› blog › multiply-or-add-firstMultiply or Add First? Teaching Order of Operations Rules May 07, 2021 · Ask: What happens if I want to add 3 and 5 before I multiply by 8? Allow students to discuss ideas of how to override the order of operations. Do not tell students that they are right and wrong. Instead, encourage mathematical discourse and compare differing opinions in order to correct misconceptions. Note that there are many possible answers!