Problems with Homeschooling NEED help

[babyblueeyes]

I have been homeschooling my daughter on the same books she was using in public school for this year. The problem is... I don't have the answers to grade her work. Another problem I'm having is in math because I really lack understanding alot of it anymore so I can't really explain it to her. Does anyone know if I could get the teacher's editions for these books and do they have such available in bookstores?
I also need to know how many hours are required to teach your child a day. I've been doing 6 to 8 hours with her, but she sleeps in late in the mornings and cannot get done before bedtime so all of that school work is driving her a bit crazy. I also have no idea whatsoever how many assignments I should be giving her a day. If you haven't guessed, I am really quite new to this. Her report card would have been given to her from her public school at the end of this month but she was withdrawed from that school on Oct 18. Does anyone know if they will still give her a report card even though she was withdrawn before they were issued? She is really having a hard time doing all this work and homeschooling both and I just don't want to make her finish it if it's not required. At this moment, she's only got about 1/2 of her work turned in and only has a few days left to do the other 1/2 of it.. I'd just hate to put her through that if it's not necessary. Thanks in advance!!!

[Lenethren]

[babyblueeyes]

[Ramona]

I think I would stop doing all the public school catch-up work if it were my daughter. I would assume that as a homeschooled child she can do at least as well and learn at least as fast as the public school would expect to happen so she could go in at the "right" grade level if she ever went back.

I once heard a lecturer say 45 minutes per day per subject is enough. My 6th-graders have sometimes taken longer than that on some lessons, but most of them they finish much faster than that. If you're doing the 4 basic subjects per day (English, math, social studies, science) then that's 3 hours of school.

Also, in my family we only do those subjects Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. My kids are at least up to their grade levels and usually a year or two ahead after years and years of doing academics only 3 days a week. It's possible to get a lot covered in a little time when you're working one-on-one or independently instead of in a class of 30 kids.

Did you post a question on fractions in the math bulletin board? Someone here could show you how to add them. IMHO adding fractions is harder than multiplying them.

Yes, there are teacher editions available in bookstores, also online catalogs, homeschool used-book fairs, etc.

HTH,
Ramona

[Theodore]

[babyblueeyes]

[Theodore]

Hmm. I suppose it might be simpler to look at it from the standpoint of changing both fractions so the bottoms are the same and you can add the tops. If you have 3/7 and 2/3, then 21 is the smallest number that both 7 and 3 (the two bottom numbers) go into. You therefore want to change both fractions so 21 is on the bottom, so you multiply the first fraction by 3/3 and get 9/21, and you mutiply the second by 7/7 and get 14/21. Then you add 9/21 and 14/21 and get 23/21.



In case anyone was wondering, my brain needed a rest, and math is fun

[Ramona]

[Theodore]

[Ramona]

Much better!

Still too long--too much stuff at once--for ordinary folks. Looks like a sea of numbers that we're drowning in.

But definitely a massive improvement.