up to the board to choose the split while the class agrees or corrects out loud.

Now we test the rule we just named on fresh numbers — does it still hold? Most pupils will cut at the tens (10 + 4). Watch for a pupil who multiplies the two parts together instead of adding the two partial products; revoice: we add the two rectangles, we don't multiply them. Keep this to the single on-screen product; the further practice products are done in the copybook step that follows.

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.

The last two have larger tens parts, so the partial products are bigger; ask which rectangle is the largest each time and why. A fast finisher who is waiting can mouth the next product to themselves — no parallel desk task.

Listen for pupils who reason from the area picture: take the big 6 × 20 rectangle and cut off the extra 6 × 2 strip. Revoice that as so the rule shares out over a minus the same way it shares out over a plus. Confirm 6 × 18 = 120 − 12 = 108 only after the class has reasoned it from the picture, not as the opener.

Recap the rule in one line and link forward: the splitting we did with numbers is exactly what lets us simplify expressions with letters later in the module.