Operation Order

About This Worksheet

This worksheet helps sixth-grade students apply the order of operations while working with decimal expressions. Each problem includes more than one operation, so students must decide what to calculate first instead of simply working from left to right. After solving, they sort the problem numbers into answer ranges based on the value they found. This adds an extra reasoning step and encourages students to think about the size of each result.

What Students Practice

Students solve decimal expressions that include combinations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They must follow the correct order of operations so multiplication and division are handled before addition and subtraction when appropriate. Once the expressions are solved, students organize the problem numbers into categories such as less than five, between five and ten, between ten and twenty, or greater than twenty. This combines computation, order of operations, and number comparison in one activity.

Why This Matters

A common mistake in multi-operation expressions is solving strictly from left to right without considering operation priority. This worksheet gives students repeated practice deciding which calculation should happen first. Sorting the answers afterward also helps them notice whether a result seems reasonable. These skills become increasingly important when students begin working with algebraic expressions and more complicated equations.

Teaching Tips

Before students begin, review the order of operations and remind them that multiplication and division have equal priority, as do addition and subtraction. Encourage them to mark or lightly underline the operation they will complete first. After finding each answer, have them check the size of the result before placing the problem number in a category. If a problem lands in an unexpected range, that is a good signal to recheck the calculation.

Curriculum Standards

This worksheet supports CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.EE.A.2.C, which asks students to evaluate expressions at specific values while following the conventional order of operations. It also reinforces CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.NS.B.3 through repeated computation with multi-digit decimals. The activity works well as a bridge between decimal computation and introductory algebraic thinking.