Positive, Negative, Zero

This worksheet gives students a mixed review of integer operations, then adds one more important thinking step: after solving each expression, students must classify the result as positive, negative, or zero. Problems include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, so students are not just practicing arithmetic-they are also learning to predict and interpret the sign of an answer. That extra classification step is valuable because it helps children notice when an answer does not make sense. If a student calculates a negative answer but the signs and operation should have produced a positive result, the “Sign” blank gives them another chance to catch the mistake.

For a parent who may not remember all the integer rules, this worksheet can be handled in two stages. First ask, “What operation are we doing?” Then ask, “Should the answer end up positive, negative, or zero?” Sometimes the sign can be predicted before the exact arithmetic is finished. For example, when multiplying -7 × 6, the signs are different, so the answer must be negative. When adding -13 + 13, the numbers are exact opposites, so they cancel and the answer is zero. That kind of prediction is one of the best ways to build strong number sense.

Learning Goals

• Solve Mixed Integer Expressions: Students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Classify Each Answer: Learners identify whether the final result is positive, negative, or zero.
• Predict Signs Before Calculating: Students begin using sign patterns as a way to anticipate the answer.
• Recognize Opposites and Zero Pairs: Learners notice when equal positive and negative values cancel.
• Strengthen Self-Checking: Classification gives students a second way to decide whether their numerical result is reasonable.

Parent-Friendly Teaching Tips

• Addition and Subtraction Need Careful Thinking: Students may need to compare absolute values or rewrite subtraction as adding the opposite.
• Multiplication and Division Are Simpler: Same signs make a positive result; different signs make a negative result.
• Zero Deserves Attention: Opposite values can cancel to zero, and multiplying by zero always produces zero.
• Ask for a Prediction: Before the child finishes the arithmetic, ask, “What sign do you expect?”

Classroom & Home Use

• Great for Mixed Review: The worksheet combines several integer skills in one place.
• Useful for Error Detection: A wrong sign classification can reveal a deeper misunderstanding even when the arithmetic looks close.
• Helpful for Parents: Adults can support the sign reasoning even if they are rusty on exact calculations.
• Good for Assessment: Teachers can see whether students understand both the operation and the nature of the result.
• Builds Math Confidence: Students learn that they can often know something about the answer before solving the entire problem.

The real strength of this worksheet is that it gets students to think beyond “What number did I get?” and toward “What kind of number should I get?” Positive values, negative values, zero, sign rules, integer operations, and number sense all work together as students solve and classify. For parents, a very useful habit is to ask the child to predict the sign first and then solve. In classroom and homeschool settings, this activity helps students become more thoughtful and independent with integer calculations.