Grade 6Matheasy
Order of Operations
Order of Operations — Order of Operations worksheet for Grade 6.
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What Your Child Will Learn
- Apply the PEMDAS/BODMAS rule to solve multi-step expressions involving parentheses, exponents, and basic operations
- Identify the correct sequence of operations needed to evaluate expressions with two or more different operations
- Solve expressions with mixed operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) by following the order of operations correctly
- Evaluate expressions containing parentheses to demonstrate understanding that operations inside parentheses must be completed first
How to Use This Worksheet
- Step 1: Review the PEMDAS acronym with your student before starting. Write it on a separate sheet or whiteboard and explain what each letter stands for, with a brief example like 3 + 2 × 4 = 3 + 8 = 11.
- Step 2: Have your student work through the first problem together with you, writing out each step. Demonstrate how to identify all operations in the expression, then circle or underline them in the order they should be completed.
- Step 3: For problems 2–5, have your student work independently while you observe. Encourage them to write down the step number next to each operation (1st operation, 2nd operation, etc.) before calculating.
- Step 4: Review answers to problems 2–5 together, discussing any errors. If mistakes occur, have your student re-read the problem and identify which step in PEMDAS they skipped or reversed.
- Step 5: Have your student complete problems 6–10 independently. Upon completion, go through each answer and ask your student to explain the order in which they solved the operations—this confirms understanding rather than just procedural memorization.
Tips for Parents & Teachers
Introduce the acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction) as a memory tool, emphasizing that multiplication and division have equal priority (work left to right), as do addition and subtraction. Students often incorrectly assume multiplication always comes before division—clarify this misconception early.
Have students circle or highlight each operation in a different color before solving, then number the steps in order. This visual strategy helps students see which operation to tackle first and reduces careless errors from skipping steps.
Require students to show all intermediate steps on the worksheet rather than just writing final answers. This makes it easy to identify where in the order-of-operations process a student made a mistake and allows you to provide targeted feedback.
Remind students that the order of operations applies to real-world scenarios (like calculating the cost of multiple items with a discount), so when they solve problems on this worksheet, they're building skills they'll use in everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need an order of operations? Can't we just solve math problems left to right?
Without an agreed-upon order of operations, the same expression could have different answers depending on who solved it. For example, 2 + 3 × 4 could equal 20 (if done left to right) or 14 (if multiplication is done first). Mathematicians established PEMDAS so everyone gets the same correct answer. This ensures math is a universal language.
My student keeps doing multiplication before division, even though they're supposed to have equal priority. How do I fix this?
This is a very common mistake! Emphasize that multiplication and division are 'partners' with equal priority—you do whichever one appears first when reading left to right. Try the expression 12 ÷ 3 × 2. If your student multiplies first (3 × 2 = 6), they'd get 12 ÷ 6 = 2, which is wrong. Working left to right: 12 ÷ 3 = 4, then 4 × 2 = 8 (correct). Use several left-to-right examples with division appearing first to cement this concept.
Should my student use a calculator for this worksheet, or is it better to do it by hand?
For a Grade 6 'easy' difficulty worksheet on order of operations, hand calculation is best. The goal is for your student to understand and internalize the sequence of operations, not just get correct answers. Calculators don't teach the *why* behind PEMDAS. Once your student masters the concept, calculators become useful tools for checking work or solving more complex problems.
What if a problem has multiple sets of parentheses, like (2 + 3) × (4 - 1)?
Solve each set of parentheses separately before multiplying. So: (2 + 3) = 5 and (4 - 1) = 3, then 5 × 3 = 15. If parentheses are nested (one inside another), like 2 × (3 + (4 - 1)), work from the innermost parentheses outward: 4 - 1 = 3, then 3 + 3 = 6, then 2 × 6 = 12. Most Grade 6 easy-level problems won't have this complexity, but it's good to know.
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