Grade 6Mathmedium
Order of Operations Practice - Grade 6
This worksheet provides practice with order of operations using PEMDAS/BODMAS rules, including problems with parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.
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What Your Child Will Learn
- Apply the PEMDAS rule to solve multi-step expressions containing parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction in the correct order
- Evaluate numerical expressions with exponents and mixed operations while maintaining proper sequence of calculations
- Identify when parentheses change the natural order of operations and calculate accordingly
- Solve expressions containing multiple operations of the same level (multiplication/division or addition/subtraction) by working from left to right
- Demonstrate mastery of order of operations through accurate computation of 15 medium-difficulty problems
How to Use This Worksheet
- Step 1: Have your student read through the first few problems and identify all operation symbols, circling parentheses in one color and exponents in another
- Step 2: Work through 2-3 problems together, verbalizing each step of PEMDAS and having your student explain why each operation comes next
- Step 3: Let your student attempt 4-5 problems independently while you observe, providing gentle corrections when they skip steps or use wrong order
- Step 4: Review any incorrect answers by having your student redo the problem step-by-step, identifying where the error occurred in the sequence
- Step 5: Complete remaining problems with periodic check-ins, encouraging your student to show all work and double-check their PEMDAS sequence
Tips for Parents & Teachers
Many students forget that multiplication and division have equal priority and must be worked left to right - not multiplication first. Use problems like 24 ÷ 4 × 2 to show this equals 12, not 3
When students see exponents like 2³, have them write out '2 × 2 × 2 = 8' first before continuing with the problem to avoid calculation errors
Students often ignore parentheses or do them last - emphasize that parentheses are like a 'mathematical emergency' that must be handled first, even if they contain simpler operations
Create a checklist: P-E-M/D-A/S that students can reference, and encourage them to circle or highlight each operation type in different colors before solving
Frequently Asked Questions
My child keeps getting different answers when there are multiple multiplication and division operations. What's going wrong?
This is very common! Students often think multiplication always comes before division, but they actually have equal priority. When you see multiple multiplication and division operations, work from left to right. For example: 20 ÷ 4 × 5 = 5 × 5 = 25, not 20 ÷ 20 = 1.
Should my 6th grader memorize PEMDAS or BODMAS, and what's the difference?
Both acronyms teach the same concept! PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction) is common in the US, while BODMAS (Brackets, Orders, Division/Multiplication, Addition/Subtraction) is used elsewhere. Choose one and stick with it - the order of operations remains the same.
How can I tell if my child is ready for order of operations problems with exponents?
Your child should be comfortable with basic exponent notation (like 3² = 9) and able to handle two-step problems with parentheses first. If they can solve (5 + 3) × 2 correctly, they're likely ready for problems that include exponents as the second step.
My child gets the right steps but makes arithmetic errors. How should I address this?
Separate the concept from the computation. Praise them for using correct order of operations, then work on the basic math facts separately. Have them double-check each arithmetic step and consider allowing a calculator for complex problems so they can focus on the sequencing skill.
What should I do if my child wants to solve problems in the order they appear left to right?
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