Grade 6: Mixed Operations

Warm up with a quick recall on the board. Mix the four operations so children choose the operation from the situation, not just repeat the last one. Ask 'is the answer bigger or smaller?' first.

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. Model the method clearly, thinking aloud:

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

Do the first few questions of the practice worksheet together, one child explaining each step. Check for understanding before releasing the class to work alone.

Students complete the worksheet independently. Hand out the three difficulty levels below so every child works at the right stretch.

Circulate and look for these, they are the usual sticking points:

• 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.
• Applying whichever operation was just practised rather than reading what the problem asks.

Pull the class back together. Ask one child to explain mixed operations in their own words, pose a single check question everyone answers on a mini whiteboard, and name what you will build on next lesson.

Use the independent worksheet as the evidence. A child who can complete it accurately and explain one answer has met the objective; anyone who cannot needs the easier level and a short reteach next session.