Can anyone help me with my daughters allgebra homework - simplifying - is there a formula e.g.. 4a+5k-2+3k+9a

Take the like kinds and group them together (ie. A is apples and k is kangaroos)and add them. For your question you would get

(4a + 9a) + (+5k + 3k) + (-2)

Which then becomes
13a + 8k - 2

I wouldn't call it algebra, but okay :o