Have you ever looked at your child’s math homework and thought, “Wait… why did the teacher mark this wrong?” You followed the steps. You added, you multiplied - but the answer still doesn’t match Math has changed a lot over the years, but one thing that remains constant is the importance of understanding the order of operations. And in most U.S. classrooms, that order is remembered with a simple acronym: PEMDAS.. Welcome to the world of PEMDAS - a critical math rule every student must understand from upper elementary through high school. At Ruvimo, we’re not just here to help kids do better in math. We’re here to support parents because we know how much you care. We’re parents, too - and we know that trust, understanding, and flexibility are the foundations of learning success. This blog will help you understand what PEMDAS is, why it’s important, when do you learn pemdas in school, and how to support your child’s learning in a way that’s stress-free and empowering. Because math should never be a mystery.
PEMDAS is an acronym that helps students remember the correct order of operations when solving math problems.
Parentheses (P): When solving a math problem, always start by doing the operations inside the parentheses first. Anything enclosed in ( ) takes priority over everything else.
Exponents (E): After parentheses, handle any exponents next. Exponents include powers (like 2²) and square roots (like √9). These show repeated multiplication or finding roots.
Multiplication and Division (M and D): Once exponents are done, move on to multiplication and division. These operations are equally important, so you do them in the order they appear from left to right in the equation.
Addition and Subtraction (A and S): Finally, do addition and subtraction. Like multiplication and division, they are done from left to right in the order they appear.
This sequence—Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction—helps you solve math problems accurately and consistently.
"Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" is a popular phrase to help remember PEMDAS.
While the phrase is easy to memorize, understanding how and when to apply PEMDAS is the real key to math success.
Imagine a recipe for baking a cake. You don’t frost the cake before baking it, right?
In math, the order of operations works the same way. If students solve steps out of order, even a simple equation can give the wrong answer.
Let’s take this example:
8 + 2 × (3 + 1)
If you go left to right:
Using PEMDAS:
Understanding PEMDAS helps avoid confusion, builds confidence, and supports long-term math success.
At Ruvimo, we believe parental involvement is a superpower. When you understand what your child is learning, you can:
Many parents we work with say:
“I haven’t done this kind of math in years… and it’s way different now!”
That’s okay. We’re here to guide you, step-by-step.
Most U.S. school curriculum, including Common Core, start teaching PEMDAS in Grade 5 or 6, and it continues through middle school and beyond.
It’s not just a rule — it’s a thinking strategy.
Here’s a breakdown of how PEMDAS might show up at each stage:
Grade 4–5: At this level, students are introduced to basic mathematical expressions that include parentheses. They learn how to solve problems by doing the operations inside the parentheses first, laying the foundation for understanding the order of operations.
Grade 6–7: Students begin learning about exponents and are introduced to the full PEMDAS rule. They practice applying the correct order of operations, including parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.
Grade 8 and above: At this stage, students work with more complex expressions that may include nested parentheses and multiple types of operations. They develop the skills to solve multi-step problems using the full order of operations with greater accuracy and efficiency.
At Ruvimo, our online math tutors adjust their teaching based on your child’s grade, speed, and confidence level.
We focus on making core math concepts like PEMDAS simple, engaging, and personalized - because we know every child learns differently.
Explain that math steps are like following a recipe. You can’t jump to the end before doing the prep.
Draw colorful arrows or boxes around parentheses, or use tools like math cubes or whiteboards.
Work together on simple problems like:
6 + 4 × 2 = ?
Then add parentheses:
(6 + 4) × 2 = ?
Let your child see the difference in outcomes.
Mistakes are part of learning. Celebrate effort, not just correctness.
At Ruvimo, we believe in making math fun and pressure-free, and we encourage parents to do the same at home.
Knowing the rule isn’t always enough. Here are mistakes we frequently help kids overcome:
Our expert tutors are trained to spot these patterns early and coach students gently through them using clarity, visuals, and lots of encouragement.
Our teaching philosophy is simple:
Make learning meaningful, stress-free, and fun.
With over 15 years of experience in education, our founders have built a team of top tutors who:
We know that when a child understands PEMDAS, they don’t just pass a test - they become more confident problem solvers for life.
“Ruvimo made math make sense — not just for my son, but for me too! Their tutor explained PEMDAS in such a clear way, and now homework time is actually fun (most days!).”
— Jamie L., Parent from Austin, TX
Understanding PEMDAS is more than a math rule - it’s a gateway to logic, structure, and confidence. And helping your child master it starts with support, patience, and the right guidance.
At Ruvimo, we’re obsessed with helping every child thrive — whether that means staying late to explain a tricky problem or adjusting lessons to match your schedule.
Because when your child succeeds, we succeed.
When do you use PEMDAS?
You use PEMDAS anytime you've got a math problem with more than one operation happening. Like if you see 3 + 4 × 2, you need PEMDAS to know whether to add first or multiply first. (It's multiply, by the way—you'd get 11, not 14.) Once kids start mixing operations in the same problem, PEMDAS becomes their guide for getting the right answer.
When do you learn PEMDAS in school?
Most kids learn PEMDAS somewhere between 5th and 6th grade, usually around age 10 or 11. Some schools introduce it a bit earlier in 4th grade with simpler problems, while others wait until 6th or even 7th grade. It really depends on your school district and what math curriculum they're using.
What is the meaning of PEMDAS in math?
PEMDAS is just a way to remember the order of operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right). It's basically the rulebook for which operation to do first when you're solving a problem. Think of it like the math version of "red light, green light"—everyone needs to follow the same rules or we'd all get different answers.
When do kids learn order of operations?
Kids usually learn order of operations in late elementary or early middle school—typically 5th through 7th grade. The exact timing varies a lot depending on the school and the student's math level. Some kids see the basics in 5th grade and then dive deeper into it in 6th when they're getting ready for algebra.
Does PEMDAS go left to right?
Kind of, yes. Here's the thing people get confused about: Multiplication and Division are actually the same priority level, so you do whichever comes first from left to right. Same deal with Addition and Subtraction—they're equal, so you go left to right. But Parentheses and Exponents always get handled first, before you start that left-to-right business. That's why you'll sometimes see people write it as PE(MD)(AS) to show those pairs.
Why is PEMDAS in that order?
Honestly, it's about how operations build on each other. Parentheses come first because they're saying "hey, do this part as one unit." Exponents are next because they're really just repeated multiplication (3² is 3 × 3). Multiplication and division group numbers more tightly than addition and subtraction do, which is why they come before the basic adding and subtracting. This order keeps math consistent—so your answer matches your kid's answer matches the textbook's answer.
How do you use PEMDAS?
Work through your problem in stages. Handle anything in Parentheses first. Then tackle any Exponents. Next, do your Multiplication and Division from left to right. Finally, Addition and Subtraction from left to right. Here's a quick example: In 2 + 3 × (8 - 2)², you'd do the parentheses first (get 6), then the exponent (6² = 36), then multiply (3 × 36 = 108), and add last (2 + 108 = 110). Takes a little practice, but kids usually catch on pretty quick.
What does the E stand for in PEMDAS?
The E stands for Exponents—those little numbers up high like the 2 in 5² or the 3 in 2³. Exponents get calculated after you handle parentheses but before you multiply, divide, add, or subtract anything. So if you see 2 + 5², you'd square the 5 first (getting 25), then add the 2 to get 27.
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This article is part of our Complete Pre-Algebra Guide for Parents, designed to help you support your middle schooler's mathematical development.
Johnrey Carillo is a math tutor at Ruvimo specializing in algebra, geometry, and building math confidence in students of all ages. He believes every student can succeed in math with the right support and approach.
