How to organise
a World Multiplication Table Day event?
A step-by-step guide

WMTD – extended version
School and Community WMTD

In a nutshell

In the extended version of the World Multiplication Table Day (WMTD), the event features activities, games and exams at school (like in the standard version), but also Exam Patrols testing people in town.

The coordinating teacher may appoint one Exam Patrols or more. The Patrols should be accompanied by an adult. The Patrols should be provided with cards with the multiplication table tasks and colourful placards. Their task is to quiz passers-by, cyclists, show assistants and any other people willing to be tested. Visits to local councils, radio stations or newspapers are hugely popular. Anyone who correctly answers the five questions from his or her card is awarded a personal Multiplication Table Expert badge.

A step-by-step guide

from 22 September 2023	Step 1 – Download and print the materials
	Step 2 – Develop your own WMTD schedule (based on the available scripts)
	Step 3 – Teachers select Assistants
13-16 November 2023 (Monday to Thursday)	Step 4 – Prepare the classroom and the school ahead of the WMTD
	Step 5 – ‘Mastering the Multiplication Table’ activities - students quiz each other on the multiplication table
	Step 6 – Select MT Exam Panel and MT Exam Patrol members Tests for candidate Examiners.
17 November 2023 (Friday)	Step 7 – Hold the School and Community WMTD
by 30 November 2023	Step 8 – Send a report to the organiser
from 8 January 2024	Step 9 – Download your Certificate of Merit

Step 1 – Download and print the materials

To hold a School WMTD, download and print out the following materials:

Task cards (available in two versions – for viva voce and written examination)
MT Expert name badges
Badges for Coordinators, Assistants and Examiners
Multiplication table mathematical and logical puzzles
Description of activities to be carried out ahead of the WMTD: ‘Password of the Day’, ‘Walking with Maths’, ‘Marble’
Poster for the activity ‘Password of the Day’
Poster for the activity ‘Walking with Maths’
Instructions for the game ‘Skipping Rope Queen’
Instructions for the game ‘the Maths Footballer’
Script 5 – 2022 School and Community WMTD and scripts 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 – 2022 School WMTD.

To decorate the classroom and the school, download and print out the following materials:

Poster for the event (available from 5 September)
Selected ‘Calculate Smart’ posters
Selected large posters with the multiplication table
Selected small posters with the multiplication table

Step 2 – Develop your own WMTD schedule (based on the available scripts)

We propose several scripts for the WMTD:

Step 3 – Teachers select Assistants

The teacher selects Assistants (four pupils or more). They play a major role during the preparation week as well as on the WMTD itself.

Step 4 – Prepare the classroom and the school ahead of the WMTD. Prepare placards for the MT Examination Patrols

Put up a WMTD poster and ‘Calculate Smart’ posters in your classroom
Put up posters for the activities ‘Password of the Day’ and ‘Walking with Maths’
Decorate the classroom and the school, e.g. with balloons, streamers and pupils' artwork related to the multiplication table

Step 5 – ‘Mastering the Multiplication Table’ activities, with pupils quizzing each other on the multiplication table

We recommend that students should prepare for the WMTD for the whole week. Here are our suggested activities (sign up to www.wmtday.org to download the scripts):

‘Password of the Day’
‘Walking with Maths’
‘Marble’

Step 6 – Select MT Exam Panel and MT Exam Patrol members Tests for candidate Examiners.

The Exam Panels and Exam Patrols include pupils in the care of an adult (or an older schoolmate who has mastered the multiplication table). We advise that younger pupils are appointed Examiners. This can help them learn the multiplication table accompanied by more experienced peers while serving a prominent role in the event, which will boost their confidence.

Step 7 – Hold the School WMTD

School WMTD

Exam Panels and/or Exam Patrols are appointed from among younger pupils, whose task is to test their older schoolmates on the multiplication table. Each pupil willing to participate draws a card with five multiplication table problems. There are three minutes to solve them. If the pupil gets all the answers right, he or she is awarded a personal Multiplication Table Expert badge (the examiners may use calculators).

During a lesson, the Patrols can go from one classroom to another and test their older schoolmates.

At a time specified by the Head Teacher, a school-wide competition may be held with participants solving multiplication table puzzles and playing the games ‘Skipping Rope Queen’ and ‘The Maths Footballer'.

For more details, see scripts 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8. – 2022 School and Community WMTD.

Community WMTD

Equipped with placards, props and baskets with exam cards, the Patrols set off to test people in their community. The places that the Patrols may visit include the following:

the Local Council
a local radio station
a local TV station
a local newspaper
the police
the fire brigade
a shopping centre
grocery stores
a park.

Step 8 – Send a report to the organiser

To receive a personalised certificate confirming that you co-organised an event as part of the WMTD, complete and send to us an event report form (available at www.wmtday.org from 23 October after logging in).

Step 9 – Download your Certificate of Merit

Organisers who submit their reports receive Certificates of Merit (available from 8 January 2024 after logging on to www.wmtday.org).

How to organise a World Multiplication Table Day event? A step-by-step guide

WMTD – extended version School and Community WMTD