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

WMTD – standard version
School WMTD

In a nutshell

In its standard version, the World Multiplication Table Day (WMTD) offers activities for all pupils in a school. In this part of the event, younger pupils check if their older schoolmates know the multiplication table. They are members of MT Exam Panels (convening for example in the hallway or the gym) or MT Exam Patrols (mobile patrols quizzing random people) and test older pupils. The testees draw cards with exam problems, which they need to solve in three minutes. Exams can take place both during breaks and in class (with younger pupils visiting their older schoolmates' classrooms and testing them). Those who correctly solve all problems win an MT Expert badge.

As an extra feature of the WMTD, fun games are available: ‘The Maths Footballer’ and ‘Skipping Rope Queen’, played with Grabowski's Multiplication Table cards. Anyone who correctly answers the five exam questions can join a game.

MT Experts, i.e. students who have obtained certificates, can also participate in the school mathematics and logics competition. For the competition, the teacher selects six puzzles available at www.wmtday.org to be solved in class during 45 minutes. The teacher then checks the results and ranks the participants. If some of them score the same number of points, the one who completed the tasks in a shorter time ranks higher.

Also the parents may get engaged in the WMTD. See Script 8 for instructions on organising exams for parents.

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 Exams for candidate Examiners.
17 November 2023 (Friday)	Step 7 – hold the WMTD at your school
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’
Posters for the activity ‘Walking with Maths’
Instructions for the game ‘Skipping Rope Queen’
Instructions for the game ‘the Maths Footballer’
Script 3, 4 or 5 – School WMTD

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

Poster for the event (available from 12 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. The Assistants help decorate the school, organise activities and exams.

Step 4 – Prepare the classroom and the school ahead of the WMTD

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 a 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 WMTD at your school

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.

Step 8 – Send a report to the Main 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 – standard version School WMTD