Order Matters

I did not learn this very small concept until a bit later in my education because my math teachers forgot to mention this important detail.  ORDER MATTERS!!
It is imperative that elementary students know that there is a specific order in numbers and or in the overall process of doing mathematics.  Where did I discover this?  While doing proofs in Geometry.  Explain to your students that there is order in everything throughout our universe.  Math is a perfect language.  The way we proceed in solving problems has a certain order. It is like building a house.  You don't start building a roof without building a strong foundation first.  This small concept can open doors for struggling students that are still having problems calculating or having a weak grasp about what mathematics is all about.  Share with your students that ORDER MATTERS in mathematics!!!