Why does my child think 12 ÷ 2 × 3 = 2?
Your child multiplies before dividing, such as 12 ÷ 2 × 3 = 2 instead of 18.
Why children do it
Memory aids like BODMAS and BIDMAS list dividing before multiplying, or the other way round, so children think one always comes first. In fact they share a turn: whichever comes first, reading from left to right, is done first. 12 ÷ 2 × 3 is 6 × 3, which is 18.
How to help at home
Multiplying and dividing have the same rank, so they're done in order from left to right.
The right way
Calculate: 12 / 3 × 2
- 4 × 2Divide first, because it comes first, reading from left to right.
- 8Then multiply.
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