Arithmetic Operations (Primary)

Arithmetic operations are the basic ways we can work with numbers. The four main operations are addition (adding), subtraction (taking away), multiplication (repeated adding), and division (sharing equally). We use symbols like +, -, ×, and ÷ to show these operations. Sometimes, we use brackets ( ) to group numbers and operations together, which tells us to do those parts first.

Key ideas

• Addition means putting numbers together.

• Subtraction means taking one number away from another.

• Multiplication is like adding the same number many times.

• Division is splitting a number into equal parts.

• Brackets show which part of a calculation to do first.

Simple intuition

Imagine you have a box of building blocks. Addition is putting more blocks in, subtraction is taking some out, multiplication is making several groups of the same size, and division is sharing the blocks equally with friends. Brackets are like saying, 'Do this part first!'