Compute or Simplify

Although there are numerous strategies that can be used to solve math problems, many problems are fairly straightforward. These problems simply require students to apply math rules and then solve the problem. However, these problems rarely require just one step; they are usually multi-step problems.

Example:

(2 x 3²) ÷ (6 x 2/3) - (6 + 2) =

Answer: -3.5 In this problem, the student would complete the operations in the correct order and determine the answer.

Remember Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally? That is a strategy for remembering the order of operations.

• Parenthesis
• Exponents
• Multiplication and Division
• Addition and Subtraction

Students must apply the correct order of operations when working with multiple steps of computation.