Take three hands-up answers, not open call-outs. You are fishing for the word one tenth — if nobody offers it, say it yourself and have the class repeat it once. Keep this to the one strip on screen; the columns and number lines come later.

One tenth: one rod shaded. Point to the single rod, then to the digit just right of the decimal point, the new tenths place. Say all three names: one tenth, 1/10, 0.1.

Three tenths: 3/10, 0.3. Before revealing the next, ask 'shade one more rod, what decimal?' Want 0.4 out loud.

Seven tenths: 7/10, 0.7. The key one. Point to the three unshaded rods, seven and three make ten, so ten tenths would rebuild the whole flat. Leave them on that.

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

Start with 0.1 (one rod), then 0.5 — pause here: the half-strip beside the tenths strip shows the shading reaching exactly the midpoint, so pupils see that 5/10 = 1/2 = 0.5, not just hear it. Then 0.8, then all ten. As each pupil shades, have the whole class say both names: five tenths, 5/10, 0.5. Watch for anyone reading 0.5 as 'point five' with no meaning attached — revoice it as five of the ten equal parts.

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 order climbs: 0.1 → 0.3 → 0.7 → 0.9. The wrinkle to name is 0.9 — nine tenths shaded means only one tenth left, so ask 'how many more tenths to make one whole?' before the reveal. Watch for pupils who count the gaps instead of the parts; the answer is the number of shaded parts, not the lines between them.