Solving number sentences with parentheses
In 5th grade, children learn to work out number sentences with parentheses and brackets, and to do the grouped part first.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
Try these with your child
These are real questions from our 5th grade practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
Work out (25 - 5) × 3.
- 10
- 70
- 60
Why this matters
Understanding parentheses gives your child a key to almost every page of math ahead. Parentheses are how math says "do this part first." Next year your child will write expressions of their own, and in middle school algebra a problem like 3 × (x + 4) only makes sense to a child who reads the grouping without thinking. Spreadsheets and calculators follow the same rules.
Where kids can get stuck
- Working straight from left to right and ignoring the parentheses, so 4 × (2 + 3) becomes 8 + 3 = 11 instead of 20.
- Starting with the outer brackets, so in 3 × [10 − (2 + 4)] they do 10 − 2 first and lose the 4.
- Reading a memory phrase as "always multiply before dividing," so 12 ÷ 2 × 3 becomes 2 instead of 18.
How you can help
- Write a dinner-table puzzle on a napkin: (6 + 4) × 2 and 6 + 4 × 2. Ask your child to work out both and explain to you why the answers, 20 and 14, are different.
- Turn a grocery trip into a grouping problem: two boxes of cereal at $4 and a $3 bag of apples is (2 × 4) + 3. Ask which part to do first and what the total is.
- Challenge your child in the car to place parentheses in 2 + 3 × 4 to make the answer 20, then remove them to make 14. Take turns making up your own versions.
Want a little more? Try Bobby's Math Club for free practice that adapts to your child.
Questions parents ask
Why is my child learning parentheses and brackets this way?
Grouping symbols are how mathematicians agree on what to do first. Teachers want your child to understand that the parentheses change the meaning, not memorize a slogan. That is why they compare pairs like (3 + 5) × 2 and 3 + 5 × 2 side by side. When a child sees that the same numbers give 16 one way and 13 the other, the reason for the rule makes sense and sticks better.
Should my child learn PEMDAS for 5th grade math?
A memory phrase can help, but it often causes the most common mistake. Many children read it as "multiply before divide" and "add before subtract," when those pairs actually go left to right, whichever comes first. If your child uses a phrase, ask them to explain each step in their own words. Understanding that parentheses come first and that multiplication and division are partners matters more than the slogan.
What comes after evaluating expressions with brackets?
Next, your child will write their own expressions from word descriptions, such as "add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2," which becomes 2 × (8 + 7). In 6th grade, letters begin to stand in for numbers, and expressions like 3 × (n + 4) appear. The habit of reading grouping symbols carefully is what keeps those later problems from turning into guesswork.
Make learning math fun
Bobby's Math Club turns 5th grade math practice into something fun to do together.
- Free, unlimited practice for every child in your family
- A few minutes a day, at just the right level
- Level-ups, badges, and a cheer for every win
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
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Join the clubNote for teachers: This skill is covered by Common Core math standard 5.OA.A.1: “Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols.” Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow. (Common Core 5.OA.1)