The picture on the board shows the three labelled groups: A is three rods (so 0.3), B is two rods and seven small cubes (so 0.27), and C is one flat and five small cubes (so 1.05). If the projected picture is too small or unclear, quickly sketch the three groups on the board, or build them with real blocks, and label them A, B and C — that way the class always has something concrete to look at.

Take three hands-up answers, not open call-outs. Give five seconds of quiet think-time before any hands go up. The point of the hook is just to surface that the same blocks can mean different amounts depending on how we name them — don't correct or confirm the answers yet, that comes in Watch and Notice.

0.3 — three rods in tenths, no hundredths; read three tenths. Ask what the empty hundredths column tells us.

0.27 — two tenths, seven hundredths; name each column separately before reading the whole.

1.05 — the key one. One flat, no tenths, five hundredths. Pause: why the zero? Draw out it holds the tenths place so the 5 stays in hundredths. Don't move on until they can say what the zero is doing.

2.30 — two wholes, three tenths, no hundredths; read two and three tenths. Draw out the trailing zero means no hundredths, so 2.30 is the same amount as 2.3. This comparison returns at the end of the lesson.

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

Call the four numbers in order: 0.6 (tenths only), 0.43 (both columns), 0.08 (hundredths only — watch for pupils who write 0.8 by mistake) and 1.04 (whole plus the placeholder zero). Each time, have the pupil at the board place the blocks, then ask the class to read the number aloud as a whole before confirming. Listen for pupils saying nought point eight for 0.08 — that is the misconception to head off; ask which column the 8 is sitting in.

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.

Pupils take turns building each target on the mat. The tricky ones are 0.06 (six hundredths — no tenths, the placeholder zero) and 2.5 (two and five tenths, with no hundredths). For each, have the rest of the class predict the column layout before the pupil at the board places the blocks, then press Check together. Revoice a strong answer: so the zero in 0.06 is holding the tenths place, and that is why it is six hundredths, not six tenths.

Keep this brisk. Recap the three relabelled blocks and the placeholder-zero idea, then preview the number line lesson.