Order of Operations: Helping Your Child Master PEMDAS

The order of operations is one of those topics that seems simple until you watch a student get the same problem wrong three different ways. It's a set of rules for the sequence in which math operations get done, and when a child applies them inconsistently, their answers come out wrong even when every individual calculation is correct. It's a common source of frustration, and it's very fixable.

I'm Charlotte Thielen, a Texas Master Teacher with more than 21 years teaching math. Here's what the order of operations is, why students trip on it, and how to help your child apply it reliably.

What the Order of Operations Is

When a math problem has more than one operation in it, the order you do them in changes the answer. So math has an agreed-upon sequence. Many students learn it as PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction. The rules exist so that everyone solving the same problem gets the same answer, which is essential once problems get more complex.

Without a consistent order, the same expression could give different results depending on who solves it, which would make math unreliable. The order of operations keeps everyone on the same page.

Why Students Get It Wrong

They treat PEMDAS too literally. The biggest mistake comes from reading PEMDAS as a strict top-to-bottom list. Multiplication and division are actually done together, left to right, and so are addition and subtraction. A student who always does all multiplication before any division, or all addition before any subtraction, gets problems wrong. Understanding that those pairs work left to right is the single most important fix.

They rush. Order-of-operations problems reward slowing down and working step by step. Students who try to do it all at once make errors.

They don't show their work. Trying to keep multiple steps in their head, students lose track. Writing out each step, rewriting the whole expression after each operation, prevents most mistakes.

They memorize the acronym without understanding it. A student who knows "PEMDAS" but not why it works applies it mechanically and stumbles on anything slightly unusual.

How to Help Your Child

Clear up the left-to-right rule. Make sure your child understands that multiplication and division are done together from left to right, and the same for addition and subtraction. This one clarification fixes a huge share of errors.

Insist on writing each step. Have your child rewrite the full expression after each operation, so they always see where they are. This turns a confusing jumble into a clear sequence.

Practice slowly at first. Speed comes later. Early on, the goal is doing every step correctly and in order. Accuracy first, speed second.

Use one problem, done fully. Working carefully through a single multi-step problem, narrating each choice ("parentheses first, then this exponent, now left to right"), teaches more than rushing through ten.

Why This Matters Beyond the Worksheet

The order of operations isn't just a standalone topic. It runs through all of algebra and higher math. Simplifying expressions, solving equations, and working with formulas all depend on applying it correctly. A student who masters it now has a tool they'll use constantly, while one who stays shaky keeps making avoidable errors in course after course. It's a small topic with a long reach.

Where Tutoring Helps

Order-of-operations struggles are usually about a specific misunderstanding, most often the left-to-right rule, plus habits like rushing or not showing work. Working one-on-one, I can spot exactly where a student's process breaks down and fix that specific thing, then build the careful habits that make correct answers automatic.

If your child struggles with the order of operations, I offer a free consultation to help.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is PEMDAS? PEMDAS is a way to remember the order of operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction. It's the agreed-upon sequence for doing operations in a math problem so that everyone gets the same answer. The key nuance is that multiplication and division are done together left to right, as are addition and subtraction.

Why does my child keep getting order of operations problems wrong? The most common reason is reading PEMDAS too literally, always doing all multiplication before any division, for example, instead of working those pairs left to right. Other causes are rushing, not writing out each step, and memorizing the acronym without understanding it. Clearing up the left-to-right rule fixes most errors.

How can I help my child with the order of operations? Make sure they understand multiplication and division are done together left to right (and the same for addition and subtraction), insist they rewrite the full expression after each step, practice slowly with accuracy before speed, and work carefully through single problems while narrating each choice.

Why does the order of operations matter? It runs through all of algebra and higher math. Simplifying expressions, solving equations, and using formulas all depend on applying it correctly. A student who masters it has a tool they'll use constantly, while one who stays shaky keeps making avoidable errors in course after course.