How to teach mixed operations

Grade 1 to Grade 6

Mixed operations means a problem set that jumps between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division instead of drilling one. The real skill is not the arithmetic itself but choosing the right operation each time: reading the symbol and switching your method to match.

How to teach it

1. Secure each operation on its own first, because mixed practice tests choosing, not learning, so it belongs after single-operation fluency.
2. Teach students to read the symbol before they calculate, saying the operation out loud (this is a take-away, this is a share).
3. Point out how alike the symbols look: the plus and the multiplication cross, the division and subtraction signs, so a quick glance is not enough.
4. Practise a shuffled set with a few of each, and have students confirm they have switched method rather than carrying the last one over.
5. Link back to fact families so addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division, are seen as inverse pairs.

Common mistakes

• Carrying the previous operation over to the next question without checking the symbol.
• Confusing the multiplication cross with a plus, or the division sign with a minus.
• Adding when the problem asks to multiply because the numbers look friendly.
• Reading the symbol correctly but slipping back into the last method mid-set.