Fun 10-minute activities to practice PEMDAS with your child!
Your child is learning about the order of operations - the special rules for solving math problems with multiple operations. We use the acronym PEMDAS to remember: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division (left to right), then Addition/Subtraction (left to right). These activities make practice fun! No math expertise needed!
Write down: 5 + 3 x 2. Ask your child to predict the answer WITHOUT a calculator.
Now type it into a calculator. The calculator shows 11! Ask: "Why isn't it 16?" (Because we multiply 3 x 2 = 6 FIRST, then add 5.)
Try more problems together: 10 - 4 ÷ 2 (answer: 8), 6 + 2 x 3 (answer: 12). Your child predicts, then checks with the calculator!
Challenge: Can your child create a problem that tricks YOU? They write an expression, you both solve it, and check with the calculator!
Calculators follow PEMDAS automatically! This shows kids that order of operations isn't just a school rule - it's how ALL math works, even in technology.
Write: 2 + 3 x 4. Solve it: 2 + 12 = 14. Now add parentheses: (2 + 3) x 4. Solve: 5 x 4 = 20. Different answers!
Give your child these numbers: 2, 5, 3 with + and x. Challenge: "Can you make 17? Can you make 25?" (Answers: 2 + 5 x 3 = 17, (2 + 5) x 3 = 21, 2 x 5 + 3 = 13...)
Make it competitive: You each get the same numbers and target. First to find an expression that works wins the round!
Discuss: "Parentheses are like putting something in a box - you have to open the box first before you can use what's inside!"
Parentheses change EVERYTHING! They tell us "do this first, no matter what." This is a powerful tool for controlling the order of calculations.
Order of operations is used in programming, science, engineering, and everyday problem-solving. By practicing PEMDAS with games and real calculators, you're showing your child that math rules have real-world purposes. This builds both skill and confidence for the Florida FAST assessment!
Su hijo esta aprendiendo el orden de operaciones, las reglas especiales para resolver problemas de matematicas con multiples operaciones. Usamos PEMDAS: Parentesis, Exponentes, Multiplicacion/Division (de izquierda a derecha), Suma/Resta (de izquierda a derecha). Por ejemplo: 5 + 3 x 2 = 11 (primero multiplicamos 3 x 2 = 6, luego sumamos 5 + 6 = 11). Los parentesis siempre van primero: (5 + 3) x 2 = 16. Use una calculadora para verificar las respuestas - las calculadoras siguen PEMDAS automaticamente. Gracias por apoyar el aprendizaje de su hijo!