Missing Operations Answer Key
About This Worksheet
This worksheet helps sixth-grade students determine which operation makes a decimal equation true. Students choose from addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division and place the correct symbol in each blank. Because the numbers are already provided, the focus is on understanding relationships between values rather than setting up a full problem. This makes the activity a good way to check whether students truly understand how each operation affects decimal numbers.
What Students Practice
Students examine decimal equations and test different operations to find the one that produces the stated result. They work with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division across a variety of number combinations. Some equations can be solved quickly through number sense, while others may require written computation. This gives students useful practice thinking backward from an answer.
Why This Matters
Students often become comfortable following a given operation sign but have less practice deciding which operation belongs in an equation. This worksheet asks them to use inverse relationships, estimation, and computation to make that decision. It also helps students see how the same numbers can produce very different results depending on the operation used. That kind of flexibility supports later work with equations and algebra.
Teaching Tips
Encourage students to estimate before testing each operation. If the result is much larger than the starting numbers, multiplication may make more sense, while a smaller result may point toward subtraction or division. Ask students to explain why one operation works and another does not. This turns the activity into a stronger reasoning exercise instead of simple trial and error.
Curriculum Standards
This worksheet supports CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.NS.B.3 by requiring accurate decimal computation with all four operations. It also connects with CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.EE.B.5 because students reason about whether an equation is true and what operation makes the relationship work. The activity is a useful bridge between arithmetic fluency and early algebraic thinking.