No School Today Pass

Just like in the real world (which is what school is to prepare you for) when you have a full time job, you get "sick days" or "mental days" based on the  number of hours you accumulate. 

In the state of Florida, you are required to keep an attendance log,  But there is no set hours or days. 
In tradition Public School (which my son has attended 3) 186 days or 1116 hours of  "school" per year.
Home school is much different that traditional public school.    Especially in this Unschool house!
Our School year starts in Jan. and ends in December.  Yep, we school year round.  We take vacations, and breaks as needed.  Our average day is 5 hours of instruction which includes (but not limited to) cooking (GREAT math skills), building (following instructions), gardening (Physical education + science), shopping (math, comparison, and budgeting) , record keeping (savings, spending, science, and history ((timelines)). We also hit the books for math, chemistry, and American History).  English involves communication and a BLOG!!!!   Blogs are no easy task and includes research, writing, and editing.  In two years he has written 144 posts, with almost 50,000 views, and 61 followers.  Most of his writing are video game, cartoon, or movie based. ALL are his interests, and THAT is how we roll!

We do NOT test (only at end of year per Florida law, he must be assessed, and has to prove "Progress"). So, how do I know he is learning?  EASY!!!!! We use The Protégé Effect.
To learn more about The Protégé Effect, click on this link  http://ideas.time.com/2011/11/30/the-protege-effect/ I must admit, he would make an EXCELLENT professor one day if he ever decided that is the career he wants to go into.  I don't want to admit it, but he remembers more than I do! 

Our homeschool days can run 5-12 hours a day. Life is just full of learning!  I do give him credit for anything over 5 hours a day. Before anyone thinks I am overloading my child, know this... He does it to himself, because HE LOVES TO LEARN- and THAT is how "School" should be.  For every 3 days he goes over a normal 5 hour day, he is granted a pass. This pass allows him to take a sick day, a mental day, or just a fun day (although he has never used it for "fun" it is still an option). 

Today is one of those days. He used it as a mental day, because his heart was breaking over the death of one of his Oscar fish, Johnny.

RIP Johnny