Parentheses might seem simple in algebra, but they can confuse Year 9 students a lot. This confusion mostly happens because different ways of using parentheses can change the meaning of math problems.

1. Order of Operations (BODMAS/BIDMAS):

   • One common mistake is that students forget to solve what’s inside parentheses first. For instance, in the problem $3 \times (2 + 4)$, a student might accidentally do $3 \times 2 + 4$ instead. This mistake gives them the wrong answer of 10, but the right answer is actually 18.

2. Complex Structures:

   • Problems like $2 + (3 \times (4 + x))$ can be tricky. Students might forget to solve the innermost parentheses first, which makes it harder to get the correct answer and can cause mistakes.

To help with these issues, it’s important for students to practice regularly with clear instructions on the order of operations. Using visual aids and breaking down the steps can make a big difference. In the end, students need to see that parentheses help organize math problems, but they also change how the problems are solved.