Parentheses are easiest to learn before multiplication arrives, when the only thing they can mean is "do this part first". These free printable worksheets use three numbers, plus and minus only, and every question is written out step by step: the brackets on one line, the answer on the next.
If they get stuck
The answer key prints on a separate page.
Most brackets in an addition and subtraction sum change nothing. (10 + 7) + 2 is 19 with or without them, because plus and minus are worked from left to right anyway. The ones that matter come after a minus sign: 16 − (5 + 7) is 4, while 16 − 5 + 7 is 18. Half of every page here is that second kind, so a child who skips the brackets gets those questions wrong rather than getting lucky.
Each question is laid out as a short chain. The first line is the question, the second has a blank for the value of the brackets, and the third has a blank for the answer, so the order of work is on the paper rather than in a child's head. Switch to Drill for a single line per question once the order is automatic.
10 + ( 17 − 8 )
