Order of operations worksheets
Aligned with Common Core 5.OA.A.1
Printable fifth-grade order of operations worksheets and a how-to teaching page: working inside parentheses, brackets and braces first, then multiplying and dividing, then adding and subtracting, with step-by-step practice, puzzles about where parentheses go, and writing and reading expressions.
The worksheets
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How to Use the Order of Operations
Worked examples of 3 + 4 × 2, (3 + 4) × 2 and 2 × [5 + (6 − 2)], each solved one step at a time, plus why × and ÷ (and + and −) go from left to right.
Order of Operations
Expressions to solve one step at a time on lines. Fewer has 6 problems with two operations, Standard has 8 with parentheses, and More has 8 with brackets and braces. The answer key shows every step.
Where Do the Parentheses Go?
Equations missing one pair of parentheses, with only one place that works. Fewer has 6 problems with two choices to pick from, Standard has 8 with three numbers, and More has 8 with four numbers. Includes an answer key.
Same Numbers, Different Answers
Pairs like 8 × 7 + 3 and 8 × (7 + 3) to solve and compare. Fewer has 6 pairs, Standard has 8, and More has 10 with longer problems. Includes an answer key.
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How to Write and Read Expressions
A word list for each operation, "add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2" written as (8 + 7) × 2, expressions read without solving, like 3 × (452 + 89) is 3 times as large as 452 + 89, and 4 × (9 − 2) said in words.
Words to Expressions
Phrases like "triple the difference of 11 and 9" to write as expressions. Fewer has 6 with three expressions to pick from, Standard has 8 to write, and More has 8 that also go from an expression to words. The answer key shows one right way to write each.
Compare Without Solving
Statements like "6 × (272 + 91) is ___ times as large as 272 + 91" to fill in without solving. Fewer has 6, Standard has 8 that add circling the bigger expression, and More has 10 that also include fractions of an expression. Includes an answer key.
Print the whole packet
One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).
For the parent or teacher
What it is
When a problem has more than one operation, everyone needs to do the steps in the same order to get the same answer. Students work inside parentheses, brackets and braces first, from the inside out. Then they multiply and divide from left to right, and last they add and subtract from left to right. So 3 + 4 × 2 is 11, but (3 + 4) × 2 is 14. Students also turn words into expressions, like "add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2" as (8 + 7) × 2, and read what an expression means without solving it.
What comes next
Powers of 10.
How to teach it
- Teach in order or jump to whatever your student needs. A student may follow the steps easily and still be building the habit of going left to right with × and ÷.
- Have your student rewrite the whole problem after each step instead of keeping track in their head.
- Show that × and ÷ are done in the order they come, so 12 ÷ 3 × 2 is 8, not 2. The same goes for + and −.
- Try the same numbers with and without parentheses to see how much the answer can change.
Common mistakes
- Working from left to right without doing × and ÷ first.
- Always multiplying before dividing, or always adding before subtracting.
- Starting with the outside brackets instead of the innermost parentheses.
- Copying the rest of the problem wrong when rewriting it after a step.
- Leaving out parentheses when turning words like "add, then multiply" into an expression.