Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Brackets Boss Level: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Brackets Boss Level is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children practise the order of operations: brackets first, then multiplying and dividing, then adding. They move up through Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, then face a Boss challenge where they must place a pair of brackets to make a number sentence true.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. It has notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work through the levels in order and write each answer on the line. Level 1 mixes adding with multiplying and dividing, so they must choose what to do first. Level 2 brings in brackets. Level 3 puts brackets together with several operations in one calculation. The Boss challenge turns the task around. The answer is given, and children add one pair of brackets to make it true.
- Level 1: 4 + 3 × 2 =
- Level 1: 7 + 18 ÷ 3 =
- Level 1: 5 × 6 + 8 ÷ 2 =
- Level 2: (9 + 6) ÷ 3 =
- Level 2: (4 + 6) × 3 + 5 =
- Level 3: 8 × (7 + 5) ÷ 4 =
- Level 3: 36 ÷ (2 + 4) + 7 × 2 =
- BOSS: Add one pair of brackets to make this true: 3 + 4 × 5 = 35
A worked example with different numbers
Work out 11 + 10 × 12 and then (11 + 10) × 12
This example uses different numbers from the sheet. It shows how a pair of brackets changes which part is done first.
Method 1: no brackets- Look for × and ÷ first. Here the × is 10 × 12.
- Work it out: 10 × 12 = 120.
- Rewrite the calculation: 11 + 120.
- Now add: 11 + 120 = 131.
- Brackets come first, so work out (11 + 10) = 21.
- Rewrite the calculation: 21 × 12.
- Now multiply: 21 × 12 = 252.
- The numbers and signs are the same as Method 1. The brackets change the answer.
Why does the order of operations matter?
A calculation with several operations could be worked in more than one way. Without a shared rule, two people could get two different answers from the same numbers. The order of operations is the agreement that fixes this. Everyone works brackets first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. It means a written calculation has one correct answer.
Brackets are a useful tool because they let the writer choose what happens first. Anything inside brackets is worked out before the rest of the calculation. The same rules apply inside the brackets too. When multiplication and division sit next to each other, they have equal priority, so they are worked from left to right. Careful reading is the key skill.
Skills and curriculum link
- Order of operations
- Using brackets
- Mental calculation
- Multiplication and division facts
- Reasoning and checking
- Rewriting a calculation step by step
Ideas to help children get it right
- Brackets firstLook for brackets before anything else. Whatever is inside them is worked out first, even if it is in the middle or at the end of the calculation.
- Multiply and divide nextAfter brackets, find any × or ÷. These come before adding, even when the + appears first as you read from left to right.
- Left to rightWhen a calculation has only × and ÷ in a row, work from left to right. The same applies to a row of only + signs.
- Rewrite after each stepWrite the calculation out again each time one part is done. A shorter line each time makes it easier to spot what to do next and to find mistakes.
Key words
- BracketsCurved symbols that wrap around part of a calculation. Work out what is inside them first.
- OperationA type of calculation. Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing are the four operations.
- Order of operationsThe agreed order for working out a calculation so everyone gets the same answer.
- CalculationA number sentence that you work out to find an answer.
- EqualsThe = sign. It means the two sides have the same value.
- Left to rightThe direction you read and work when operations have equal priority.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the rule at the top together: brackets first, then × and ÷, then +. Say it aloud.
- Children work through the levels in order and write each answer on the line. Remind them that multiplying and dividing come before adding.
- Check together using page 2. Ask, "What did you do first, and why?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to the sheet on another day and redo any levels that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Ask your child to underline the part to do first in each calculation. Then they rewrite the whole calculation with that part worked out. Repeat until one number is left. Go through Level 1 together before trying the brackets levels.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to invent their own Level 3 calculation using brackets, then swap with a partner to solve. Next, try writing the same numbers and signs twice, once with brackets and once without, and compare the two answers.
Make it a game
Race a partner through the sheet. Score a point for each correct answer and double points for the Boss level. Players check each other's answers, and the person who checks must explain which part came first.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child works from left to right and adds first. For example, they work 10 + 20 × 12 as 30 × 12.
Try thisAsk them to circle the × first. Say, "Multiplying comes before adding." Then rewrite the calculation with the multiplication done.
Watch forA child ignores the brackets. For example, they work (11 + 10) × 12 by multiplying 10 × 12 first.
Try thisAsk them to underline the brackets before they start. Remind them that brackets are always worked out first.
Watch forA child works × and ÷ from right to left. For example, they work 20 ÷ 10 × 11 by doing 10 × 11 first.
Try thisExplain that × and ÷ have equal priority, so they go from left to right. Do 20 ÷ 10 first, then multiply.
Talk about it
- What is the first thing you look for in a calculation like this?
- Why do we need an agreed order for working out a calculation?
- How do brackets change a calculation?
- What do you do when × and ÷ are next to each other?
- How could you check that your answer makes sense?
- How did you decide where to put the brackets in the Boss question?
Take it off the page
Bracket cards
Write number cards and sign cards on scraps of paper, plus two bracket cards. Lay them out in a row to make a calculation. Move the bracket cards to different places and see how the answer changes.
Spot the mistake
One person writes a calculation and works it out, but makes one deliberate mistake in the order. The other person finds it and explains what should have been done first.
Target number
Choose a target number. Write as many calculations as you can that reach it, using brackets in some of them. Compare lists with a partner.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first level, then let them lead. Ask them to say what they are doing first and why. Praise careful thinking, not just correct answers, and keep sessions short and relaxed.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a homework task after teaching the order of operations. The levels build gradually, so it suits mixed ability groups, with the Boss question for further challenge.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan and repeat it for revision a few weeks later. It works well for brothers and sisters, and pairs naturally with talking through mental calculation in everyday life.
Where this fits in your child's maths
Before this sheet, children need secure multiplication and division facts and confidence with the four operations. They should also be used to reading number sentences carefully, one step at a time. In Year 6 they bring these together by using the order of operations in longer calculations.
After this, children can use the same thinking in multi step problems and in more formal written methods. Later in secondary school the order of operations is used again, in algebra and with powers. Knowing why the order exists makes those later topics easier.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Brackets Boss Level for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. It practises using the order of operations, so it suits children who already know their multiplication and division facts and can add confidently.
- What is the order of operations?
It is the agreed order for working out a calculation. Do brackets first, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. This sheet focuses on brackets, then × and ÷, then +.
- Why are brackets used in calculations?
Brackets show which part of a calculation must be worked out first. They let the writer change the usual order. The same numbers and signs can give a different answer when brackets are added or moved.
- What if multiplication and division are next to each other?
Work from left to right. Multiplication and division have equal priority, so neither one beats the other. Read the calculation from the left and do each × or ÷ as you meet it.
- How do I help a child who finds it hard?
Let them underline the part to do first, then rewrite the calculation with that part worked out. Repeat until one number is left. Start with Level 1 and move on when they feel confident.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support, stretch and answers for the grown-up.
- Is it free and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and all you need to complete it is a pencil.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.