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✺ The full year · transparent

Every stage. Every week. Every day.

Read the entire year of curriculum before you enroll. We have nothing to hide. Children deserve transparency, and so do their parents.

5
Age tiers
41
Stages
192
Weeks
696
Daily lessons
✺ How we pace

Short sessions. Clear endings.
The app actively encourages stopping.

Every lesson has a defined start, a focused middle, and a clean end. When the day's lesson is done, the app says so — and sends your child off-screen with a real-world prompt. No streaks. No "one more." No infinite scroll.

The shape of a single day
1
Open ritual
30 sec
Greeting from the day's character. Soft chime. The session begins.
2
Main lesson
70-95% of session
One focused activity. Audio-guided, low-stim, no flashing or autoplay.
3
Closing prompt
30 sec
Off-screen task. "Find a triangle in your kitchen." "Tell mom one word that surprised you."
4
Session ends
—
App says: "Beautiful work. Go outside now." Screen returns to the home view. Done.
Daily session caps · by age tier
Sprouts · 3 – 4
15 min
per session
3 sessions/week
~24h / year
Seeds · 5 – 6
25 min
per session
3 sessions/week
~50h / year
Saplings · 7 – 8
40 min
per session
4 sessions/week
~107h / year
Trees · 9 – 11
60 min
per session
4 sessions/week
~160h / year
Roots · 12 – 14
75 min
per session
4 sessions/week
~200h / year
✓
Your child's progress is always saved.
Every activity, every drawing, every step forward saves automatically. If your child stops mid-session, they pick up exactly where they left off — no work is ever lost.
Jump to a tier
Sprouts · 3 – 4 · 96dSeeds · 5 – 6 · 120dSaplings · 7 – 8 · 160dTrees · 9 – 11 · 160dRoots · 12 – 14 · 160d
✦
Tier · ages 3 – 4

Sprouts

Pre-K. Pre-literate, narrative imagination, magical thinking. Big touch targets, simple cycles.

15 min/day·3 sessions/week·32 weeks·5 stages·96 unique lessons
✿
Stage 1 · with Fern · 6 weeks

Naming the World

The first six weeks. Fern the fox helps you name what you see, touch, and love every day — colors, your body, your home, your family, the weather, and the animals around you.

W1
Hello, Colors
What color is your favorite?
3 days ›
1
Red is bright
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Red is the color of strawberries and stop signs.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one red thing at home. Touch it.
2
Blue is the sky
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Blue is everywhere — the sky, the water, your jeans maybe.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look up. What blue do you see?
3
Yellow is sunshine
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
Yellow is bright like the sun and bananas.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone three yellow things you can think of.
W2
More Colors
Can you find every color today?
3 days ›
1
Green is grass
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Green grows under your feet and on the trees.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Step outside and put your hand on something green.
2
Orange is pumpkins
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Orange is the color of carrots and pumpkins and sunsets.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Open the fridge with a grown-up. Find one orange food.
3
Purple is grapes
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
Purple is sweet like grapes and soft like flowers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Point at one purple thing in your house.
W3
My Body
What can your hands do?
3 days ›
1
My head and face
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Your eyes see, your ears hear, your nose smells, your mouth eats.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Touch your nose. Touch your ears. Touch your mouth.
2
My hands and fingers
⏱ 15 min
with River
You have ten fingers, and they help you do everything.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Wiggle your fingers. Count them slowly with mom.
3
My feet and toes
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Your feet take you everywhere you want to go.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take off one sock. Wiggle your toes. How many do you have?
W4
My Home
What's in your kitchen?
3 days ›
1
The kitchen
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
The kitchen is where food is made and the fridge keeps things cold.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Walk into the kitchen. Name three things you see.
2
Your bed and bedroom
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Your bed is soft and yours, and the dark is okay there.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sit on your bed. Say one thing you love about your room.
3
The bathroom
⏱ 15 min
with River
The bathroom is for washing hands and brushing teeth.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Go wash your hands. Use soap. Sing while you do.
W5
My Family
Who lives with you?
3 days ›
1
Mom and dad
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Moms and dads love you no matter what.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Go give one of them a hug. A real big one.
2
Brothers and sisters
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Some kids have brothers, some have sisters, some have both, some have none.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you have a brother or sister, find them and say hi.
3
Grandmas and grandpas
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
Grandparents have lots of stories and lots of love.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask mom or dad to call grandma or grandpa today.
W6
Weather and Animals
What's the weather doing right now?
3 days ›
1
Sunny days
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
When the sun is out, everything feels warm and bright.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Go outside. Put your face up to the sky for one second.
2
Rainy days
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Rain falls from clouds and makes plants happy.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look out the window. Is it raining anywhere?
3
Pets and animals
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Dogs bark, cats purr, birds sing — every animal has a voice.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make the sound of your favorite animal three times.
ᗒ
Stage 2 · with Sage · 7 weeks

Letters & Sounds

Sage the owl is here. We're not writing letters yet — we're learning what they sound like. Every letter has a song. Listen for it everywhere.

W7
A, B, C
What sound does A make?
3 days ›
1
A is for apple
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
A says 'aaa' like apple and ant.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say 'aaa' three times. Then take a bite of something.
2
B is for ball
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
B says 'buh' like ball and baby.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a ball or something round. Say 'buh-ball'.
3
C is for cat
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
C says 'kuh' like cat and cookie.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look around. Can you find anything that starts with 'kuh'?
W8
D, E, F
What sound does D make?
3 days ›
1
D is for dog
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
D says 'duh' like dog and duck.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say 'duh-dog' five times, getting louder each time.
2
E is for egg
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
E says 'eh' like egg and elephant.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Open the fridge. Look for eggs. Say 'eh-egg'.
3
F is for fish
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
F says 'fff' like fish and frog.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pretend you're a fish for ten seconds. Make a fish face.
W9
G, H, I
What sound does G make?
3 days ›
1
G is for goat
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
G says 'guh' like goat and grass.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say 'guh' and then say goat. Then say grass.
2
H is for hat
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
H says 'huh' like hat and house.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a hat. Put it on your head.
3
I is for igloo
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
I says 'ih' like igloo and insect.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Crawl under a blanket. Pretend it's an igloo.
W10
J, K, L
What sound does J make?
3 days ›
1
J is for jump
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
J says 'juh' like jump and jelly.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Jump up and down five times. Say 'juh' each time.
2
K is for kite
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
K says 'kuh' like kite and key.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a key in your house. Hold it up. Say 'kuh-key'.
3
L is for lion
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
L says 'lll' like lion and leaf.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Roar like a lion three times. Loud, then medium, then soft.
W11
M, N, O
What sound does M make?
3 days ›
1
M is for moon
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
M says 'mmm' like moon and milk.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tonight, look out the window for the moon. Say 'mmm'.
2
N is for nest
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
N says 'nnn' like nest and nose.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Touch your nose. Say 'nnn-nose' three times.
3
O is for octopus
⏱ 15 min
with River
O says 'ahh' like octopus and otter.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Wiggle your arms like an octopus. How many can you wiggle?
W12
P, Q, R, S
What sound does P make?
3 days ›
1
P is for pig
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
P says 'puh' like pig and pop.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a pig sound. Now say 'puh-puh-pig'.
2
Q is for queen, R is for rain
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
Q says 'kw' like queen, and R says 'rrr' like rain.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Roar like a tiger using a strong 'rrr' sound.
3
S is for snake
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
S says 'sss' like snake and sun.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hiss like a snake while you wiggle on the floor.
W13
T through Z
Can you say every letter sound?
3 days ›
1
T, U, V
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
T says 'tuh', U says 'uh', V says 'vvv'.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say 'tuh-tuh-truck' and pretend to drive.
2
W, X, Y
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
W says 'wuh', X says 'ks', Y says 'yuh'.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Wave your hand and say 'wuh-wave' five times.
3
Z and the whole alphabet
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
Z says 'zzz' like zebra and zoo. Now you know them all.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sing the ABC song with mom or dad from start to finish.
≋
Stage 3 · with River · 6 weeks

Numbers & Counting

River the otter loves counting. Splish, splash — one, two, three. We're going to count fingers, snacks, steps, and stars all the way to ten.

W14
One and Two
How many noses do you have?
3 days ›
1
One of me
⏱ 15 min
with River
There is only one you in the whole world.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Point to one nose. Point to one belly button. That's one.
2
Two eyes, two ears
⏱ 15 min
with River
You have two eyes that see, and two ears that hear.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Touch your two eyes, then your two ears. Say 'two'.
3
One and two together
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
One sock plus one sock — that's two socks.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Put on one sock. Then the other. Now you have two.
W15
Three and Four
How many wheels on a car?
3 days ›
1
Three little birds
⏱ 15 min
with River
Three is one more than two. Like three little birds in a nest.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hold up three fingers. Say 'one, two, three'.
2
Four legs on a chair
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Most chairs have four legs, and most dogs have four legs too.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a chair. Count its legs out loud: one, two, three, four.
3
Three and four together
⏱ 15 min
with River
Three plus one more is four. Counting goes up.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tap the floor four times slowly. Count each tap.
W16
Five
How many fingers on one hand?
3 days ›
1
Five fingers
⏱ 15 min
with River
Hold up your hand. You have five fingers — count them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hold up five fingers and count them out loud.
2
Five little ducks
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Five little ducks went swimming one day, over the hills and far away.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sing the five little ducks song with someone.
3
Five high-five
⏱ 15 min
with River
When you give a high-five, you're using all five fingers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Give five high-fives to people in your house.
W17
Six and Seven
What comes after five?
3 days ›
1
Six legs on a bug
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Most bugs have six legs — like ants and beetles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look for an ant outside. Count its tiny legs if you can.
2
Seven days in a week
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
There are seven days in a week. Today is one of them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask mom what day it is today. Say it back to her.
3
Counting six and seven
⏱ 15 min
with River
Six is one more than five. Seven is one more than six.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hop seven times in a row. Count each hop.
W18
Eight and Nine
How many legs does a spider have?
3 days ›
1
Eight legs on a spider
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Spiders have eight legs — that's a lot of legs.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Wiggle your fingers and pretend they're spider legs.
2
Nine is almost ten
⏱ 15 min
with River
Nine is right before ten. Almost there.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count to nine slowly with someone listening.
3
Eight blocks, nine blocks
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Stack blocks one at a time. Watch the tower grow.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Stack nine of anything — books, blocks, cushions. Count as you go.
W19
Ten
How many fingers do you have?
3 days ›
1
Ten fingers, ten toes
⏱ 15 min
with River
You have ten fingers and ten toes. That's how we count to ten.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Wiggle ten fingers, then ten toes. Count them all.
2
Counting to ten
⏱ 15 min
with River
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count to ten out loud while you walk to the kitchen.
3
Ten is a big number
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
Ten of anything is a lot. Ten cookies, ten stars, ten kisses.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Give ten kisses to someone you love.
✦
Stage 4 · with Stardust · 7 weeks

Shapes & Patterns

Stardust the star sees shapes everywhere. Circles, squares, triangles — and patterns that go on and on. The whole world is made of them.

W20
Circles
What shape is a wheel?
3 days ›
1
A circle is round
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
A circle has no corners, just one curvy line going around.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one round thing in your kitchen.
2
Circles outside
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
The sun is a circle, the moon is a circle, the wheels on a car too.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Step outside and find one circle in nature.
3
Drawing a circle
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
If you go around and around with your finger, you make a circle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use your finger in the air to draw three circles.
W21
Squares
How many sides does a square have?
3 days ›
1
A square has four sides
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
A square is like a box, with four sides all the same.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a square at home. Touch each of its four sides.
2
Square things
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Books are squares, tiles are squares, sandwiches can be squares too.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at a book. Trace its square shape with your finger.
3
Drawing a square
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
Up, across, down, across — that's how you make a square.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a square in the air with your finger. Count four sides.
W22
Triangles
What shape is a slice of pizza?
3 days ›
1
A triangle has three sides
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
A triangle has three sides and three pointy corners.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a triangle with your fingers and thumbs.
2
Triangles in the world
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Pizza slices are triangles. Roof tops are too.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look for a triangle on a roof or a sign outside.
3
Drawing a triangle
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Three lines that meet — that's a triangle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use three sticks or three crayons to make a triangle.
W23
Shape Mix
Can you spot every shape today?
3 days ›
1
Circles, squares, triangles together
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
There are shapes hiding everywhere. Look closely.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Walk one room. Find one circle, one square, one triangle.
2
Big shapes and little shapes
⏱ 15 min
with River
Shapes can be tiny or huge. A coin and a clock are both circles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one big circle and one tiny circle at home.
3
Shapes you can stand on
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Tiles on the floor are shapes too — squares, sometimes triangles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Stand on a square or rectangle on the floor or rug.
W24
AB Patterns
What comes next?
3 days ›
1
Red, blue, red, blue
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
A pattern is something that repeats. Red, blue, red, blue — what comes next?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Line up two crayons of one color and two of another. Make a pattern.
2
Clap, stomp, clap, stomp
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Patterns can be sounds too. Clap, stomp, clap, stomp.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Clap, stomp, clap, stomp — six times in a row.
3
Big, small, big, small
⏱ 15 min
with River
Patterns can be sizes. A big block, then a small one, then a big one.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Line up toys: big, small, big, small. Show someone.
W25
ABC Patterns
Can you make a pattern with three things?
3 days ›
1
Three-color patterns
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
Red, blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow. Three things can make a pattern too.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Line up three different toys. Repeat the pattern.
2
Foot, hand, head
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Touch your foot, then your hand, then your head. Do it again. That's a pattern.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Touch foot, hand, head — three times in a row.
3
Patterns we love
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
Songs have patterns. Days have patterns. Even your morning is a pattern.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell mom one thing you do every single morning.
W26
Shapes and Patterns Together
Can shapes make patterns?
3 days ›
1
Circle, square, circle, square
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
Shapes can be patterns too. Circle, square, circle, square.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw two circles and two squares in the air, taking turns.
2
Triangles and circles dance
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
A triangle next to a circle next to a triangle makes a pattern.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use your fingers to make a triangle, then a circle, then a triangle.
3
My favorite shape
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Some people love circles, some love triangles. Which is yours?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up which shape is your favorite, and why.
❀
Stage 5 · with Ember · 6 weeks

Wonder & Virtues

Ember the bear is gentle and brave. The last six weeks are about how we treat each other — with kindness, sharing, gratitude, curiosity, patience, and honesty.

W27
Kindness
How do you make someone smile?
3 days ›
1
Kind words
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
When you say something nice, the other person feels warm inside.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone in your house, 'I love you'.
2
Kind hands
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Kind hands are gentle — they hug, they pat, they help.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use gentle hands to pet a stuffed animal or a pet today.
3
Kind even when it's hard
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Sometimes being kind is hard, like when you're tired or grumpy.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Next time you feel grumpy, take a deep breath. Try to say something kind.
W28
Sharing
Can you share your favorite toy?
3 days ›
1
Sharing snacks
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Sharing food makes the snack feel even better.
✓
Session ends · go outside
At your next snack, give one bite to someone in your family.
2
Sharing toys
⏱ 15 min
with River
When you share a toy, two people get to play, not just one.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hand a toy to someone and say, 'You can play too'.
3
Taking turns
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Sharing means sometimes you wait. Then it's your turn again.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Play one game where you take turns. Then go again.
W29
Gratitude
What made you happy today?
3 days ›
1
Saying thank you
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Thank you means 'I see what you did, and I'm glad'.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say thank you three times today, to three different people.
2
Thankful for food
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
Before you eat, take one breath and say thank you for the food.
✓
Session ends · go outside
At dinner tonight, say what you are thankful for.
3
Thankful for people
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
There are people who love you a lot. Think of one.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell that person, 'I'm glad you're mine'.
W30
Curiosity
What do you want to know?
3 days ›
1
Asking why
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
When you ask 'why?', you're learning. Asking is a superpower.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask one 'why?' question to mom or dad today.
2
Looking closely
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
If you look really close, you can see things you missed before.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick up a leaf or a pebble. Look at it for a long time.
3
Wondering about everything
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
It's okay not to know. Wondering is the start of learning.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone one thing you've been wondering about lately.
W31
Patience
Can you wait when something is hard?
3 days ›
1
Waiting is hard
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
Sometimes you have to wait — for snacks, for turns, for grown-ups.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Next time you have to wait, count slowly to ten.
2
Deep breaths
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
When you feel like you can't wait, take a big breath in. Then out.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take three big breaths right now. Slow and deep.
3
Things grow slowly
⏱ 15 min
with Fern
Trees grow slow. Babies grow slow. Even you grew slow. That's okay.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at a plant or tree near you. It grew bit by bit, every day.
W32
Honesty and Goodbye
What's true today?
3 days ›
1
Telling the truth
⏱ 15 min
with Ember
The truth is what really happened. Telling it makes you strong.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If something happened today, tell mom or dad exactly how it was.
2
When mistakes happen
⏱ 15 min
with Sage
Everyone makes mistakes. Saying 'I'm sorry' is brave.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you bumped someone or spilled something, say 'I'm sorry' today.
3
You did it
⏱ 15 min
with Stardust
You spent a whole year learning. Look how much you grew.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hug the people who learned with you. Say, 'I love you'.
✦
Tier · ages 5 – 6

Seeds

K–1. Early literate (phonemic, sight words). Tap & drag confident, tracing developing.

25 min/day·3 sessions/week·40 weeks·8 stages·120 unique lessons
ᗒ
Stage 1 · with Sage · 5 weeks

Sounds Become Words

We listen to the tiny sounds inside letters. We learn that a few small sounds, snapped together, build a whole word.

W1
The Short A Sound
What sound does A make when it is small?
3 days ›
1
Apple, Ant, Alligator
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Sage opens her ear. Three short A words wake up.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Walk around your home and find one thing that starts with the short A sound. Whisper its name.
2
The A in the Middle
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Sometimes A hides in the middle. Cat. Hat. Bag.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tap your knee three times for c-a-t. Try it for h-a-t.
3
Ember Paints an Apple
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember mixes red and a tiny bit of yellow. Apple.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw an apple. Underneath it, write the letter A.
W2
The Short I Sound
Why do pig and dig sound like cousins?
3 days ›
1
It, In, Igloo
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Sage points to a tiny ice house. Igloo. The I sound is small and sharp.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find something inside something else. Say: in.
2
Pig in the Pit
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Three letters: p, i, g. Slide them together. Pig!
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make up a silly sentence with pig, big, and dig.
3
River Counts Six Fish
⏱ 25 min
with River
Six rhymes with fish. River splashes through I words.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count six things in your room. Say each one out loud.
W3
The Short O Sound
What does your mouth do when O is short?
3 days ›
1
Octopus, Otter, On
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Open your mouth like an O. The sound rolls out: ahh.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look in a mirror. Make the short O face. Say octopus.
2
Hop, Pop, Mop
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Three O words that rhyme. They like to bounce.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hop three times. On the third hop, shout pop!
3
Fern Finds a Log
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Fern shows us a fallen log in the forest. O hides inside it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a stick or a log outside. Say its O sound out loud.
W4
The Short E and U Sounds
Can two sounds wake up in the same week?
3 days ›
1
Egg and Elephant
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Short E lives in egg, elephant, and elf.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pretend to crack an egg. Say the E sound as it cracks.
2
Up the Umbrella
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Short U lives in up, under, and umbrella.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find something under your bed. Say: it is under.
3
Bug on a Bed
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Two short sounds in one little story. E and U meet.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a tiny bug on a bed. Label them: bug, bed.
W5
Blending Three Sounds
How do three little sounds become one whole word?
3 days ›
1
Cat, Sun, Hop
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Three letters. Three sounds. One word. Magic.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a stuffed animal. Spell its name out loud, sound by sound.
2
Stretch It Slow, Snap It Fast
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
First we stretch: c... a... t. Then we snap: cat!
✓
Session ends · go outside
Stretch and snap five words: dog, hat, sun, big, mom.
3
Stardust Asks Why
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Why does C sometimes sound like K? Stardust wonders.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up one new word you can read all by yourself.
ᗒ
Stage 2 · with Sage · 5 weeks

Words Become Books

We collect tiny words you see everywhere — the, and, is — and we use them to read our very first sentences.

W6
Tiny Words Everywhere
Why do we see the same little words on every page?
3 days ›
1
The, A, I
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Three tiny words. They live in almost every book.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Open any book. Find the word the three times. Point to it.
2
Is, It, In
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
These three words help us tell where things are.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say a sentence using is, it, and in. Like: it is in the box.
3
Stardust's Word Hunt
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
We look for tiny words on signs, on cereal boxes, on shirts.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Walk through your kitchen. Find three tiny words. Read them aloud.
W7
Our First Sentence
What makes a sentence a sentence?
3 days ›
1
The Cat Sat
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Three words, one period. That is a sentence.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read the cat sat to someone in your house. Use a strong voice.
2
Capitals and Periods
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Sentences start tall and end with a tiny dot.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a sentence in a book. Touch its capital. Touch its period.
3
Ember Writes a Sentence
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember picks her own three words and makes a sentence with crayon.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write your own three-word sentence. Add a period at the end.
W8
Reading a Whole Page
Can you really read a page all by yourself?
3 days ›
1
Sam and the Hat
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Sage opens a tiny book. Sam has a hat. The hat is red.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read the same little page two times. The second time will feel easier.
2
Pointing as We Read
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
We move our finger under each word so our eyes do not get lost.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read to a stuffed animal. Move your finger under each word.
3
River Counts the Words
⏱ 25 min
with River
How many words on this page? Five? Eight?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a page of any book. Count the words on it. Tell someone the number.
W9
Beginning, Middle, End
Why does every story have a shape?
3 days ›
1
Once Upon a Time
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Stories start by setting the stage. Who is in it? Where are they?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up the very first part of your favorite story.
2
Then Something Happened
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Stories have a problem. Without a problem, nothing moves.
✓
Session ends · go outside
What problem happens in your favorite story? Say it in one sentence.
3
And They Were Happy
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Stories end when the problem is solved.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw three boxes. In them, draw the start, middle, and end of any story.
W10
Becoming a Reader
What does it feel like to read on your own?
3 days ›
1
I Read a Book Today
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Today we read one whole short book. Start to finish.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a family member: today I read a whole book.
2
Asking the Story Questions
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
What did you like? What surprised you? Good readers wonder.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask a brother, sister, or grown-up one question about a book.
3
Read to a Stuffed Animal
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Stuffed animals are the best listeners. They never interrupt.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a stuffed animal. Read your book to it from start to finish.
≋
Stage 3 · with River · 5 weeks

Counting & Bonds

Numbers are friends. Some friends always go together — like 4 and 6 always make 10.

W11
Counting to Ten
Why do we have ten fingers and ten numbers?
3 days ›
1
Ten Little Otters
⏱ 25 min
with River
River lines up ten otters. We count them, one by one.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find ten of the same thing. Spoons, blocks, leaves. Line them up.
2
Counting Backwards
⏱ 25 min
with River
Ten, nine, eight... it feels like a little rocket.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count from 10 down to 0 out loud. Then jump like a rocket.
3
Stardust Asks About Zero
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
What is zero? Is it nothing? Or is it something?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hold up zero fingers. Tell someone what zero means.
W12
Counting Past Ten
What happens after ten?
3 days ›
1
Eleven and Twelve
⏱ 25 min
with River
Eleven and twelve are tricky. They have their own names.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count out 12 small objects. Touch each one as you say its number.
2
Thirteen to Twenty
⏱ 25 min
with River
After twelve, the numbers all end the same: -teen.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count from 1 to 20 out loud. Slow and clear.
3
Fern's Twenty Leaves
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Fern gathers leaves and makes piles of ten. Two piles is twenty.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find ten leaves outside. Then find ten more. You found twenty.
W13
Number Bonds to Five
Which numbers are best friends with five?
3 days ›
1
Five and Its Pairs
⏱ 25 min
with River
1 and 4. 2 and 3. 0 and 5. They all make five.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hold up two fingers on one hand. How many on the other to make five?
2
Number Bond Pictures
⏱ 25 min
with River
We draw a tree: five at the top, two numbers at the bottom.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a five-bond on paper. Pick any two numbers that make 5.
3
Ember's Five-Petal Flower
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember paints a flower with five petals. Each one different.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a flower with five petals. Color each one differently.
W14
Number Bonds to Ten
How many ways can you make ten?
3 days ›
1
Ten on Your Hands
⏱ 25 min
with River
Show 7 fingers up. How many fingers are folded? Three! That makes ten.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick three numbers. Use your fingers to find what they need to make 10.
2
All the Pairs of Ten
⏱ 25 min
with River
0+10, 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, 5+5. Six pairs total.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sing the pairs of ten while you brush your teeth tonight.
3
Stardust Asks: Why Ten?
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Why is ten so important? Why not eight, or twelve?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at your hands. Whisper your answer to why ten matters.
W15
Numbers Are Friends
How do numbers help us share fairly?
3 days ›
1
Sharing Equally
⏱ 25 min
with River
If two friends share six berries, they each get three.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take six small things. Split them between two stuffed animals.
2
More, Less, Same
⏱ 25 min
with River
Five berries and three berries. Which pile has more?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find two piles of things. Tell someone which has more.
3
Fern's Fair Forest
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
In the forest, animals share. Fern shows how the squirrel and the mouse split nuts.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Share something small with someone you love today.
≋
Stage 4 · with River · 5 weeks

Adding & Subtracting

Numbers can join together. Numbers can take away. We make a picture, called a bar model, to see what is happening.

W16
Adding Within Five
What happens when two groups become one?
3 days ›
1
Two Plus One
⏱ 25 min
with River
Two ducks. One more swims up. Now there are three.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Put two blocks down. Add one more. Say the answer.
2
The Plus Sign
⏱ 25 min
with River
A little cross between two numbers means: add them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 2 + 2 on paper. Draw the answer with dots.
3
Ember Adds Acorns
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember finds three acorns. Then she finds two more. Five total.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find five small things. Split them into two groups any way you like.
W17
Adding Within Ten
How can ten fingers help you add?
3 days ›
1
Six Plus Three
⏱ 25 min
with River
Six fingers up. Three more come up. Nine.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use your fingers to find 4 + 5. Then 6 + 3. Then 7 + 2.
2
Doubles
⏱ 25 min
with River
1+1, 2+2, 3+3, 4+4, 5+5. These are doubles. They are easy to remember.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say the doubles song: 1+1=2, 2+2=4, 3+3=6, 4+4=8, 5+5=10.
3
Fern's Bar Model
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
We draw two bars. One is 4 long. One is 3 long. Together: 7.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a bar model for 5 + 2. Color one bar yellow, the other green.
W18
Taking Away
What does it mean to subtract?
3 days ›
1
Five Minus Two
⏱ 25 min
with River
Five cookies. Two get eaten. Three are left.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Line up five blocks. Take two away. Count what is left.
2
The Minus Sign
⏱ 25 min
with River
A little dash between two numbers means: take away.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 5 - 1 on paper. Draw five dots. Cross one out.
3
Stardust Wonders
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
If you take away nothing, what do you have left?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone: 5 minus 0 is what? Then explain why.
W19
Subtracting Within Ten
How is subtracting like the opposite of adding?
3 days ›
1
Ten Minus Six
⏱ 25 min
with River
Ten leaves. Wind blows six away. Four left on the branch.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve: 10 - 6, 10 - 4, 10 - 7. Use fingers if you need.
2
Bar Models for Subtraction
⏱ 25 min
with River
Draw the whole bar. Then mark off the part that left.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a bar of 8. Cross out 3. How many are left?
3
Add and Subtract Are Sisters
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
If 6 + 3 = 9, then 9 - 3 = 6. They are sisters.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick any add sentence. Turn it into a take-away sentence.
W20
Adding Past Ten
How does ten help us solve bigger problems?
3 days ›
1
Eight Plus Four
⏱ 25 min
with River
Eight needs two more to make ten. Then we have two left over. Twelve.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Try 9 + 3. First make ten. Then add what is left.
2
Subtracting Past Ten
⏱ 25 min
with River
From 13, we take 4. First take 3 to make ten. Then take 1 more. Nine.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 12 - 5 in two steps. First reach ten, then keep going.
3
Ember's Counting Painting
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember paints a number ladder from 0 to 20. Each rung is a number.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a number ladder from 0 to 20. Decorate each step.
✦
Stage 5 · with Stardust · 5 weeks

Shapes of the World

The world is built from shapes. Circles. Triangles. Hexagons. Even a sacred shape called the Vesica Piscis. Once you see them, you cannot unsee them.

W21
Circles and Curves
Why are wheels round?
3 days ›
1
The Perfect Circle
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
A circle has no corners. Every point is the same distance from the middle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look around your house. Find five circles. Whisper their names.
2
Circles That Roll
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Wheels are circles. So are coins, plates, and the moon.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Roll a round thing across the floor. Why doesn't it stop right away?
3
Ember Paints the Sun
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember dips a brush. The sun is a circle of warm light.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Paint or draw a sun. Add little lines coming out of it.
W22
Triangles and Squares
Why do houses have triangle roofs?
3 days ›
1
Three Sides, Three Corners
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
A triangle is the strongest shape. It does not wobble.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a triangle with three pencils. See how it does not move.
2
Four Sides, All Equal
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
A square has four sides the same length. Tiles. Windows. Books.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find five squares around your house. Touch each one.
3
Fern's Triangle Mountain
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Mountains are giant triangles. Fern shows us why they are so steady.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look outside. Find one mountain shape. It might be a hill, a roof, or a tent.
W23
Hexagons in Nature
Why do bees build their homes in hexagons?
3 days ›
1
Six-Sided Shapes
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
A hexagon has six sides. It fits next to other hexagons with no gaps.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a hexagon. Then draw three more next to it, sharing sides.
2
Honeycomb
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Bees pack hexagons together to save wax. Less wax, more honey.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look up a honeycomb picture with a grown-up. Count the hexagons.
3
Snowflakes Have Six Arms
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Every snowflake, no matter how small, has six points.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a snowflake with six arms. Make each arm a little different.
W24
The Vesica Piscis
What happens when two circles overlap?
3 days ›
1
Two Circles Meet
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Draw one circle. Draw another circle that touches its middle. The shape in between is sacred.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw two circles that overlap. Color the middle a special color.
2
The Eye Shape
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Some people call the middle shape an eye. Some call it a seed.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at a leaf. Many leaves have this same eye shape.
3
Ember's Sacred Drawing
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Ember layers circles to make a flower of life. It starts with the Vesica Piscis.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Try drawing seven circles that all overlap. See what flower appears.
W25
Patterns Everywhere
How does the world repeat itself?
3 days ›
1
Patterns in Nature
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Stripes on a tiger. Spots on a deer. Spirals on a shell.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one pattern outside. Draw it on paper.
2
Making Your Own Pattern
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Red, blue, red, blue. Or square, circle, triangle. Patterns repeat.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a pattern with three different small things. Repeat it five times.
3
Stardust Wonders About Spirals
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Galaxies, snail shells, and pinecones all spiral. Why?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a spiral starting from the center, going out. As big as your paper.
✿
Stage 6 · with Fern · 5 weeks

Calendar & Time

We learn how the world keeps time — by the sun, by the moon, by the seasons, and by the clock on the wall.

W26
Days of the Week
Why are there seven days in a week?
3 days ›
1
Seven Days, Seven Names
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sing the days of the week to a parent. Use any tune you like.
2
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Today is now. Yesterday was before. Tomorrow is next.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up: yesterday I... today I... tomorrow I will...
3
Stardust Asks Why Seven
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
There are seven days, seven colors in a rainbow, seven big stars in the dipper. Why seven?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look up the seven colors of the rainbow with a grown-up. Name them all.
W27
Months and Seasons
How does the year curve back to the start?
3 days ›
1
Twelve Months
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
January, February, March... twelve in a row. Then it starts again.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Say the twelve months out loud. Slow and proud.
2
Four Seasons
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Spring grows. Summer warms. Fall colors. Winter rests.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look outside. What season is it? Find one sign that proves it.
3
Ember Paints the Seasons
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Four trees, side by side. Each tree wears a different season.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw four trees: spring, summer, fall, winter. Color each one its own way.
W28
Sun and Moon
Where does the sun go at night?
3 days ›
1
Day and Night
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
When the sun is up, it is day. When the sun is hidden, the moon comes out.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tonight, look out a window. Do you see the moon? What shape is it?
2
Moon Phases
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
The moon grows from a sliver to a full circle, then shrinks back.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Watch the moon for three nights. See if it grows or shrinks.
3
Fern's Sun Garden
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Plants follow the sun all day long. They turn their leaves toward it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Notice where the sun is in the morning. Then check after lunch. It moves.
W29
Telling Time to the Hour
What does a clock try to tell us?
3 days ›
1
The Two Hands
⏱ 25 min
with River
The short hand says the hour. The long hand goes around fast.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a clock with hands. Tell someone where the short hand is pointing.
2
O'Clock
⏱ 25 min
with River
When the long hand is on 12, we say the hour. Three o'clock. Five o'clock.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Catch the clock at a perfect o'clock today. Say it out loud.
3
Ember Builds a Paper Clock
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Twelve numbers in a circle. Two paper hands. A real clock you can move.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a clock face. Add the hands. Set them to your favorite hour.
W30
Time as a Friend
How does time help us live well?
3 days ›
1
Morning, Noon, Night
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Three times of day. Each one feels different. Each one is for different things.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up: my favorite time of day is... and why.
2
Birthdays and Holidays
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Some days are special. We mark them on the calendar so we don't forget.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find your birthday on a calendar. Touch the number with your finger.
3
Stardust Asks About Forever
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Time keeps going. Even when we sleep, even when we are old. What is forever?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sit still and listen for one whole minute. Notice how long that is.
❀
Stage 7 · with Ember · 5 weeks

Virtue Practice

Being good is something we practice — like reading or running. Each week we try one virtue with our hands and our hearts.

W31
Honesty
Why is the truth important even when it is hard?
3 days ›
1
What Honest Means
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Honest means saying what is real, even when it is small or scary.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell one true thing about your day. Even a small one.
2
The Bear and the Broken Cup
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
A little bear breaks a cup. He thinks about hiding it. Then he tells.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you make a small mistake today, practice telling someone about it.
3
Sage Listens to the Truth
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Sage says: when we tell the truth, our hearts feel light.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Notice how it feels to tell the truth today. Heavy or light?
W32
Kindness
What does kindness look like up close?
3 days ›
1
Small Kindnesses
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Holding a door. Smiling. Saying thank you. These are seeds of kindness.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Do one small kind thing today. Don't tell anyone you did it.
2
Kindness to Animals
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Animals feel things too. They like soft hands and quiet voices.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you have a pet, sit with it quietly. If not, put crumbs out for birds.
3
Kindness to Yourself
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Be gentle with yourself when you make a mistake. You are still learning.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell yourself one kind thing in the mirror today.
W33
Courage
Can you be brave and afraid at the same time?
3 days ›
1
What Brave Means
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Brave does not mean not scared. Brave means doing it even when you are scared.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Try one tiny thing today that feels a little scary.
2
The Mouse Who Spoke Up
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
A small mouse sees something wrong. She is scared. But she speaks anyway.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you see something unfair today, ask a grown-up about it.
3
Stardust Asks About Big Feelings
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Sometimes we feel scared, mad, or sad. That's normal. Those feelings are messengers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Name a feeling you had today. Tell someone what it was telling you.
W34
Patience
Why is waiting one of the hardest things?
3 days ›
1
Slow Things Are Worth Waiting For
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Trees, friendships, learning to read. The best things grow slowly.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plant a seed today, or just wait one full minute before you eat a snack.
2
Waiting Without Complaining
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Anyone can wait. The harder thing is to wait without sighing or whining.
✓
Session ends · go outside
The next time you wait today, take three slow breaths instead of complaining.
3
River Watches the Stream
⏱ 25 min
with River
Water flows at its own pace. River does not push it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sit by water (or imagine it). Watch it move without rushing it.
W35
Gratitude and Sharing
Why does saying thank you change everything?
3 days ›
1
Three Thank Yous
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Every night, name three things you are thankful for. Even tiny ones.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tonight before bed, name three things you are thankful for.
2
Sharing What You Love
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
It is easy to share what we don't want. It is bigger to share what we love.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Share something you really like with someone today.
3
Sage's Garden of Virtues
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
All these virtues — honesty, kindness, courage, patience, gratitude — grow together like flowers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick your favorite virtue from this stage. Tell someone why.
✦
Stage 8 · with Stardust · 5 weeks

Wonder & Inquiry

The biggest questions a small person asks. Why is the sky blue? Where does food come from? What makes me, me? We don't always answer. But we always wonder.

W36
The Sky and the Stars
Why is the sky blue?
3 days ›
1
What Color Is the Sky?
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Blue. But also pink. And gray. And black. The sky changes.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at the sky three times today. What color is it each time?
2
Where Do Stars Go in the Day?
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
They are still there. The sun is just so bright we can't see them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tonight, count how many stars you can see from your window.
3
Ember Paints the Night
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Black paper, white dots. The night sky in our hands.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw the night sky on dark paper. Add as many stars as you want.
W37
Where Food Comes From
Where does food come from before it is on our plate?
3 days ›
1
Plants and Roots
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Carrots, potatoes, onions. They all grow under the dirt.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look in your kitchen. Find one food that grew under the ground.
2
Fruits and Trees
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Apples, oranges, lemons. They hang on trees, ready to be picked.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Eat one fruit today. Slowly. Notice how it smells before you bite it.
3
From Farm to Table
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
Every meal traveled a long way. A farmer planted. A truck drove. Many hands helped.
✓
Session ends · go outside
At your next meal, say thank you to one part of how the food got there.
W38
How Plants Grow
How does a tiny seed become a whole plant?
3 days ›
1
What a Seed Needs
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Soil, water, sun, time. That is all a seed needs.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plant a bean seed in a cup. Water it. Put it by a window.
2
Roots, Stem, Leaves, Flower
⏱ 25 min
with Fern
Every plant has parts. Roots drink. Stems stand. Leaves catch sun. Flowers make seeds.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a plant. Point to its roots, stem, leaves, and flower if it has one.
3
Stardust Wonders About Growing
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Plants grow up. Children grow up. Everything alive grows up. What does growing up mean?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Stand by a wall. Have a grown-up mark how tall you are today.
W39
What Makes Me, Me?
What makes you... you?
3 days ›
1
Your Body Is Yours
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
You have a face, hands, feet. They are all yours. They will grow with you.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look in a mirror. Tell yourself: this is me.
2
Your Feelings Are Yours
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
You feel happy, sad, excited, calm. These feelings are yours to feel.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Name three feelings you had today. Tell someone what made each one.
3
Your Story Is Yours
⏱ 25 min
with Ember
You have a name, a family, a beginning. Your story is starting.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a picture of yourself with the people you love.
W40
What I Have Learned
What is the most wonderful thing I learned this year?
3 days ›
1
I Can Read Now
⏱ 25 min
with Sage
Forty weeks ago, words were squiggles. Now they are friends.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read your favorite book to a stuffed animal or a younger sibling.
2
I Can Add and Take Away
⏱ 25 min
with River
Numbers are not scary anymore. They are tools. They are friends.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve one math problem in your head. Tell someone the answer.
3
I Am a Wonderer
⏱ 25 min
with Stardust
Now you are a person who asks why. That is the best kind of person.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask one question today that no one knows the answer to. Then wonder about it.
✦
Tier · ages 7 – 8

Saplings

2nd–3rd. Reading fluency, beginning abstraction, multi-touch competent.

40 min/day·4 sessions/week·40 weeks·8 stages·160 unique lessons
≋
Stage 1 · with River · 5 weeks

Multiplication Mastery

River walks you from skip-counting into the multiplication tables. You'll learn why 2× makes sense before you memorize anything, then unlock 5×, 3×, 4×, and finally mix them all together with real-world word problems.

W1
The Twos
Why is multiplication faster than adding?
4 days ›
1
Why 2× makes sense
⏱ 40 min
with River
Two of anything — two eyes, two hands, two socks. Multiplication is just counting groups.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count the pairs of shoes in your house. How many shoes total? That's 2× the pairs.
2
Skip-counting by 2
⏱ 40 min
with River
2, 4, 6, 8 — skip-counting is multiplication wearing a disguise.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Skip-count by 2 out loud while you climb stairs. How high can you go without slipping?
3
Drawing the 2× array
⏱ 40 min
with River
Two rows of dots. Five columns. That's 2 × 5. Pictures unlock the abstract.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw an array with 2 rows and 7 columns. Count the dots — what does 2 × 7 equal?
4
The 2× table all the way to 12
⏱ 40 min
with River
From 2 × 1 to 2 × 12. We say it, sing it, and write it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Recite the 2× table to a grown-up. Beat your time tomorrow.
W2
The Fives
What patterns do you notice in the 5× table?
4 days ›
1
Why 5× makes sense
⏱ 40 min
with River
Five fingers on one hand. Five toes on one foot. Five is everywhere on your body.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hold up both hands. That's 2 × 5. Now find something else with 5.
2
Skip-counting by 5
⏱ 40 min
with River
5, 10, 15, 20 — every number ends in 5 or 0. That's the secret.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count nickels in a piggy bank by 5s. How much money is there?
3
Time and the 5× table
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
A clock is one giant 5× table. Each number is 5 minutes.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at a clock. The minute hand on the 7 means how many minutes? (Hint: 7 × 5.)
4
The 5× table all the way to 12
⏱ 40 min
with River
From 5 × 1 to 5 × 12. The pattern keeps singing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 5 things that come in fives at home. Write down each total.
W3
The Threes
Can you find a triangle without using your eyes?
4 days ›
1
Why 3× makes sense
⏱ 40 min
with River
Three sides on a triangle. Three meals a day. Three is the rhythm of beginnings.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 3 triangles around your house. Trace each one in the air.
2
Skip-counting by 3
⏱ 40 min
with River
3, 6, 9, 12 — the 3× pattern is sneakier than the 2× and 5×. Listen for it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Clap and count by 3 with a sibling or parent until you hit 30.
3
3× word problems
⏱ 40 min
with River
Three baskets. Each holds 4 apples. How many apples? Words become numbers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make up your own 3× word problem and solve it on paper.
4
The 3× table all the way to 12
⏱ 40 min
with River
From 3 × 1 to 3 × 12. Memorize the trickier ones — 3 × 7 and 3 × 8.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Quiz a grown-up on the 3× table. Catch their mistakes.
W4
The Fours
How is 4× really just 2× twice?
4 days ›
1
Why 4× makes sense
⏱ 40 min
with River
Four legs on a dog. Four wheels on a car. Four corners on a square.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 4 things at home that have exactly 4 of something. Tell someone.
2
The doubling shortcut
⏱ 40 min
with River
4 × 6 is the same as doubling 2 × 6. Twice the twos.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take any number from 1 to 10. Double it twice. That's 4× that number.
3
4× arrays in the wild
⏱ 40 min
with River
Egg cartons, ice cube trays, window panes — 4× lives all around us.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find an array of 4 outside or in the kitchen. Multiply rows × columns.
4
The 4× table all the way to 12
⏱ 40 min
with River
From 4 × 1 to 4 × 12. The doubling trick makes this one quick.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Time yourself reciting the 4× table. Try to beat 30 seconds.
W5
Mixed Multiplication
Can you tell when to multiply without being told?
4 days ›
1
Mixing 2, 3, 4, and 5
⏱ 40 min
with River
All four tables in one place. The brain learns to switch quickly.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Roll two dice. Multiply the numbers. Do it 10 times in a row.
2
Word problems with multiplication
⏱ 40 min
with River
Real life rarely says 'multiply.' You have to spot the groups yourself.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Multiply how many windows your house has by 7. That's how many panes a 7-house street might hold.
3
The commutative property
⏱ 40 min
with River
3 × 4 equals 4 × 3. The order doesn't matter — and that cuts your work in half.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 5 facts you know. Now write each one backwards. They all still work.
4
Multiplication review challenge
⏱ 40 min
with River
Twenty questions. Mixed tables. You earn the 'Times Tables Mastered' badge.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone the hardest fact you learned this stage and how you remember it.
≋
Stage 2 · with River · 5 weeks

Place Value & Big Numbers

River shows you that every digit lives in a house — ones, tens, hundreds, thousands. Once you see the houses, you can add and subtract numbers as big as 1,000 without breaking a sweat.

W6
Hundreds
What is a hundred made of?
4 days ›
1
What does 100 look like?
⏱ 40 min
with River
Ten tens. A hundred pennies. A hundred raindrops on a window.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count out 100 small things — beans, beads, Lego — into stacks of 10.
2
Reading three-digit numbers
⏱ 40 min
with River
247 — that's 2 hundreds, 4 tens, 7 ones. Each digit has a job.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a 3-digit number on a sign or book. Read it the long way: hundreds, tens, ones.
3
Building numbers with blocks
⏱ 40 min
with River
Picture 100-flats, 10-rods, and 1-cubes. Stack them and you build any number.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use coins or paper squares. Build the number 358 with 3 hundreds, 5 tens, 8 ones.
4
Comparing hundreds
⏱ 40 min
with River
Which is bigger — 327 or 372? Always start at the biggest house.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 5 random 3-digit numbers. Put them in order from smallest to largest.
W7
Thousands
How many tens make a thousand?
4 days ›
1
What does 1,000 look like?
⏱ 40 min
with River
Ten hundreds. A cube. A whole library wing. A thousand is a giant.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find something that comes close to 1,000 — pages in a book, blades of grass on a tile.
2
Reading four-digit numbers
⏱ 40 min
with River
3,486 — three thousand, four hundred eighty-six. The comma is a breath.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a 4-digit number outside (a license plate, a year). Read it aloud properly.
3
Place value chart
⏱ 40 min
with River
Thousands | Hundreds | Tens | Ones. A chart catches every digit.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make your own place value chart on paper and fill it in for your birth year.
4
Numbers we meet every day
⏱ 40 min
with River
Days in a year, kids in a school, steps in a mile — big numbers tell stories.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask a grown-up: 'What's a big number you saw today?' Write it down with the comma.
W8
Adding Within 1,000
What happens when you have too many ones?
4 days ›
1
Adding without regrouping
⏱ 40 min
with River
234 + 152. Stack them up, add each column. Easy first.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Add the page count of two books in your house. Show your work in columns.
2
Carrying ones to the tens
⏱ 40 min
with River
When a column is over 9, the extra ten moves up. We call it carrying.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 247 + 159 on paper. Notice when you need to carry.
3
Carrying tens to the hundreds
⏱ 40 min
with River
Sometimes the tens overflow too. The hundred house gets a knock.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 478 + 365. Watch both columns carry.
4
Adding three numbers
⏱ 40 min
with River
Three numbers, three columns. The tower grows but the rules stay.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Add the ages of three people in your family. Then add the year you were born.
W9
Subtracting Within 1,000
Why is borrowing in subtraction so much like carrying in addition?
4 days ›
1
Subtracting without borrowing
⏱ 40 min
with River
478 − 235. Each column is bigger than the one below. Smooth sailing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick two 3-digit numbers from a magazine. Subtract the smaller from the bigger.
2
Borrowing from the tens
⏱ 40 min
with River
When the top is too small, the tens house lends a 10. That's borrowing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 532 − 168. Notice the tens give the ones a loan.
3
Borrowing from the hundreds
⏱ 40 min
with River
Sometimes you need to borrow twice. The hundreds also pitch in.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 706 − 348. The zero in the middle is the trickiest part.
4
Subtraction word problems
⏱ 40 min
with River
How many more? How many left? Words point you to subtract.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask a grown-up how many days until your birthday. Subtract today's day from then.
W10
Big Numbers in Action
When do you choose to add and when do you subtract?
4 days ›
1
Estimating big numbers
⏱ 40 min
with River
Round to the nearest hundred before you compute. A quick guess that's almost right.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Estimate 487 + 312 by rounding each to the nearest hundred. Then check.
2
Two-step word problems
⏱ 40 min
with River
First add. Then subtract. Real problems often need two moves.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you have 100 pennies, find 50 more, then spend 30 — how many do you have? Show both steps.
3
Numbers in your community
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Population signs, mile markers, library catalogs. Big numbers run the world.
✓
Session ends · go outside
On your next walk or drive, find 3 big numbers. Read each one out loud.
4
Place value review challenge
⏱ 40 min
with River
Twenty questions across hundreds, thousands, adding, and subtracting. You earn the 'Big Numbers Tamed' badge.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Teach a younger sibling or friend what 'place value' means using only beans or coins.
≋
Stage 3 · with River · 5 weeks

Halves, Quarters, Eighths

River pulls fractions out of pizzas, paper folds, and chocolate bars. You'll see halves become quarters, quarters become eighths, and discover when two fractions secretly mean the same thing.

W11
Halves
Is half of a big thing always bigger than half of a small thing?
4 days ›
1
What is one half?
⏱ 40 min
with River
Cut anything into two equal pieces. Each piece is one half. The line in the middle is the secret.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Fold a piece of paper in half. Cut along the crease. You've made two halves.
2
Half of a group
⏱ 40 min
with River
Half doesn't only mean cutting one thing — it can mean splitting a group fairly.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Count out 10 socks. Give half to one pile, half to another. How many in each?
3
Writing one half as a fraction
⏱ 40 min
with River
1/2 — top number says how many pieces you have, bottom number says how many pieces total.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw 4 circles on paper. Shade in 1/2 of each one a different way.
4
Fair sharing with halves
⏱ 40 min
with River
If two friends share one apple, they each get a half. Fair sharing is fractions in disguise.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Share something fairly with one person — a snack, a toy, a chore. That's halving.
W12
Quarters
How many quarters fit in a half?
4 days ›
1
What is one quarter?
⏱ 40 min
with River
Cut a half in half again. Now you've got four equal pieces. Each is a quarter.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Fold a paper in half, then in half again. Open it. You see four quarters.
2
Writing 1/4 and 3/4
⏱ 40 min
with River
1/4 is one piece out of four. 3/4 is three of those pieces. The bottom stays the same.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a square divided into 4 equal parts. Shade 3/4. Tell someone what's left over.
3
Quarters of a group
⏱ 40 min
with River
Take 12 grapes. A quarter of them is 3. Three quarters is 9.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 12 small things. Make a pile of 1/4 of them. Then a pile of 3/4.
4
Quarters on a clock
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Quarter past, half past, quarter til — clocks have been teaching fractions all along.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at a clock at quarter past 3. Where is the long hand? Why?
W13
Eighths
Why does the bottom number get bigger when the pieces get smaller?
4 days ›
1
Cutting quarters in half
⏱ 40 min
with River
Fold once for halves. Twice for quarters. Three times for eighths.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Fold a paper three times in half. Open it. Count the eight equal pieces.
2
Smaller bottom, smaller piece
⏱ 40 min
with River
Wait — bigger number means smaller piece? Yes. The bottom counts how many cuts.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Compare 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 of the same paper. Which piece is biggest?
3
Eighths in the kitchen
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
A pizza cut for 8 friends. Each slice is 1/8. If you eat 3 slices, that's 3/8.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Imagine a pizza cut in 8. You eat 2, your sibling eats 3. How many slices left?
4
Building a fraction wall
⏱ 40 min
with River
Stack halves, quarters, eighths in rows. The wall shows you who's bigger.
✓
Session ends · go outside
On paper, draw 3 strips the same length. Divide one in halves, one in quarters, one in eighths.
W14
Equivalent Fractions
Can two different fractions be the same?
4 days ›
1
1/2 = 2/4
⏱ 40 min
with River
Cut a half in half again. You haven't lost anything — you just renamed it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Fold a paper in half. Shade one side. Now fold the other way. The shading is still half.
2
2/4 = 4/8
⏱ 40 min
with River
The fraction wall reveals it: 2 quarters and 4 eighths take up the same space.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use the fraction wall you drew. Find 3 pairs that match in length.
3
Matching fractions everywhere
⏱ 40 min
with River
Different names, same amount. 1/2, 2/4, 4/8 — all the same slice of pie.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 5 fractions equal to 1/2. (Hint: pick any number for the top, double it for the bottom.)
4
Why doubling works
⏱ 40 min
with River
Multiply the top and bottom by the same number. The fraction stays the same — just gets a new outfit.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take 1/4. Multiply both top and bottom by 2. By 3. By 4. List your equivalent fractions.
W15
Simple Fraction Addition
Why is adding fractions easier when the bottoms match?
4 days ›
1
Adding with the same bottom
⏱ 40 min
with River
1/4 + 2/4 = 3/4. When the bottoms match, just add the tops. Easy.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a circle in 4 parts. Shade 1, then 2 more. How much is shaded?
2
Making a whole
⏱ 40 min
with River
4/4 = 1. 8/8 = 1. When all the pieces come back together, you have a whole.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Eat a snack with someone. Cut it in 4. Each piece you eat is 1/4. When does it become 4/4?
3
Subtracting fractions
⏱ 40 min
with River
3/8 − 1/8 = 2/8. Same rule — keep the bottom, subtract the tops.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a strip in 8 parts. Shade 5. Cross out 2. How many left?
4
Fraction review challenge
⏱ 40 min
with River
All your fractions in one place. You earn the 'Fractions Friend' badge.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Teach the difference between 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 to someone smaller than you. Use a real object.
❀
Stage 4 · with Ember · 5 weeks

Cursive Writing

Ember teaches you the older, slower way to write — letters that hold hands. You'll learn cursive a-z, then connect them into words and sentences, and finally copy beautiful passages from real children's books.

W16
Cursive Lowercase A–G
Why did people invent cursive in the first place?
4 days ›
1
The undercurve and the loop
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Cursive is built from a few small strokes. Master those, and every letter is yours.
✓
Session ends · go outside
On lined paper, practice the undercurve stroke (like a smile) ten times.
2
Cursive a, c, d
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
These three letters all start the same way — a small oval. Easy first wins.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a, c, d in cursive five times each. Take your time.
3
Cursive e, f, g
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Loops above the line and tails below. Your hand learns the rhythm.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write e, f, g five times each. Notice where the tail dips below the line.
4
Connecting a-c-e
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Cursive's superpower: letters hold hands. 'ace' all in one motion.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Without lifting your pencil, write the word 'ace' in cursive three times.
W17
Cursive Lowercase H–N
What makes some letters tall and others short?
4 days ›
1
Cursive h, i, j
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Tall, short, hooked. Each letter has a personality.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write h, i, j five times each. Don't forget the dot on the i and j.
2
Cursive k, l, m
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Loops, humps, and stems. Cursive m has two soft hills.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write k, l, m five times each. Make the m feel like rolling hills.
3
Cursive n
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Cursive n has one hill. Cousin to the m.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write n five times. Then write 'in' five times — connecting matters.
4
Writing 'hand' and 'milk'
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Real words. Real connections. The hand learns sentences begin in fingertips.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 'hand' and 'milk' in cursive three times each.
W18
Cursive Lowercase O–T
Which cursive letter is hardest for you, and why?
4 days ›
1
Cursive o, p, q
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Oval letters. Simple shapes, big differences in tails.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write o, p, q five times each. Notice the q's special hook.
2
Cursive r, s
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Cursive r has a small bump. Cursive s is a wave with a tail.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write r and s five times each. Then write the word 'rose'.
3
Cursive t
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
T crosses at the top. The cross is what gives it backbone.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write t five times. Then write 'top' three times. Always cross last.
4
Writing 'sport' and 'stop'
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Connecting four-letter words. The flow gets smoother.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 'sport' and 'stop' in cursive three times each.
W19
Cursive Lowercase U–Z & Capitals
Why do capital letters look so different from lowercase in cursive?
4 days ›
1
Cursive u, v, w
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Smile-shaped letters. Easy bounce, easy joy.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write u, v, w five times each.
2
Cursive x, y, z
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Crossed, looped, zig-zagged. The end of the lowercase journey.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write x, y, z five times each. Now you know all 26.
3
The fancy capital letters
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Capital cursive letters are the show-offs. Loops, swirls, character.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the first letter of your name in cursive capital, three different ways.
4
Your full name in cursive
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Your name is your first sentence. Make it look like yours.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write your full first and last name in cursive three times.
W20
Cursive Copywork
Why does writing slowly help you read better?
4 days ›
1
Charlotte's Web sentence
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
'Where's Papa going with that ax?' — eight words. Cursive turns them beautiful.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Copy this sentence in cursive: 'Where's Papa going with that ax?'
2
Frog and Toad sentence
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
'It is morning,' said Frog. Two characters. Two voices. One quiet line.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Copy in cursive: 'It is morning,' said Frog. 'Wake up, Toad.'
3
A line from Winnie-the-Pooh
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
'You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you.' Pooh wisdom.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Copy this line slowly in cursive. Read it aloud after.
4
A letter to grandma
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Real cursive lives in real letters. To real people. Three sentences is enough.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Cursive-write a letter to grandma (or someone you love). Three sentences, signed with your name.
✦
Stage 5 · with Stardust · 5 weeks

Geometry of the World

Stardust opens the secret pattern book. Polygons, Platonic solids, angles, and the Flower of Life — once you see them, you'll find them everywhere: in beehives, in flowers, in your own hand.

W21
Polygons
What's the difference between a square and a rhombus?
4 days ›
1
Three sides — triangles
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Three sides, three corners. The simplest shape. The strongest, too.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 5 triangles outside or in your house. Run your finger along their sides.
2
Four sides — squares and rectangles
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Squares have four equal sides. Rectangles have two pairs. Both are quadrilaterals.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one square and one rectangle in your house. Measure both with your hand.
3
Five and six sides
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Pentagons (5 sides — like a home plate). Hexagons (6 sides — like a beehive cell).
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a hexagon outside today. (Hint: bees built it.)
4
Naming polygons
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon. The number lives in the name.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw all six polygons in order from 3 sides to 8 sides. Label each.
W22
Angles
When two lines meet, what is the space between them called?
4 days ›
1
What is an angle?
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Two lines meeting at a point. The opening between them is the angle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Open a book. The angle changes as it opens. Show three different sized angles.
2
Right angles
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
A perfect corner. 90 degrees. The corner of a book, a window, a door.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 5 right angles in your house. Use the corner of paper to test each one.
3
Acute and obtuse
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Acute angles are sharp and small. Obtuse angles are wide and lazy.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one acute angle and one obtuse angle in the room you're in right now.
4
Angles in shapes
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Every polygon's corners are angles. Triangles have 3, squares have 4 right angles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Trace a triangle. Mark each corner with the kind of angle it is.
W23
Platonic Solids
Why are there only five Platonic solids in the whole universe?
4 days ›
1
Tetrahedron — four faces
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Four triangular faces. The Platonic solid of fire. The simplest 3D shape.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a tetrahedron with 4 toothpicks and tape, or trace one on paper.
2
Cube — six faces
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Six square faces. The Platonic solid of earth. The shape of dice and boxes.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 3 cubes in your house. Count the faces, edges, and corners on one.
3
Octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Eight, twelve, and twenty faces. The bigger they get, the closer to a sphere.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look up images of all five Platonic solids together. Pick your favorite.
4
Why only five?
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
These are the only solids where every face is the same shape. Math says: there can't be a sixth.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up the names of all 5 Platonic solids. Bonus: how many faces each has.
W24
The Flower of Life
What pattern hides inside a circle?
4 days ›
1
Drawing a perfect circle
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
A circle is every point the same distance from the center. The first sacred shape.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use a cup or jar lid to trace 5 circles on paper. Make each one perfect.
2
Two circles touching
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
When two circles share a center on each other's edge, a beautiful shape (the vesica) appears between them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw two circles overlapping. Color in the football shape in the middle.
3
Six circles around one
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
One center, six petals. This is the Seed of Life — the start of the Flower.
✓
Session ends · go outside
On graph paper, draw the Seed of Life with a compass or by tracing a coin 7 times.
4
Drawing the Flower of Life
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Keep adding petals. The pattern grows forever. Found in temples, in flowers, in atoms.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Add another ring of circles to your Seed of Life. You're drawing what monks drew 1,000 years ago.
W25
Geometry Hunt
How many shapes can you find in one room?
4 days ›
1
Geometry indoors
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Tiles, windows, books, plates. Your house is a shape museum.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 10 different shapes in your house. Make a list with the name of each.
2
Geometry in nature
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Hexagons in honeycombs. Spirals in shells. Circles in sunflowers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Go outside. Find one hexagon, one spiral, and one circle in nature.
3
Geometry in your body
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Your knuckles bend at right angles. Your eye is a sphere. Your DNA is a spiral.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 3 shapes in your own body. Show a grown-up.
4
Geometry review challenge
⏱ 40 min
with Stardust
Polygons, angles, solids, sacred geometry. You earn the 'Pattern Seer' badge.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw your favorite shape from this stage and tell someone why you picked it.
ᗒ
Stage 6 · with Sage · 5 weeks

Real Books

Sage walks you out of picture books and into chapter books. You'll learn to follow long stories, retell them in your own words, gather new vocabulary, and write your first real book report.

W26
Becoming a Chapter Reader
What's different about a chapter book?
4 days ›
1
Why chapters help
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Chapters are little rooms in a big house. Each one has its own scene.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a chapter book at home. Read the first chapter aloud or quietly.
2
Following a long story
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
A long story is many small stories joined together. Hold the whole shape in your mind.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone what happened in chapter 1. Don't leave anything out.
3
Characters and what they want
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Every character wants something. Spotting that desire is the key to the story.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a character from your book. What do they want? Tell a grown-up.
4
Reading 20 minutes a day
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Twenty minutes. Quiet time, comfy spot, no screen. The brain grows in the silence.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read for 20 minutes today. Time yourself. Tell someone your favorite sentence.
W27
Narration
How do you remember a story without re-reading it?
4 days ›
1
What is narration?
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Narration is telling back what you read — in your own words, not the book's. It's how you really learn it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read one page. Close the book. Tell what happened in your own words.
2
Narrating with details
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Good narration includes who, where, what they did, and how they felt.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a chapter. Narrate it including all four: who, where, what, how.
3
Narrating in order
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
First, then, after that, finally. Sequencing words guide your retelling.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell back today's chapter using 'first', 'then', 'after that', and 'finally'.
4
Drawing the story
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Draw three pictures of the chapter — beginning, middle, end. Pictures hold the story.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw three boxes on paper. Fill each with a moment from your chapter.
W28
Vocabulary
What do you do when you meet a word you don't know?
4 days ›
1
Spotting unfamiliar words
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Underline. Circle. Or just say 'huh?' out loud. Curious readers slow down.
✓
Session ends · go outside
While reading today, mark or remember 3 words you don't know.
2
Guessing from context
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Read the sentence around the word. Often the meaning is hiding right next to it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take one of your 3 words. Guess what it means from the sentences around it.
3
Looking it up
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
When context isn't enough, dictionaries and grown-ups are friends.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look up two new words today. Use one in a sentence at dinner.
4
A vocabulary notebook
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Keep a list of new words. Every week, your list grows longer than the week before.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Start a vocabulary notebook. Write today's 3 favorite new words at the top.
W29
The Book Report
How do you talk about a book without giving the ending away?
4 days ›
1
Title, author, setting
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Every book report starts with the basics. Who wrote it? Where does it happen?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the title, author, and setting of the book you're reading on a sheet of paper.
2
Main characters
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
List the people who matter most. One sentence each describing them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Add to your sheet: 3 main characters and one sentence about each.
3
What happens (without spoiling)
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Summarize the beginning and middle. Don't tell the ending — that ruins it for others.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 3 sentences about what happens in the book. Stop before the ending.
4
Your opinion and rating
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
What did you love? What surprised you? Stars: 1 to 5. Honest is better than nice.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Finish your book report with your favorite part and a star rating.
W30
Reading Reflections
What story has changed the way you see the world?
4 days ›
1
Why do good stories have problems?
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
No problem, no story. Conflict is what makes us care.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up: what's the problem in your favorite book? How is it solved?
2
Heroes and helpers
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Heroes don't go alone. Look for the friends and mentors. They're the heart of the story.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Name a hero and their helper from a book you've read. Why does the helper matter?
3
Lessons from books
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Stories teach without lecturing. The best lessons sneak in.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone one thing a book has taught you that school never could.
4
Reading review challenge
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Chapter book read, narration practiced, book report written. You earn the 'Real Reader' badge.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Recommend your book to one friend or family member. Tell them why.
❀
Stage 7 · with Ember · 5 weeks

Virtues in Practice

Ember leads you through seven virtues that build a strong soul: courage, integrity, perseverance, generosity, humility, friendship, and responsibility. Each comes with a story and a real-life practice.

W31
Courage & Integrity
Is courage being unafraid, or doing it anyway?
4 days ›
1
What courage really is
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Courage isn't fearlessness. Courage is being scared and acting anyway.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell about one time you were brave. What were you afraid of?
2
A story of courage
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Ruby Bridges walked to school through a crowd. She was six. That's courage.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask a grown-up to tell you about someone they think is brave. Why?
3
What integrity means
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Integrity is doing the right thing even when nobody's watching. It's who you are alone.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Today, do one thing right that no one will see. Notice how it feels.
4
Telling the truth when it's hard
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Sometimes the truth costs something. Tell it anyway. That's the real test.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Think of a time telling the truth was hard. Tell a grown-up why you did it.
W32
Perseverance
Why do hard things teach you more than easy things?
4 days ›
1
What perseverance is
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Perseverance is keeping going when you want to stop. The 'one more try' muscle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Name something you used to be bad at and got better at by practicing.
2
A story of perseverance
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before the lightbulb worked. Failure was the lesson.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Try something today that's a little hard. Don't quit on the first try.
3
Falling and getting back up
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Champions fall a lot. They just refuse to stay down.
✓
Session ends · go outside
When something goes wrong today, take 3 deep breaths and try again.
4
The 1% better rule
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
You don't have to get a lot better. Just a little better, every day. It adds up.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick one skill (reading, drawing, basketball). Practice 10 minutes today.
W33
Generosity & Humility
Why does giving make you feel rich?
4 days ›
1
What generosity is
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Generosity is giving — your time, your toy, your turn — without keeping score.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Today, give something to someone — a compliment, a snack, your help.
2
Giving when nobody asks
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
The best gifts are unexpected. Surprise someone today.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Do one kind thing for a family member that they didn't ask for.
3
What humility is
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Humility is knowing you're great and also knowing you're not the only one. Not lower — clearer.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone something they're better than you at. Mean it.
4
When to brag (and when not to)
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Be proud of your work. But let your work speak first. Loud praise of yourself sounds like nothing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Catch yourself before bragging today. Let the thing you did speak instead.
W34
Friendship
What's the difference between a friend and a buddy?
4 days ›
1
What makes a real friend
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
A real friend is happy when you succeed. They tell you the truth. They show up.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Name three things that make someone a real friend (not a buddy).
2
Being a real friend
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Being a friend matters more than having one. Be the kind of friend you want.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Today, do one thing for a friend that proves you're a real one.
3
Including others
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
When someone's left out, you have a choice. Real friends notice.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tomorrow, find someone playing alone. Ask them to join your game.
4
Forgiveness
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Friends fight sometimes. The strong move is to forgive — and to ask to be forgiven.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Think of a small fight. Apologize to someone (even if it wasn't fully your fault).
W35
Responsibility
How does taking responsibility make you free?
4 days ›
1
What responsibility is
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Responsibility is owning what's yours — your choices, your words, your stuff.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick one thing in your room. Take care of it today without being asked.
2
Owning a mistake
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Saying 'I did it. I'm sorry. I'll fix it.' is the mark of a strong heart.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If you make a mistake today, admit it without making an excuse.
3
Doing what's hard before what's fun
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Chores before play. Homework before games. The hard thing first.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Do one chore or task BEFORE you do something fun today.
4
Virtues review challenge
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Courage, integrity, perseverance, generosity, humility, friendship, responsibility. You earn the 'Strong Heart' badge.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick the virtue that was hardest for you. Practice it once more this week.
✿
Stage 8 · with Fern · 5 weeks

Project Year

Fern hands you the steering wheel. You'll choose one quarter-long project — a garden, an invention, a book you write, a play, an animal habitat study — and learn how real projects move from idea to done.

W36
Choosing Your Project
What's something you'd work on even if no one made you?
4 days ›
1
What is a project?
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
A project has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's something you make that didn't exist before.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a list of 5 things you're curious about — animals, building, stories, plants, anything.
2
Picking the right idea
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
The best project is the one you'll still want to finish in 5 weeks.
✓
Session ends · go outside
From your list of 5, circle the one that excites you most. That's your project.
3
Writing your project goal
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
A goal is a sentence: 'By week 40, I will ___.' Write it. Tape it up.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write your project goal as one sentence. Tape it where you'll see it daily.
4
Telling your team
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Tell people about your project. They'll help you. They'll keep you honest.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell three people about your project. Ask if they'll check on you each week.
W37
Planning
Why do plans help, even when they change?
4 days ›
1
Breaking the project into steps
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
A big project is just lots of small steps. Write each one down.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 5-10 steps your project will take, from start to finish.
2
Gathering materials
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Every project needs supplies. List what you need. Find what you have. Ask for the rest.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a supply list. Check off what you already have at home.
3
Setting a daily routine
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
15 minutes a day. Same time. Same spot. Habits beat motivation every time.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a 15-minute slot each day for your project. Tell the family.
4
The first action
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Plans are nice. Action makes them real. Take the first step today.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Do step 1 of your project today, even if it's small.
W38
Building
What do you do when something isn't working?
4 days ›
1
Working through messy middles
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Every project has a middle where it feels stuck. That's normal. Keep going.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Spend 15 minutes today on your project. Don't quit, even if it's hard.
2
Asking for help
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Stuck? Ask. The fastest builders don't go it alone.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Ask one person to help you with one part of your project today.
3
Adjusting the plan
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Plans change. That's not failure — that's learning. Cross out, rewrite, keep moving.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at your steps list. Cross out anything that's changed. Add anything new.
4
Celebrating small wins
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Each step done deserves a small cheer. Don't wait for the end to feel proud.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell someone what you finished this week. Be proud out loud.
W39
Finishing
Why is finishing harder than starting?
4 days ›
1
Pushing through the last 10%
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
The end is where most people quit. Don't. The reward is on the other side.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at your project. What's left to finish? Spend 20 minutes on it today.
2
Polishing your work
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Make it neater. Fix small things. The last touches are what people remember.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Spend 15 minutes today making one part of your project better.
3
Preparing to share
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
How will you show your work? A poster? A reading? A demo? Plan the reveal.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a way to share your project. Practice once.
4
The final touches
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Sign your name. Title your work. It's officially done.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sign and title your project. Take a picture if it's something physical.
W40
Showing & Reflecting
What did you learn about yourself this year?
4 days ›
1
Sharing your project
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
Show your work to someone you love. Their pride matches yours.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Show your project to your family. Tell them how you made it.
2
Telling the story of your project
⏱ 40 min
with Sage
Every project has a story: idea, plan, struggle, finish. Tell yours.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell or write the full story of your project — start, middle, end.
3
Reflecting on the year
⏱ 40 min
with Ember
Multiplication, fractions, cursive, geometry, books, virtues, projects. Look how far you've come.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell a grown-up: what was your favorite stage this year? What was hardest?
4
What's next?
⏱ 40 min
with Fern
You're not the same person who started week 1. The next year is yours to shape.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick one thing you want to learn or get better at next year. Tell someone. You earn the 'Year One Sapling' badge.
✦
Tier · ages 9 – 11

Trees

4th–6th. Abstract reasoning, formal operations beginning, near-adult precision.

60 min/day·4 sessions/week·40 weeks·10 stages·160 unique lessons
≋
Stage 1 · with River · 4 weeks

Fractions Deep

Four weeks with River. We move past 'what is a half' and into the real machinery of fractions — equivalence, comparison, addition and subtraction across unlike denominators, and mixed numbers. By the end of stage 1 you can add 3/4 + 5/6 in your head and show why your answer is right.

W1
Equivalent Fractions
How can two fractions that look different be the same?
4 days ›
1
What makes two fractions equivalent
⏱ 60 min
with River
1/2 and 2/4 and 4/8 all name the same amount. Why?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Fold a paper strip in half, then quarters, then eighths. Mark 1/2 on each fold. Tell someone what you notice.
2
Multiplying top and bottom by the same number
⏱ 60 min
with River
If you multiply numerator and denominator by the same thing, the value does not change.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write five fractions equivalent to 2/3 by multiplying. Check one by drawing.
3
Simplifying to lowest terms
⏱ 60 min
with River
Going the other way — divide top and bottom by their common factor.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Simplify 12/18, 15/25, 14/49. Show the factor you divided by.
4
Equivalence in the real world
⏱ 60 min
with River
Recipes, measuring tape, music time signatures — equivalence everywhere.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one place in the kitchen where 1/2 cup equals 2/4 cup or 4/8 cup. Write down what you found.
W2
Comparing Fractions
Which is bigger — 3/5 or 5/8 — and how do you know without guessing?
4 days ›
1
Same denominator — easy
⏱ 60 min
with River
When the bottoms match, the bigger top wins.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write three pairs of fractions with the same denominator and circle the larger.
2
Same numerator — flip the intuition
⏱ 60 min
with River
1/4 vs 1/8 — the bigger denominator means smaller pieces.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw 1/3 and 1/6 of the same circle. Explain to a sibling why 1/6 is smaller.
3
Common denominators — the universal trick
⏱ 60 min
with River
When bottoms differ, rewrite both with a shared denominator.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Compare 3/4 and 5/7 by rewriting both with denominator 28.
4
Benchmark fractions — 0, 1/2, 1
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Sometimes you don't need a calculation — you need a number sense check.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sort these into 'less than 1/2' or 'greater than 1/2': 3/8, 5/9, 7/12, 4/10.
W3
Adding & Subtracting Unlike Denominators
How do you add 1/3 + 1/4 when the pieces are different sizes?
4 days ›
1
Why you can't add unlike pieces directly
⏱ 60 min
with River
1/3 + 1/4 is not 2/7. Pieces must be the same size first.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Cut two paper circles — one in thirds, one in fourths. Try to lay one third on one fourth. Write what you noticed.
2
Finding the least common denominator
⏱ 60 min
with River
List multiples of each denominator. The smallest match is your LCD.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find the LCD for these pairs: (3,4), (6,8), (5,10), (4,9).
3
Adding fractions with unlike denominators
⏱ 60 min
with River
Convert both, add the tops, simplify.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 1/3 + 1/4, 2/5 + 1/2, 3/8 + 1/6. Show every step.
4
Subtracting fractions with unlike denominators
⏱ 60 min
with River
Same machinery — convert, subtract, simplify.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 5/6 − 1/4, 3/4 − 2/5, 7/8 − 1/3. Check one by drawing.
W4
Mixed Numbers & Fluency
What's the difference between 7/4 and 1 3/4 — and when do you use each?
4 days ›
1
Improper fractions and mixed numbers
⏱ 60 min
with River
Two ways to say the same thing — the second one is friendlier.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Convert 11/4, 17/5, 23/6 to mixed numbers. Convert 2 3/8, 4 1/2, 5 5/6 back to improper.
2
Adding mixed numbers
⏱ 60 min
with River
Add the wholes, add the fractions, regroup if needed.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 2 1/3 + 1 3/4 and 3 5/6 + 2 1/2. Show your regrouping.
3
Subtracting mixed numbers — the borrowing case
⏱ 60 min
with River
5 1/4 − 2 3/4 means borrowing one whole as 4/4.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 6 1/3 − 2 2/3 and 4 1/8 − 1 5/8. Walk a sibling through the borrow.
4
Stage 1 integration — the fraction tour
⏱ 60 min
with River
Equivalence, comparison, addition, subtraction, mixed numbers — all in one problem set.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph called 'What I now understand about fractions.' Use at least three examples.
≋
Stage 2 · with River · 4 weeks

Decimals & Percents

Four weeks with River. Place value past the decimal point, conversion between fractions/decimals/percents, and percentages in real life — sale prices, batting averages, tip jars, and recipe scaling.

W5
Place Value Past the Decimal
What does the third digit after the decimal mean?
4 days ›
1
Tenths, hundredths, thousandths
⏱ 60 min
with River
Each step right divides by ten. 0.7 is seven tenths. 0.07 is seven hundredths.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 0.346 in words. Then write 'four and twenty-five hundredths' as a decimal.
2
Reading decimals out loud the right way
⏱ 60 min
with River
0.25 is 'twenty-five hundredths,' not 'point two five.'
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read these aloud the right way: 0.4, 0.08, 0.125, 3.7, 12.04.
3
Comparing and ordering decimals
⏱ 60 min
with River
Line up the decimal points and compare digit by digit.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Order from smallest to largest: 0.7, 0.07, 0.71, 0.701, 0.7001.
4
Rounding decimals
⏱ 60 min
with River
Look at the digit to the right. 5 or more, round up. Less than 5, round down.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Round 4.378 to the nearest tenth, hundredth, and whole. Round 12.5 the same way.
W6
Fractions ↔ Decimals ↔ Percents
Why are 1/2, 0.5, and 50% all the same number?
4 days ›
1
Fraction to decimal — divide top by bottom
⏱ 60 min
with River
3/4 means 3 ÷ 4. Long division gives you 0.75.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Convert 1/4, 3/5, 7/8, 1/3 to decimals. Note which one repeats.
2
Decimal to percent — multiply by 100
⏱ 60 min
with River
Percent means 'per hundred.' Slide the decimal two places right.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Convert 0.6, 0.08, 0.125, 1.2 to percents.
3
Percent to fraction — over 100, then simplify
⏱ 60 min
with River
75% is 75/100, which simplifies to 3/4.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Convert 25%, 60%, 12%, 150% to simplified fractions.
4
The triangle of equivalence
⏱ 60 min
with River
Build one chart: 0, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 1 — fraction, decimal, percent for each.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make the chart on paper. Pin it where you'll see it.
W7
Percents in the Real World
How do you take 30% off a $40 shirt without a calculator?
4 days ›
1
Sale prices and discounts
⏱ 60 min
with River
10% of any number is just 'move the decimal one left.' Then build from there.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find 25% off $80, 15% off $60, 40% off $25. Show two methods for one of them.
2
Tax, tip, and total
⏱ 60 min
with River
Tip 20% means add one fifth of the bill.
✓
Session ends · go outside
A meal costs $24. Add 8% tax, then 18% tip on the pre-tax amount. What do you pay?
3
Sports stats and batting averages
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
A .300 hitter gets a hit 30 times out of 100 at bats.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If a player has 17 hits in 50 at bats, what's their batting average? What percent is that?
4
Recipe scaling with percents
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Make 150% of a cookie recipe — multiply each ingredient by 1.5.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a recipe at home. Scale it to 150% on paper. Then make it if you can.
W8
Decimals in Money & Measurement
Why is decimal arithmetic the most useful math you'll ever learn?
4 days ›
1
Adding and subtracting decimals
⏱ 60 min
with River
Line up the decimal points like place columns.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 4.27 + 3.8, 12.05 − 7.6, $14.99 + $2.50 + $0.85.
2
Multiplying decimals
⏱ 60 min
with River
Multiply as if there were no decimals. Then count total decimal places and place yours.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 0.4 × 0.3, 1.2 × 2.5, 0.06 × 0.05.
3
Dividing decimals
⏱ 60 min
with River
Move the decimal in both numbers until the divisor is whole.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 6.4 ÷ 0.8, 12.6 ÷ 0.3, 2.5 ÷ 0.05.
4
Stage 2 integration — money, time, measurement
⏱ 60 min
with River
Decimals are how the world stores almost every number.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-paragraph budget for a $50 day. Use at least one decimal in every line.
ᗒ
Stage 3 · with Sage · 4 weeks

Long-form Writing

Four weeks with Sage. We climb from a strong paragraph to a five-paragraph essay to a real narrative with scenes, dialogue, and a turn. By the end, you have written a complete short story you are proud of.

W9
The Paragraph
What turns a pile of sentences into a paragraph?
4 days ›
1
Topic sentence — the promise
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
The first sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write three topic sentences for three different paragraphs you might write someday.
2
Supporting sentences — the evidence
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Three to five sentences that prove or expand the topic.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick one of your topic sentences. Write four supporting sentences under it.
3
Concluding sentence — the landing
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Restate, twist, or zoom out. Don't just stop.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write three different concluding sentences for the paragraph you wrote yesterday. Pick the best.
4
Revising — reading aloud is the cheat code
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
If a sentence trips your tongue, it's wrong.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read your paragraph out loud. Cross out one word. Add one. Read again.
W10
The Five-Paragraph Essay
How does an argument hold together across five paragraphs?
4 days ›
1
Thesis statement — the spine
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
One sentence that says exactly what the essay will prove.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a thesis on this question: 'Should kids have phones in school?' Make your position clear.
2
Three body paragraphs — three reasons
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Each body paragraph defends the thesis with one reason.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List three reasons that support your thesis. Write a topic sentence for each.
3
Introduction and conclusion — the bookends
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Open with a hook. Close by zooming out.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draft your intro and conclusion. The intro must hook in one sentence.
4
Assemble and revise the essay
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Five paragraphs. Read once for sense, once for sound, once for spelling.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Type or hand-write the full five-paragraph essay. Read it to a parent.
W11
Narrative Writing — Story Architecture
What makes a story stick in someone's head?
4 days ›
1
Character, want, obstacle
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Every story is someone wanting something, and something in the way.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Invent a character. Write their name, what they want, and what's blocking them.
2
Scene — show, don't tell
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Don't write 'she was scared.' Write that her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take a feeling — angry, lonely, joyful — and write a scene that shows it without naming it.
3
Dialogue — people talking sounds like people
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Real talk is short, interrupted, and reveals something.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a six-line dialogue between your character and someone who says no to them.
4
The turn — the moment everything changes
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Every good story has a hinge. Before this line, things were one way. After, another.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the single sentence that turns your story. Mark it with a star.
W12
Write Your Short Story
What story is yours to tell?
4 days ›
1
Outline — five beats
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Setup, inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Outline your story in five sentences. One sentence per beat.
2
Draft — write it ugly, write it through
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
First drafts are supposed to be bad. Just finish.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a complete draft. 500 words minimum. No stopping to fix.
3
Revise — cut, sharpen, replace
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
A second pass usually means fewer words, not more.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Cut at least 10% of your draft. Replace any tired word with a better one.
4
Read it aloud — the audience test
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Reading to one real person reveals everything.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read your story to a family member. Ask: where did your attention drift? Fix that part.
✦
Stage 4 · with Stardust · 4 weeks

Golden Ratio & Fibonacci

Four weeks with Stardust. We meet phi (≈1.618), trace the Fibonacci sequence, and find them both in flowers, pinecones, sunflowers, the Parthenon, and the spiral of a galaxy. Math as pattern recognition across the universe.

W13
Meet Phi
Why does the same ratio show up in so many places?
4 days ›
1
What phi is — the golden ratio
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Phi is approximately 1.618. It's the ratio where a/b equals (a+b)/a.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Measure your hand from wrist to fingertip and from wrist to first knuckle. Divide. How close to 1.618?
2
The golden rectangle
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
A rectangle whose sides are in golden ratio. Cut a square off and the leftover is another golden rectangle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a golden rectangle on graph paper (try 8 by 13). Cut off the 8x8 square. Measure what's left.
3
Phi as a never-ending decimal
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
1.6180339887... — never repeats, never ends. An irrational number.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Memorize phi to four decimals. Recite it to someone tonight.
4
Phi in art — the Parthenon and Da Vinci
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Architects and painters have been using phi on purpose for thousands of years.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look up the Parthenon and the Vitruvian Man. Trace the golden rectangles you can find.
W14
The Fibonacci Sequence
What happens when each number is just the sum of the two before it?
4 days ›
1
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Each new term is the sum of the previous two. Forever.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the first 15 Fibonacci numbers. Notice the growth.
2
Fibonacci ratios approach phi
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Divide each term by the one before. The answer creeps toward 1.618.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Compute 8/5, 13/8, 21/13, 34/21, 55/34. Watch them approach phi.
3
The Fibonacci spiral
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Squares of Fibonacci side lengths nest into a spiral.
✓
Session ends · go outside
On graph paper, draw nested squares with sides 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8. Connect quarter-arcs through them.
4
Fibonacci shows up in rabbits, bees, and stairs
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
The original Fibonacci problem was about rabbits. The math escaped the page.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph: why might the same sequence describe rabbit pairs, bee ancestors, and stair-counting puzzles?
W15
Phi in Nature
Why do plants seem to know math?
4 days ›
1
Pinecones and sunflowers — counting spirals
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Spiral counts are almost always Fibonacci numbers. 8 and 13. 21 and 34.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a pinecone or a sunflower picture. Count both spiral directions. Report the numbers.
2
Phyllotaxis — leaves in spirals
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Plants put new leaves at 137.5° from the last — the golden angle. Maximum sun, minimum overlap.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find a plant at home. Look down its stem. Sketch the leaf positions.
3
Nautilus shells and galaxies
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
The same logarithmic spiral describes a sea creature and the Milky Way.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Print or sketch a nautilus shell and a spiral galaxy side by side. Mark the matching spiral.
4
Why phi might be everywhere — efficient packing
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Phi is the 'most irrational' number — the best way to space things without overlap.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph titled 'Why nature might prefer phi.' Use one example from this week.
W16
Build Your Own Golden Things
What can you design using phi yourself?
4 days ›
1
Design a golden book cover
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Use a golden rectangle as your canvas.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sketch a book cover with sides 5x8 or 8x13 inches. Use the golden ratio inside it for the title block.
2
Phi-based photo composition
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Cameras built on the rule of thirds — phi is even better.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take three photos that place the subject on a golden division of the frame. Show a parent.
3
A Fibonacci poem
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 — syllable counts per line. Write a six-line poem.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the poem. First line 1 syllable, last line 8.
4
Stage 4 integration — present your phi notebook
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
All your sketches, ratios, and poems in one place.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Gather your work from this stage into one folder or notebook. Show three favorite pieces to a family member.
≋
Stage 5 · with River · 4 weeks

Algebra Readiness

Four weeks with River. Variables stop being scary. We solve simple equations, use inverse operations, and learn integer arithmetic — including negative numbers — so that pre-algebra in middle school feels like review.

W17
Variables — Letters That Hold Numbers
Why use a letter when you could just write the number?
4 days ›
1
What a variable is
⏱ 60 min
with River
x is a placeholder. It stands for a number we don't know yet — or for any number that fits.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write three sentences using a variable: 'I have x apples,' 'My age is x,' 'It costs x dollars.'
2
Expressions vs. equations
⏱ 60 min
with River
An expression is a phrase. An equation is a complete sentence with an equals sign.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sort these into expressions or equations: 3x + 2, 5 = y − 1, 4(x + 7), x + 2 = 9.
3
Evaluating expressions
⏱ 60 min
with River
Plug in a number for the variable and simplify.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If x = 4, compute 3x + 5, 2x − 1, x² + x.
4
Translating words to expressions
⏱ 60 min
with River
'Three more than twice a number' becomes 2x + 3.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Translate to expressions: 'five less than y,' 'half of x,' 'six times the sum of n and two.'
W18
Solving Simple Equations
How do you find the number a letter is hiding?
4 days ›
1
The balance scale model
⏱ 60 min
with River
An equation is a balanced scale. Whatever you do to one side, do to the other.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a scale with x + 3 on one side and 7 on the other. Show how to find x.
2
One-step equations — addition and subtraction
⏱ 60 min
with River
x + 5 = 12 becomes x = 7 by subtracting 5 from both sides.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve x + 8 = 15, y − 4 = 11, 6 + n = 20.
3
One-step equations — multiplication and division
⏱ 60 min
with River
3x = 18 becomes x = 6 by dividing both sides by 3.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 4x = 32, x/5 = 9, 2y = 14.
4
Two-step equations
⏱ 60 min
with River
First undo addition or subtraction. Then undo multiplication or division.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 2x + 3 = 11, 4y − 5 = 19, n/3 + 2 = 7.
W19
Inverse Operations
What does it mean to undo something with math?
4 days ›
1
Pairs of opposites
⏱ 60 min
with River
Add undoes subtract. Multiply undoes divide. Square undoes square root.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List three pairs of inverse operations. Then write a number sentence for each pair.
2
Working backwards through a problem
⏱ 60 min
with River
I doubled a number, added 4, and got 22. What was the number?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve five 'I'm thinking of a number' puzzles by working backwards. Make up one for a sibling.
3
Checking your answer
⏱ 60 min
with River
Plug your solution back in. If it's true, you're done.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve and check: 5x + 7 = 42, 3(y − 2) = 18.
4
Word problems with one variable
⏱ 60 min
with River
Let x equal what you want to find. Then write the equation.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve: A book costs $3 less than a magazine. Together they cost $17. What's each price?
W20
Integers — Numbers Below Zero
How can a number be less than nothing?
4 days ›
1
The number line goes both ways
⏱ 60 min
with River
Negative numbers live to the left of zero. Temperatures below freezing. Owing money.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a number line from −10 to +10. Plot −7, +3, −1, +9, 0.
2
Adding integers — same and opposite signs
⏱ 60 min
with River
Same signs add. Opposite signs subtract — and keep the bigger sign.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve −5 + 3, −7 + (−2), 4 + (−9), −6 + 6.
3
Subtracting integers — add the opposite
⏱ 60 min
with River
5 − (−3) is the same as 5 + 3. Two minuses make a plus.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 4 − 7, −2 − 5, 3 − (−6), −8 − (−4).
4
Stage 5 integration — the algebra mini-test
⏱ 60 min
with River
Variables, equations, inverses, and integers — all in one set.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve five mixed problems. Then write a paragraph: 'What does algebra actually do?'
✦
Stage 6 · with Stardust · 4 weeks

Sacred Geometry Construction

Four weeks with Stardust. Compass and straightedge only. We build the vesica piscis, seed of life, flower of life, Metatron's cube, the five Platonic solids, and the Sri Yantra. Every step is real geometry — and the same patterns appear in temples, mosques, cathedrals, and stupas across the world.

W21
Vesica → Seed of Life
Can two circles teach you the foundation of geometry?
4 days ›
1
The vesica piscis — two circles overlapping
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Draw a circle. Draw a second circle whose center is on the first. The almond shape between them is the vesica.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct a vesica piscis. Mark the two centers and the two intersection points.
2
The vesica gives you equilateral triangles
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Connect the two centers and one intersection point. Perfect equilateral triangle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Inside your vesica, prove there are two equilateral triangles. Trace them in different colors.
3
Building the Seed of Life
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Six circles around one center, each passing through the center. Seven circles total.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct the seed of life on a clean sheet. Take your time. The compass radius never changes.
4
Where the Seed of Life appears
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Carved into temples in Egypt, mosques in Spain, churches in Italy, and stupas in Asia.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one image online of the seed of life carved or painted on a real building. Write down what culture and time period.
W22
Flower of Life
What happens when you keep adding circles outward?
4 days ›
1
From Seed to Flower — extending the pattern
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Add another ring of circles. Then another. The flower opens.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Extend your seed of life by one ring. Be precise — sloppy compass work compounds.
2
The full Flower of Life — 19 circles
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Bound by an outer circle. The classical 19-circle figure.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct the full Flower of Life. Use a sharp pencil. Take an hour if you need it.
3
Tessellation — circles into hexagons
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
The flower is also a tiling of hexagons. Geometry is rarely just one thing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find the hexagons hiding inside your flower. Outline three of them.
4
Why circles produce hexagons — the math
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
The radius equals the side of an inscribed hexagon. That's why it works.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph explaining why six circles fit perfectly around one. Use a diagram.
W23
Metatron's Cube & Platonic Solids
How can a flat drawing contain every regular 3D shape?
4 days ›
1
Metatron's Cube — connecting 13 circle centers
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Take the centers of 13 specific circles in the Fruit of Life. Connect them all.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plot 13 circle centers (one in middle, six around, six more outside). Connect every pair with a straight line.
2
Finding the five Platonic solids inside
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron — all five are hidden in the cube.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Trace the cube and the tetrahedron inside Metatron's cube using two different colors.
3
Building a Platonic solid — paper net
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Cut, fold, glue. The math becomes a thing in your hand.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Build a tetrahedron and a cube from paper nets. Display them on a shelf.
4
Plato's elements — earth, air, fire, water, cosmos
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Plato matched each solid to an element. Earth = cube. Fire = tetrahedron. Cosmos = dodecahedron.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph: did Plato have a point, or was he just pattern-matching? Defend your view.
W24
Sri Yantra & Stage Integration
What does it mean to draw something that has been drawn for 3,000 years?
4 days ›
1
The Sri Yantra — nine interlocking triangles
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Five down-pointing, four up-pointing, nested precisely so they all meet at exact points.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Study a Sri Yantra image. Count the triangles. Identify the bindu (central point).
2
The hardest construction in classical geometry
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Mathematicians debate the exact rule for it. Try the simplified version.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Attempt a simplified Sri Yantra construction (templates are fine). Don't expect perfection on try one.
3
Cross-cultural geometry — same shapes, different names
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Hindu yantras, Islamic tilework, Christian rose windows, Buddhist mandalas — same math.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick two cultures. Find a sacred geometric figure from each. Note one shape they share.
4
Stage 6 integration — your geometry portfolio
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Vesica, seed, flower, Metatron, Platonic solids, Sri Yantra — all your work in one place.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Assemble your six constructions into a portfolio. Title page, captions, your favorite at the front.
ᗒ
Stage 7 · with Sage · 4 weeks

Sovereignty Foundations

Four weeks with Sage. What does it mean to be a free person — to think for yourself, weigh evidence, recognize manipulation, and own your own mind? This is the most important stage of the year.

W25
Knowing Your Own Mind
How do you know what you actually think?
4 days ›
1
What sovereignty means
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
A sovereign is the one who decides. To be sovereign over yourself is to be the decider of your own thoughts and choices.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph titled 'What I get to decide for myself.' List five things.
2
Borrowed opinions vs. owned opinions
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
An opinion you can defend with reasons is yours. An opinion you only repeat is borrowed.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick an opinion you hold. Write three real reasons for it. Are the reasons yours or someone else's?
3
Asking 'why do I think this?'
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
The single most powerful question. Where did this idea come from? Did I check it?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick three things you believe today. For each one, name the source. Family, friend, internet, book, experience?
4
Changing your mind is not weakness
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Updating your view based on better evidence is what strong thinkers do.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tell about a time you changed your mind. Was it hard? Was it good?
W26
Fact, Opinion, and Honest Discernment
What's the difference between a fact and an opinion?
4 days ›
1
Defining fact and opinion
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
A fact can be checked. An opinion is a value judgment. 'Water boils at 100°C' is fact. 'Pizza is the best food' is opinion.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write five statements. Label each F (fact) or O (opinion). Be precise.
2
Sneaky opinions disguised as facts
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
'Everyone knows that...' usually means 'I want this to be a fact.'
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one news headline. Underline what's fact, circle what's opinion presented as fact.
3
Evidence and where it comes from
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Where did this claim originate? Who paid for the study? Is the source one or many?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a claim someone told you this week. Trace it. Where did they hear it? Where did that source hear it?
4
Honest disagreement
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
You can think someone is wrong without being mean. Ideas are fair game. People deserve respect.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-paragraph disagreement with a view you reject. No insults. Only reasons.
W27
Media Literacy — How They Try to Move You
Why does that ad, post, or video want you to feel something?
4 days ›
1
Every piece of media has a purpose
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Sell, persuade, entertain, inform, or deceive. Often more than one.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Watch one ad. Write down: what it's selling, what feeling it pushes, and one thing it leaves out.
2
Persuasion techniques — fear, urgency, belonging
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
If you're scared, rushed, or worried about fitting in, you're easier to influence.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find three ads or posts. Label which technique each one uses.
3
Algorithms — the feed is not neutral
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Apps show you what keeps you scrolling. That's not the same as what's true or good for you.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Talk to a parent: how does an algorithm decide what you see next? Write what you learned.
4
Slowing down before reacting
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
The pause between input and response is where freedom lives.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Practice the 10-second pause today. Before reacting to one thing, count to ten. Note what changed.
W28
Standing Your Ground
How do you stay yourself in a noisy world?
4 days ›
1
Peer pressure — naming it instead of feeling it
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
If you can name what's happening, you don't have to obey it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Describe one moment you felt peer pressure. What did your body feel? What did you wish you'd done?
2
Saying no — kindly and firmly
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
You don't owe anyone a long explanation. 'No thanks' is a complete sentence.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Practice three short, kind 'no' responses. Use them with a parent in role play.
3
When to ask a trusted adult
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Sovereignty doesn't mean alone. Asking for help is a strength move.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Name three trusted adults in your life. Write what makes each one trustworthy.
4
Stage 7 integration — your sovereignty creed
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Write the statement of who you are and what you stand for.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-page sovereignty creed. 'I am... I think... I will not... I will...' Read it aloud.
❀
Stage 8 · with Ember · 4 weeks

Real-world Project

Four weeks with Ember. You pick the project — a small business, a written book, something you build, a garden you grow, an instrument you commit to. Ember walks you through scoping, planning, executing, and showing the work. This is what real adults do, just smaller.

W29
Choose & Scope Your Project
What does it mean to make something well?
4 days ›
1
Brainstorming candidates
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Business, book, build, garden, instrument — or your own category.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write 10 possible projects you could realistically do in 4 weeks. Don't filter yet.
2
Picking one — what excites you most
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
The right project is the one you can't stop thinking about.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick your top three. Then your one. Tell a parent why you chose it.
3
Scoping — making it small enough to finish
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Big dreams die in week 2. Cut the project until it fits the time you have.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-paragraph scope statement. 'By week 32 I will have produced ___.'
4
Listing what you need
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Materials, tools, help, time, money. Make the list.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a complete supplies and support list. Mark which you have, which you need.
W30
Plan Like a Builder
How do real builders, writers, and entrepreneurs plan a project?
4 days ›
1
Working backwards from the finish line
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
If it must be done by week 32, what must be true by week 31, 30, today?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write four weekly milestones. Then break this week into four daily tasks.
2
First small action
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Don't plan forever. Take the first 30-minute action today.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Spend 30 minutes on the first concrete step. Write down what you did and what came next.
3
Anticipating obstacles
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
What will probably go wrong? Plan for it now.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List three things that could derail your project. Write a backup plan for each.
4
Asking for help — who and how
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Every great project has helpers. Ask early and ask specifically.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Identify one person who could help you. Compose the exact ask. Send it (with parent OK if needed).
W31
Execute — Daily Build
What separates people who finish from people who don't?
4 days ›
1
Showing up — the unglamorous middle
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Week 3 is when motivation dies. The pros work anyway.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Spend 45 minutes on your project today. No phone. Set a timer.
2
Tracking progress visibly
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
If you can see the progress, you'll keep going.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a paper progress chart. Mark today's work. Stick it on the wall.
3
Course correction without giving up
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Adjusting the plan is not failing. Quitting is.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at your week 1 plan. Note one thing that changed. Update the plan honestly.
4
Quality check — what's good enough
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Done beats perfect. But sloppy is not done.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Look at your work so far. Pick one piece that's not good enough yet. Fix it tomorrow.
W32
Ship & Show
What does it mean to put your work into the world?
4 days ›
1
Final polish — the last 10%
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
The last 10% of work is what most people skip. It's also what makes things shine.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Spend a full hour polishing. Edit, paint, retune, replant. Make it the best you can.
2
Documentation — recording what you built
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Photos, video, written summary. Future-you will want a record.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take three photos and write a one-paragraph summary of your project.
3
Show day — present to your audience
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Family, friends, customers, an open mic. Real audiences make it real.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Show your project to at least three people. Take their feedback seriously.
4
Stage 8 integration — what I learned about myself
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
The project is finished. The lesson is the bigger gift.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-page reflection: what surprised you? What would you do differently? What are you proud of?
✿
Stage 9 · with Fern · 4 weeks

Sciences Survey

Four weeks with Fern. A whirlwind tour of biology, chemistry, astronomy, and earth science — all hands-on, all observation-first. We don't memorize. We do experiments and write down what we see.

W33
Biology — Living Things
What separates the living from the not-living?
4 days ›
1
The cell — the unit of life
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Every living thing is made of cells. Some are one cell. Some are trillions.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a plant cell and an animal cell side by side. Label five parts of each.
2
Classification — kingdoms of life
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Animals, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, archaea. Six kingdoms.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a chart of the six kingdoms. Give one example you've seen of each.
3
Ecosystems — everything depends on something
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Producer, consumer, decomposer. Energy flows. Matter cycles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a backyard or park. Map five organisms and the connections between them.
4
Field journal — observe a living thing
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Naturalists watch, draw, and write. So do you today.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sit outside for 20 minutes. Pick one organism. Sketch it and write 5 observations.
W34
Simple Chemistry
What's everything made of, really?
4 days ›
1
Atoms and molecules
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Atoms are the smallest pieces. Molecules are atoms joined.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw an atom (nucleus + electrons) and a water molecule (H₂O). Label everything.
2
States of matter — solid, liquid, gas, plasma
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Same molecules, different energy levels.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find an example of each state in your house. Note the temperature of each.
3
Chemical reactions — vinegar and baking soda
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
When atoms rearrange, you can see, feel, or hear the result.
✓
Session ends · go outside
With a parent, mix 1 tbsp baking soda + 2 tbsp vinegar. Write down what happens. Why?
4
The periodic table — a quick tour
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
118 elements, organized by their properties. Hydrogen first. Iron is iron everywhere.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick three elements you've heard of. Look up their atomic numbers and one use each.
W35
Astronomy — The Sky
What are we standing on, and what's spinning above us?
4 days ›
1
Earth, sun, moon — the basic dance
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Earth orbits sun (1 year). Moon orbits Earth (1 month). Earth spins (1 day).
✓
Session ends · go outside
Use three balls of different sizes to model Earth, sun, and moon. Demonstrate the orbits to a sibling.
2
The solar system — eight planets in order
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw all eight planets to rough scale. Mark which has rings, which has the most moons.
3
Stars and galaxies — bigger than you can imagine
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Our sun is one of 100 billion stars in the Milky Way — one of trillions of galaxies.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Step outside on a clear night. Find three constellations. Note their positions.
4
Why the seasons happen — Earth's tilt
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Earth tilts 23.5°. That tilt — not distance — is why summer and winter exist.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tilt a flashlight on a globe (or ball). Show why direct rays heat more than slanted ones.
W36
Earth Science — The Planet Beneath You
What is the ground actually doing?
4 days ›
1
Plate tectonics — the moving crust
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
The continents drift. Earthquakes and mountains are the proof.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Print a world map. Trace where Africa and South America used to fit together.
2
The water cycle
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection — and again.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw the water cycle with arrows. Find one part of it happening at home today.
3
Weather vs. climate
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Weather is today. Climate is the long-term pattern.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write today's weather and your area's average temperature for this month. What's the difference?
4
Stage 9 integration — your science museum
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
All your sketches, experiments, and observations from the stage in one display.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Set up a mini exhibit on a table. Title cards for each subject. Give a tour to your family.
❀
Stage 10 · with Ember · 4 weeks

Year Review & Self-Assessment

Four weeks with Ember. We look back. What did you actually learn? What are you proud of? What didn't click? What do you want to chase next year? This is reflection as a real skill, the kind of skill grown adults are still learning.

W37
Looking Back — What I Learned
What's different in your head now compared to a year ago?
4 days ›
1
The math chapter
⏱ 60 min
with River
Fractions, decimals, percents, algebra readiness, integers.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph: which math concept do you understand best now? Which still feels shaky?
2
The writing chapter
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Paragraph, essay, short story.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Reread your short story from week 12. What would you change now? Why?
3
The geometry & pattern chapter
⏱ 60 min
with Stardust
Phi, Fibonacci, sacred geometry, Platonic solids.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pull out your sacred geometry portfolio. Pick your favorite construction. Tell why.
4
The science & sovereignty chapter
⏱ 60 min
with Fern
Biology, chemistry, astronomy, earth science — and the mind that learns them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write three things you understand about science. Three things about your own mind.
W38
What I'm Proud Of
What did I make this year that I'd show a stranger?
4 days ›
1
Pulling out the artifacts
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Your portfolio: writing, geometry, project, science exhibit, math notebooks.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Lay everything out on a big table. Take a photo. Sit with it for a few minutes.
2
Picking your top three
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Of everything you made, what are the three you're proudest of?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Choose three pieces. Write one sentence on each: 'This is good because ___.'
3
What 'good work' actually felt like
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
There's a feeling when you make something well. Name it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a paragraph about the feeling of finishing something you cared about.
4
Showing your top three to family
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Pride is healthy. Sharing is the second half of the work.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Present your top three pieces to your family. Tell the story behind each one.
W39
What Was Hard — And What Came From It
What do you do with the parts that didn't go smoothly?
4 days ›
1
Naming what was hard
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
The brave move is being honest about struggle.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a list of three things this year that were hard. No softening.
2
What you learned from each hard thing
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
The lesson is usually bigger than the win.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Next to each hard thing, write what you learned. Even if the lesson is small.
3
What you would tell a younger version of you
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Imagine yourself one year ago. What would you tell that kid?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-paragraph letter to last-year-you. Tell them what mattered.
4
Forgiving yourself for what you didn't finish
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
Some things won't get done. That's part of being a real person doing real work.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write down one thing you didn't finish this year. Then write: 'And that's okay because ___.'
W40
What I Want Next
What does the next year of you look like?
4 days ›
1
Three things I want to learn next
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
Curiosity is the engine. Pick the next things now.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write three subjects, skills, or projects you want to chase next year.
2
Three habits I want to keep
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
What's working? Don't lose it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List three habits from this year worth keeping. (Daily reading? A morning routine? Showing up?)
3
Writing your year-end statement
⏱ 60 min
with Sage
One page. Who you became. What you made. Where you're going.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-page year-end statement. Take your time. Read it aloud to a parent.
4
Closing ceremony — celebrate the year
⏱ 60 min
with Ember
You finished. That deserves a real moment.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plan and run your own year-end ceremony with your family. Read your statement. Share food. Mark the end of the year.
✦
Tier · ages 12 – 14

Roots

7th–9th. Algebra, essay-writing, philosophy, deep questions of identity. Independent inquiry. Project-driven.

75 min/day·4 sessions/week·40 weeks·10 stages·160 unique lessons
ᗒ
Stage 1 · with Sage · 4 weeks

Becoming Yourself

The central work of adolescence: forming a self that is yours. Identity, integrity, discernment, and the courage to begin.

W1
Who Are You, Really?
What makes you you, beneath the labels other people gave you?
4 days ›
1
The Inherited Self vs. the Chosen Self
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Most of who you are was handed to you. Some of it you'll keep. Some of it you won't.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List ten things people say about you. Mark each one: KEEP (true and yours), QUESTION (maybe), or RELEASE (not actually you). Write a paragraph about one you're releasing and why.
2
The Roles You Play
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Student, sibling, friend, athlete — roles aren't fake, but they aren't the whole you.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sketch a diagram of every role you play. Write under each: what does this role demand of me? Where do these demands conflict? Identify one tension and write a paragraph about it.
3
The Watcher Behind the Eyes
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
There is a 'you' that notices your thoughts. That noticer is older than your roles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Sit silently for 10 minutes. Watch your own thoughts arrive and leave. Then write: what is the part of you that was watching? Try to describe it without using the word 'mind'.
4
Drafting Your Own Definition
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
If you don't define yourself, the world will do it for you — and badly.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 200-word self-portrait. Not what you do — what you ARE. Read it aloud. Edit until it feels true. Save it; you'll revisit it at the end of the year.
W2
Integrity: When No One's Watching
What is the difference between being good and looking good?
4 days ›
1
Integrity Defined
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Integrity comes from the Latin 'integer' — whole, undivided. To have integrity is to be one person in public and private.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write your own definition of integrity in two sentences. Then describe a person you know who has it — what specifically do they do that proves it?
2
The Small Lies
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Big betrayals start as small ones. The first lie you tell yourself is the one that costs the most.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Privately, list three small lies you've told this week — to others or to yourself. For each, write what was true and why you avoided it. No one reads this but you.
3
The Test of the Empty Room
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Your character is what you do when no one is watching and there are no consequences.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Imagine you found a wallet with $200 cash and no ID, in a place with no cameras and no witnesses. Walk yourself through what you'd do, and why. Be honest about the pull in both directions.
4
Making One Promise to Yourself
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Integrity grows by keeping small promises to yourself, not by making big ones.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Choose ONE small promise to keep to yourself for the next two weeks (e.g., bed by a set time, journal daily, no phone first thing in the morning). Write it down. Track it. Notice what happens to your sense of self.
W3
Discernment: Telling Real from Fake
How do you know what's actually true, when everyone's selling you something?
4 days ›
1
The Difference Between Belief and Knowledge
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Believing something doesn't make it true. Knowing requires evidence.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List five things you believe strongly. For each, write: HOW do I know this? Did I verify it, or did someone tell me? Mark which are knowledge and which are inherited belief.
2
Spotting Manipulation
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Ads, headlines, and influencers all want something from you. Learn to feel the pull.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find three pieces of media (ad, headline, video). For each, identify: what emotion is it triggering? What action does it want? What is the seller hiding? Write a paragraph on the most manipulative one.
3
Following Money, Following Power
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
When you can't tell what's true, ask: who benefits if I believe this?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a recent news story you've heard about. Map out: who benefits if people believe this? Who loses? Who funded the source? Write your conclusion about how much you trust it, and why.
4
The Discernment Practice
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Discernment is a daily habit, not a one-time decision.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a personal 'truth filter' — five questions you'll ask before believing or sharing anything. Tape it where you'll see it. Start using it tomorrow.
W4
Initiative: Becoming the One Who Starts
What is waiting for you to begin it?
4 days ›
1
The Cost of Waiting
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Most people never start because they're waiting to feel ready. The feeling never comes first.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List three things you've been 'waiting to feel ready' for. For each, write what you'd do TODAY if you accepted you'll never feel ready. Pick one and do it before bed.
2
Permission Is Internal
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
You don't need anyone's permission to begin. You only need your own.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-sentence permission slip TO YOURSELF for one specific thing. Sign it. Date it. Tape it somewhere you'll see it for the next month.
3
The Smallest Possible First Step
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Big projects start with embarrassingly small actions. The first step is rarely glamorous.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a project you actually want to do this year. Write the smallest possible first step — something you could finish in 15 minutes today. Then do it.
4
Stage 1 Integration: The Person You're Becoming
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Identity, integrity, discernment, initiative — woven into a self.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a one-page letter from your future self (5 years older) to you-today. What do they thank you for becoming? What do they wish you'd started sooner? Save it.
≋
Stage 2 · with River · 4 weeks

Algebra Mastery

Solving for the unknown. Linear equations, systems, slope-intercept, and graphing — the language of how variables relate.

W5
Solving for X
What does it mean to find an unknown?
4 days ›
1
The Variable as Placeholder
⏱ 75 min
with River
X isn't a mystery — it's a slot waiting to be filled by the only number that makes the sentence true.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve: 2x + 7 = 19. Then write in plain English what x represents and why only one number can fit. Make up two more equations of your own and solve them.
2
Inverse Operations
⏱ 75 min
with River
To undo addition, subtract. To undo multiplication, divide. Algebra is just careful undoing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve 10 equations of the form ax + b = c, showing each step as 'undo' language. Example: 3x + 5 = 20 → undo +5 → 3x = 15 → undo ×3 → x = 5.
3
Variables on Both Sides
⏱ 75 min
with River
When x lives on both sides, gather it on one side first. Same rules, more steps.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve: 5x + 4 = 2x + 19. Write a paragraph explaining why moving terms between sides works — what's the underlying rule about equality?
4
Word Problems: From Sentence to Equation
⏱ 75 min
with River
The hardest part isn't the math. It's translating English into symbols.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve three word problems by writing the equation first, then solving. Example: 'A number plus twice itself equals 27. Find the number.' Show all work.
W6
Linear Equations
How do you describe a relationship between two changing quantities?
4 days ›
1
Two Variables, One Relationship
⏱ 75 min
with River
y = 2x means 'y is always twice x.' A linear equation describes a constant relationship.
✓
Session ends · go outside
For y = 2x + 3, make a table of values for x = -2, -1, 0, 1, 2. Plot the points on graph paper. What shape do they make? Why do you think it's called 'linear'?
2
The Slope: How Steep Is the Relationship?
⏱ 75 min
with River
Slope is rise over run — how much y changes for each unit x changes.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Calculate the slope between (1, 3) and (4, 12). Then between (-2, 5) and (3, -10). Write a paragraph: what does a positive slope mean? Negative? Zero?
3
The Y-Intercept: Where Does It Start?
⏱ 75 min
with River
The y-intercept is where the line crosses the y-axis — what y is when x is zero.
✓
Session ends · go outside
For each equation, find the slope and y-intercept: y = 3x - 4, y = -x + 7, y = (1/2)x. Sketch each on graph paper without computing tables — use slope and intercept directly.
4
Slope-Intercept Form Mastery
⏱ 75 min
with River
y = mx + b. Two pieces of information; infinite lines.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Given two points (2, 5) and (4, 11), find the equation of the line through them in y = mx + b form. Show every step. Verify by plugging both points into your final equation.
W7
Graphing in Two Dimensions
How do equations and pictures show the same truth?
4 days ›
1
The Coordinate Plane
⏱ 75 min
with River
Every point has an address: (x, y). The plane is a map for relationships.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plot 15 points across all four quadrants. For each, label what's true about its x and y signs. Write rules for each quadrant (e.g., 'Quadrant II: x negative, y positive').
2
Graphing Lines from Equations
⏱ 75 min
with River
Pick two x-values, find their y's, connect the dots — and extend.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Graph these on the same coordinate plane: y = x, y = 2x, y = -x, y = (1/2)x + 3. Label each. Write a paragraph about what changes when you change m, and what changes when you change b.
3
Reading Equations from Graphs
⏱ 75 min
with River
Look at a line. Find its slope by counting rise/run. Find b where it crosses y. You have the equation.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Given three graphs (drawn by you or supplied), determine the equation of each line. Show the slope calculation and the y-intercept reading. Verify by checking a point on the line.
4
Real-World Linear Models
⏱ 75 min
with River
Phone bills, taxi fares, savings accounts — most everyday math is linear.
✓
Session ends · go outside
A taxi charges $3 to start plus $2 per mile. Write the equation. Graph it. Use it to find: how much for 7 miles? How many miles for $25? Make up your own real-world linear scenario and do the same.
W8
Systems of Equations
When two relationships meet, what does the meeting point tell you?
4 days ›
1
What Is a System?
⏱ 75 min
with River
Two equations, two unknowns. The solution is the (x, y) that makes BOTH true.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Graph y = x + 1 and y = -x + 5 on the same plane. Where do they cross? Verify that point satisfies both equations algebraically. Write what 'system solution' means in your own words.
2
Solving by Substitution
⏱ 75 min
with River
If y = 2x + 1 in one equation, you can REPLACE y in the other with 2x + 1.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve by substitution: y = 3x - 2 and y = -x + 6. Then: 2x + y = 10 and y = x + 1. Show every step. Check both solutions in both original equations.
3
Solving by Elimination
⏱ 75 min
with River
Add or subtract the equations so one variable disappears.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve by elimination: 3x + y = 11 and 2x - y = 4. Then: 5x + 2y = 16 and 3x + 2y = 12. Explain in writing why elimination works — what's the underlying rule?
4
Stage 2 Integration: A Real Algebra Problem
⏱ 75 min
with River
Two friends, two phone plans, one question: when do they cost the same?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plan A: $20/month + $0.10/text. Plan B: $5/month + $0.25/text. Set up the system. Solve it three ways — graphically, by substitution, by elimination. Write a recommendation: who should pick which plan?
ᗒ
Stage 3 · with Sage · 4 weeks

Philosophy & Logic

Socratic questioning, formal logic, fallacies, and the four cardinal virtues. The architecture of clear thinking.

W9
Socratic Questioning
Is asking a better question more powerful than knowing the answer?
4 days ›
1
Who Was Socrates?
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
He claimed to know nothing — and embarrassed half of Athens by proving they didn't either.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a brief account of the Apology of Socrates. Write a paragraph: why did Athens execute a man whose only crime was asking questions? What was so threatening about him?
2
The Six Socratic Questions
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Clarification, assumptions, evidence, perspectives, implications, the question itself.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Memorize the six question types. Take a belief you hold (any belief) and run it through all six. Write what changed in your understanding by the end.
3
The Socratic Dialogue
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
A real conversation isn't winning. It's two people thinking out loud, helping each other see.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Have a real Socratic dialogue with a parent, sibling, or friend. Pick a question (e.g., 'What is fairness?'). Ask only questions — no statements. Write what surprised you about their thinking, and yours.
4
Questioning Yourself
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
The hardest person to question honestly is yourself.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick one strong opinion you hold. Run all six Socratic questions on yourself, in writing. Be ruthless. End with: do you still hold the opinion? Has it sharpened, softened, or changed?
W10
Formal Logic and Syllogisms
How do you prove something must be true?
4 days ›
1
Premises and Conclusions
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
A logical argument has a structure: claims that support a conclusion. Spot the structure first.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take three short opinion pieces (news, social media, blog). For each, identify the premises and the conclusion. Write each as a list: P1, P2, ... → Conclusion.
2
The Classic Syllogism
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal. Logic in three lines.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write five valid syllogisms of your own — three lines each, with conclusion clearly following. Then write three INVALID ones and explain what's wrong with each.
3
Validity vs. Truth
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
An argument can be valid (logically airtight) but still false (because the premises are wrong). These are different problems.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write an argument that is VALID but UNTRUE. Then one that is INVALID but happens to reach a TRUE conclusion. Explain in a paragraph why these distinctions matter when evaluating arguments.
4
Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Deduction proves. Induction predicts. Most real-life reasoning is induction.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List five examples of deductive reasoning and five inductive. For each inductive example, write: how confident am I, and what would prove me wrong? (This is the start of scientific thinking.)
W11
Fallacies: How Arguments Lie
How do bad arguments dress up as good ones?
4 days ›
1
Formal Fallacies
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Some arguments LOOK like syllogisms but break logic itself. Affirming the consequent. Denying the antecedent.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Study and explain in your own words: affirming the consequent, denying the antecedent, undistributed middle. For each, write your own fresh example. Show why the conclusion doesn't follow.
2
Informal Fallacies, Part 1: Attacks
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Ad hominem (attack the person), straw man (attack a weaker version), tu quoque (you do it too).
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find one real example of each — ad hominem, straw man, tu quoque — in news, social media, or a debate you've witnessed. For each, rewrite the argument honestly without the fallacy.
3
Informal Fallacies, Part 2: Distractions
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Red herring (irrelevant topic), appeal to emotion, appeal to authority, slippery slope, false dichotomy.
✓
Session ends · go outside
For each of the five fallacies above, write a vivid example, then write a corrected version. Bonus: notice when YOU use one of these in your own thinking and write about it.
4
The Fallacy Hunter
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Once you can name them, you can never un-see them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Watch or read a 10-minute argument (debate, op-ed, or persuasive video). Catalog every fallacy you find with timestamps or quotes. Write a 1-page review of the argument's logical health.
W12
The Four Cardinal Virtues
What are the qualities that build a good human being?
4 days ›
1
Wisdom (Prudence): Seeing Clearly
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Plato's first virtue. Not knowledge — wisdom is knowing what to DO with what you know.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Describe a moment from your own life when you knew the right thing to do but did the wrong thing anyway. What blocked the wisdom from becoming action? Write a paragraph.
2
Courage (Fortitude): Doing the Hard Thing
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Courage isn't fearlessness. It's acting rightly even when you're afraid.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Identify one thing in your life that needs courage from you right now. Not a big public thing — a real, specific, scary thing. Write what would be required, and what you'd lose if you never did it.
3
Justice: Giving Each Person Their Due
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Justice is the virtue that ties you to other people. It's about fairness, but deeper — it's about RIGHT relationship.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write about a time you saw injustice (small or large). What did you do? What COULD you have done? What's stopping you next time? Be specific.
4
Temperance: The Power of Self-Restraint
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
The ability to say no to yourself — to a second helping, a sharp word, an easy lie. Self-mastery is freedom.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Identify one appetite or impulse you'd like more mastery over (food, screens, anger, gossip, etc.). Design a 1-week temperance experiment. Write the rules. Begin tomorrow. Plan to journal results.
ᗒ
Stage 4 · with Sage · 4 weeks

Long Essays

Thesis, argument, evidence, structure, revision. Four full essays — a craft, not a chore.

W13
The Anatomy of a Thesis
What separates a strong claim from a weak one?
4 days ›
1
Strong Thesis vs. Weak Thesis
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
A weak thesis is a topic. A strong thesis is an argument that someone could disagree with.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take five weak theses (e.g., 'School is important'). Rewrite each into a strong, arguable thesis (e.g., 'High school's grading system actively undermines the curiosity it claims to develop'). Mark which has a counter-argument worth answering.
2
Picking Your Essay 1 Topic
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Pick something you actually believe and someone else might dispute. That's where the essay lives.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Brainstorm 10 essay topics drawn from your real opinions. Cross out the ones too obvious or too vague. Pick one. Draft three possible thesis statements for it.
3
Outlining the Argument
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
An essay is a journey for the reader. The outline is the map.
✓
Session ends · go outside
For Essay 1: write a full outline. Thesis. 3-5 main points. Evidence/example for each. Counterargument. Rebuttal. Conclusion. The outline should be detailed enough that the essay almost writes itself.
4
Drafting Essay 1, Part 1
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
First drafts are supposed to be ugly. Write the whole thing — fix it later.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the first draft of Essay 1. Aim for 600-800 words. Don't edit as you go — keep moving. Save the file. Tomorrow you revise.
W14
Evidence and Argument
What makes a claim convincing to someone who started off disagreeing?
4 days ›
1
Revising Essay 1: Cutting What Doesn't Serve
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
The first draft is for you. The second draft is for the reader.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Re-read Essay 1's draft. For every paragraph, ask: does this make my argument stronger? Cut anything that doesn't. Tighten what stays. Submit Essay 1 in its second-draft form.
2
Types of Evidence
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Statistics. Expert testimony. Personal experience. Historical example. Logical reasoning. Each carries different weight.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List five claims from Essay 1. For each, identify what KIND of evidence you used and what kind would make it even stronger. Note which kinds you tend to over-rely on.
3
Engaging the Counterargument
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Pretending the other side has no case is how you LOSE the argument. Steel-man them. Then answer them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
For Essay 2's topic (pick a new one or extension of Essay 1): write the BEST possible version of the opposite view in 200 words. Then write your rebuttal. Be honest about which side has stronger pieces.
4
Drafting Essay 2
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Round two. Apply what you learned from Essay 1.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the first draft of Essay 2 (700-900 words). Build the counterargument and rebuttal directly into the essay. Tomorrow you revise.
W15
Voice and Style
What makes writing sound like you, instead of like everyone else?
4 days ›
1
Revising Essay 2 + Voice Diagnosis
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Voice isn't decoration. It's the sound of your mind on paper.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Revise Essay 2. Then read it aloud. Mark sentences that sound like YOU and sentences that sound like a textbook. Rewrite three of the textbook ones in your real voice. Submit final Essay 2.
2
Sentence Variety and Rhythm
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
All long sentences = soup. All short sentences = staccato. Mix them like music.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take a paragraph from Essay 2. Rewrite it three ways: (1) all short sentences, (2) all long sentences, (3) mixed. Compare. Write a paragraph about what you noticed.
3
The Power of Specificity
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
'A dog' is generic. 'The black Labrador with one ear up' is alive. Specifics create reality.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take 10 vague phrases from your past writing. Rewrite each with concrete specifics. Use these techniques in Essay 3 (begin drafting today on a new topic).
4
Drafting Essay 3
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
By now, you have a process. Trust it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a full draft of Essay 3 (800-1000 words) on a topic of your choice. Apply everything: strong thesis, real evidence, counterargument, your voice, varied sentences, specifics.
W16
The Capstone Essay
Can you make me, the reader, see what you see?
4 days ›
1
Revising Essay 3
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Cut. Sharpen. Tighten. Polish.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Submit final Essay 3. Then choose Essay 4's topic — make it the most important thing you've thought about this stage. Brainstorm three thesis options.
2
Outlining Essay 4: The Capstone
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
This is the essay that proves you can do it. Make it count.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Build a deep outline for Essay 4 (target: 1000-1200 words). Thesis. 4-5 supporting points. Strongest evidence for each. Counter. Rebuttal. A conclusion that doesn't just summarize — it advances.
3
Drafting Essay 4
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Write through it. Don't stop. Don't edit. The full draft tonight.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write the first full draft of Essay 4. Whatever you do, do not stop until the conclusion is written. You'll fix it tomorrow.
4
Stage 4 Integration: Final Polish
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Reading aloud is the writer's most ruthless tool.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Revise Essay 4 in two passes: structural (does the argument flow?) and sentence-level (does every line earn its keep?). Read it aloud. Fix what trips your tongue. Submit. Then write a 1-paragraph reflection: what did you learn about your own thinking from writing four essays?
✿
Stage 5 · with Fern · 4 weeks

Sciences Deep

Pre-physics, pre-chemistry, biology — the foundations of how matter, energy, and life behave.

W17
Motion, Force, and Energy (Pre-Physics)
Why does anything move, and what makes it stop?
4 days ›
1
Newton's First Law: Inertia
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Things keep doing what they're doing — moving or resting — unless something pushes them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find five examples of inertia in your daily life (objects in motion AND objects at rest). For each, identify the force that eventually changes the situation. Write a paragraph defining inertia in your own words.
2
Newton's Second Law: F = ma
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Force = mass × acceleration. The bigger the mass, the bigger the force needed to speed it up.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Solve three problems applying F = ma. Example: A 5kg box accelerating at 2 m/s² — what force is acting on it? Then design and describe a real experiment you could do at home to test this law.
3
Newton's Third Law: Equal and Opposite
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
When you push on the world, the world pushes back exactly as hard.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List five everyday examples of action-reaction pairs (jumping, swimming, rocket launches). For each, identify both forces. Write a paragraph explaining why we don't notice this all the time.
4
Energy: Kinetic and Potential
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Energy never disappears — it just changes form. A ball rolling down a hill trades potential for kinetic.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Trace energy through a system: a hydroelectric dam, or a bicycle. Diagram every form (potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical) and where each conversion happens. Write a paragraph on what 'conservation of energy' really means.
W18
Atoms, Molecules, and Reactions (Pre-Chemistry)
What is everything made of, really?
4 days ›
1
The Atom: Protons, Neutrons, Electrons
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
All matter, every star, every cell — built from three particles.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw an accurate atom diagram for hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Label protons, neutrons, electrons, and shells. Write a paragraph: why is the periodic table organized the way it is?
2
The Periodic Table: A Map of Matter
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Mendeleev arranged atoms by behavior and predicted elements that didn't exist yet — and was right.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Choose a column (group) of the periodic table. Research what its elements have in common chemically. Write a 1-page report on why elements in the same group behave similarly — relate to electron shells.
3
Molecules and Bonds
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Atoms join in two main ways: sharing electrons (covalent) or stealing them (ionic). H₂O is sharing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw the molecular structure of water (H₂O), salt (NaCl), and methane (CH₄). For each, identify the type of bond and explain why those particular atoms join that way. Build models if you have materials.
4
Chemical Reactions: Rearranging the World
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Reactions don't create or destroy atoms — they just rearrange them. Mass is conserved.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write and balance three chemical equations: combustion of methane, formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen, and rusting of iron. For each, explain what's happening at the atomic level.
W19
Cells and Systems (Biology)
What is the smallest thing that's still alive?
4 days ›
1
The Cell: Life's Basic Unit
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Every plant, every animal, every fungus — built of cells. The cell is the floor of life.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draw a labeled diagram of a typical animal cell. Identify: nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, ER, membrane, cytoplasm. For each, write what it does in 1-2 sentences. Note the differences for plant cells.
2
Cells Specializing: From Single to System
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Your body has 200+ types of cells. Same DNA, very different jobs.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick five cell types (neuron, red blood cell, muscle, skin, sperm/egg). For each: how is its shape suited to its function? Write a paragraph: what does 'form follows function' mean in biology?
3
Body Systems Working Together
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Eleven major systems. None work alone. Lungs feed the blood, the heart feeds the brain, the brain controls the lungs.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Choose three body systems. Diagram how they cooperate during a single act (e.g., running, eating, sleeping). Identify failure points: if one system breaks, what happens to the others?
4
Homeostasis: The Body's Balancing Act
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Your body maintains temperature, pH, blood sugar, hydration — constantly, without your help.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick one homeostatic process (temperature, blood sugar, water balance). Diagram the feedback loop: what senses imbalance, what corrects it, what signals success. Write a paragraph on why life requires balance.
W20
Evolution: How Life Changes Over Time
How did this much variety of life come from one thing?
4 days ›
1
Variation, Selection, Inheritance
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Evolution rests on three pillars: organisms vary, some variations survive better, those traits get passed on.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a species (Darwin's finches, peppered moths, dogs). Trace how variation + selection + inheritance produced the modern species. Write a paragraph: what is 'survival of the fittest' really about? (It's not strength.)
2
Deep Time and Common Ancestry
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Whales and hippos share an ancestor. So do you and the bananas in your kitchen. Time + change explains it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Research three pieces of evidence for common ancestry: fossils, DNA similarity, embryo development. Write a 1-page summary. Note: belief in evolution doesn't require disbelief in meaning. They live in different categories.
3
Natural Selection in Real Time
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Industrial moths. Galápagos finches. Evolution is happening now.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a real case study of natural selection observed within a human lifetime. Summarize the variation, the selection pressure, and the resulting change. Discuss: what's selecting humans NOW?
4
Stage 5 Integration: From Atoms to Ecosystems
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Atoms make molecules. Molecules make cells. Cells make organisms. Organisms make ecosystems. Each level shows new properties.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 2-page essay tracing one complete chain: an atom of carbon → a glucose molecule → a plant cell → a deer eating the plant → a wolf eating the deer → carbon returning to the atmosphere. Show every transformation.
✦
Stage 6 · with Stardust · 4 weeks

The Architecture of Reality

Sacred geometry as honest mathematics. Platonic solids, Metatron's Cube, Sri Yantra, the golden ratio. Real math; metaphysical claims framed as tradition.

W21
The Five Platonic Solids
Why are there only five perfectly regular 3D shapes in the universe?
4 days ›
1
What Makes a Shape Regular
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
A Platonic solid: every face the same regular polygon, same vertex pattern everywhere. Try to make a sixth — you can't.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Define a regular polyhedron in your own words. Then prove (using Euler's formula V - E + F = 2 and angle constraints) why exactly five exist. This is not opinion — it's mathematical certainty.
2
Building the Tetrahedron, Cube, Octahedron
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Use paper, scissors, glue. Math you can hold.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct (paper or 3D-printed) the tetrahedron, cube, and octahedron. For each, count vertices, edges, and faces. Verify V - E + F = 2 every time. Write what you noticed about the pairs (cube/octahedron are 'duals').
3
Building the Dodecahedron and Icosahedron
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Twelve pentagons. Twenty triangles. The golden ratio hides inside both.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct the dodecahedron and icosahedron. Use a printable net if needed. Verify V - E + F = 2. Note: the ratios in the dodecahedron involve φ = 1.618... — calculate at least one and confirm.
4
Plato's Claim and What's True About It
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Plato assigned each solid to an element (fire, earth, air, water, cosmos). The mapping is poetic — the math is rigorous.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read Plato's Timaeus passage on the solids (summary or excerpt). Write a paragraph distinguishing: what's mathematically true (the existence of exactly 5), what's tradition (element correspondences), and what each level offers. Be honest about both.
W22
The Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence
Why does the same proportion show up in shells, sunflowers, and human faces?
4 days ›
1
The Fibonacci Sequence
⏱ 75 min
with River
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... each number is the sum of the two before. Found in nature constantly.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Calculate the first 20 Fibonacci numbers. Calculate the ratio between consecutive terms (8/5, 13/8, 21/13...). What number do they approach? Write what you observe.
2
The Golden Ratio φ ≈ 1.618
⏱ 75 min
with River
Two quantities are in golden proportion when the ratio of the whole to the larger equals the larger to the smaller.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Derive φ algebraically from the equation (a+b)/a = a/b. Solve for a/b. Confirm you get (1 + √5)/2 ≈ 1.618. Then construct a golden rectangle with ruler and compass.
3
φ in Nature
⏱ 75 min
with Fern
Sunflower spirals. Pinecone arrangements. Nautilus shells. Some claim faces too — that one's overstated, but the spirals are real.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find three examples of Fibonacci numbers or φ-spirals in nature (count the spirals on a pinecone, a flower head, a fruit). Photograph or sketch each. Note: how many are real and how many are pattern-matching wishfulness?
4
φ in Architecture and Art (Honest Edition)
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
The Parthenon, the Mona Lisa, etc. Some claims are real, many are exaggerated. Truth-test them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Investigate three classic 'golden ratio in art' claims. For each, measure or look up real proportions. Write a paragraph: which claims hold up, which don't, and what does that tell you about how patterns get over-claimed?
W23
Metatron's Cube and the Flower of Life
What's the math behind the patterns sacred traditions found beautiful?
4 days ›
1
The Flower of Life: Construction
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Start with a circle. Add six circles around it. Keep going. The pattern emerges from a single rule.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct the Flower of Life with compass alone (no measuring). Document each step. This is real geometry — found at sites across the ancient world. Note: a beautiful pattern doesn't require mystical claims to be worth understanding.
2
Metatron's Cube: 13 Circles, 78 Lines
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Connect the 13 centers of the Fruit of Life. Inside lives every Platonic solid — projected into 2D.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct Metatron's Cube. Trace within it the projections of all five Platonic solids — they're really there. Write a paragraph: what's real (the geometry) vs what's tradition (the name, attribution to angel Metatron)? Be honest about both.
3
The Vesica Piscis
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Two overlapping circles. Their intersection generates √3, square roots, equilateral triangles — and is the basis of the Flower.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Construct a vesica piscis. Prove (with high school geometry) that the height-to-width ratio is √3. Write a paragraph on how a single shape generates so many other constructions.
4
Pattern Recognition vs. Pattern Imposition
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Real patterns exist in math and nature. Fake patterns are imposed by minds desperate for meaning. The skill is telling them apart.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 1-page essay: What is the difference between a real mathematical pattern (like Fibonacci in pinecones) and pattern-imposition (like seeing faces in clouds)? Why is it important to keep the two separate? When does sacred geometry cross from one to the other?
W24
The Sri Yantra and the Symmetry of Symbols
Why have humans across cultures drawn similar shapes when reaching for the divine?
4 days ›
1
The Sri Yantra: Nine Interlocking Triangles
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Five downward, four upward. 43 smaller triangles emerge. The construction must be exact.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Attempt to construct a Sri Yantra. (Even mathematicians find it hard — the placement equations are non-trivial.) Document your steps. What broke? What did you learn about the relationship between math and reverence in Hindu tradition?
2
Symmetry in the Mandalas of Cultures
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Tibetan mandalas, Navajo sand paintings, rose windows in cathedrals. Different traditions, similar geometry.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Find three mandala-like designs from three cultures. Identify the symmetry types in each (rotational? reflective?). Write a paragraph: why might so many cultures independently use similar geometries when representing wholeness?
3
Symmetry as a Mathematical Concept
⏱ 75 min
with River
Symmetry isn't just visual. It's a property — the conditions under which something stays the same.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Define the four main symmetry types (translation, rotation, reflection, glide). For each, find one example in nature, one in art, one in math. Make a chart.
4
Stage 6 Integration: Math Is Real, Meaning Is Made
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Sacred geometry is honest math wearing the cloak of tradition. Both deserve honesty.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 2-page synthesis: what's mathematically real about sacred geometry (the constructions, the ratios, the symmetries) and what's culturally assigned (the meanings, the names, the metaphysics). Why is it useful to keep both — instead of just dismissing one or swallowing the other whole?
ᗒ
Stage 7 · with Sage · 4 weeks

History as Pattern

Civilization rise and fall, common myths across cultures, the monomyth, what history teaches about human nature.

W25
The Rise and Fall of Civilizations
Do civilizations follow a pattern, or does each one fall its own way?
4 days ›
1
What Makes a Civilization
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Cities, writing, agriculture, surplus, hierarchy, specialization. The recipe is consistent.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Define civilization in your own words. Apply your definition to: ancient Sumer, the Inca, modern Japan, an isolated tribe. Where does your definition succeed? Where does it strain?
2
Three Falls: Rome, the Maya, the Mongols
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Rome over centuries. The Maya from drought and warfare. The Mongols from succession crises. Different stories — common patterns.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Research the fall of one of: Rome, Maya, Mongols. List the contributing factors. Compare with the other two (use a peer's notes or summary). What's common across all three?
3
Common Causes of Collapse
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Resource depletion. Inequality. Civil division. Failed leadership. Environmental shift. Repeat.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List the top 5 causes of civilization collapse from your reading. For each, find one example from the past and one warning sign in the present. Write a paragraph on whether history really 'rhymes'.
4
Why Civilizations Last
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Some lasted thousands of years. What kept them going?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick a long-lasting civilization (Egypt, China, Rome at its peak, Byzantine). Identify three structural features that gave it durability. Compare with a short-lived empire. Write what you'd preserve and what you'd change about modern civilization.
W26
Common Myths Across Cultures
Why do unrelated cultures tell similar stories?
4 days ›
1
The Flood Myth
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Greek, Mayan, Indian, Native American. A flood story is everywhere.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read three flood myths from three traditions. Make a chart: who survives, why, what they save, what's promised after. What's common? What's distinct? What might explain both?
2
The Dying-and-Rising God
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Osiris, Persephone, Dionysus, Christ, Baldur. The same shape, different names.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read about two dying-and-rising figures from different traditions. Identify common elements (descent, sacrifice, return, transformation). Write a paragraph on what this archetype might be expressing about human experience — without flattening any tradition into another.
3
The Trickster
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Loki, Hermes, Anansi, Coyote. The boundary-crosser who teaches by breaking rules.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick three trickster figures across cultures. What role does each play? Why might every culture need a trickster figure? Write a paragraph on a modern trickster figure (real or fictional) and what they reveal.
4
Are These Stories Saying the Same Thing?
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Two views: collective unconscious (Jung) vs. universal human situations producing similar art. Probably both.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Take a position: WHY do unrelated cultures tell similar myths? Defend your answer with evidence. Steel-man the opposing view. Write a 2-page essay.
W27
The Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell's Monomyth)
Why do almost all great stories follow the same shape?
4 days ›
1
Campbell and the Monomyth
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Departure. Initiation. Return. Three acts. Twelve stages. Found across history's greatest stories.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a summary of Campbell's monomyth (Wikipedia, or 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' overview). List the 12 stages. For each, write one sentence summarizing what happens.
2
Mapping a Familiar Story to the Monomyth
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Star Wars. The Lion King. Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. The Odyssey. They all fit.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Choose one favorite movie or novel. Map it to all 12 stages of the monomyth. Note where it deviates and why. Write a paragraph: does the structure improve the story, or do you wish it broke the mold?
3
Why This Pattern? The Psychology of Story
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Maybe the hero's journey is a map of growing up. Departure from childhood. Trials. Return as someone new.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Map your own life onto the monomyth so far. Where are you in the story? Note: you're young — most of you is still 'departure'. Write a 1-page reflection on what 'the call to adventure' looks like in your life right now.
4
Stories We Tell Ourselves
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Your life is also a story — the one you tell about yourself shapes who you become.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write your own life story to date in 500 words — as if it were a hero's journey. Identify your call, refusals, mentors, allies, ordeals so far. Save this; revisit at year-end.
W28
What History Teaches About Human Nature
Are humans fundamentally good, evil, or something more complex?
4 days ›
1
The Pessimist's Case (Hobbes)
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Hobbes: without society, life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' Civilization is a fragile dam.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a summary of Hobbes' Leviathan. Write a 1-page steel-man defense of his view. Cite three historical events that support him. (You don't have to agree — just argue it well.)
2
The Optimist's Case (Rousseau)
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Rousseau: humans are born good; society corrupts them. Civilization is the wound, not the cure.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a summary of Rousseau's view. Write a 1-page steel-man defense. Cite three historical events or modern phenomena that support him. Note where he and Hobbes agree on the problem and disagree on the cause.
3
The Realist's Case (Mixed)
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Modern psychology says: we're capable of profound good and profound evil, often at once. Behavior depends on the situation.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read about ONE classic psychology study (Milgram, Stanford Prison, the Bystander Effect, or a Rwandan genocide account). What does it say about human nature? Write a paragraph: do situations make people behave badly, or do they reveal what was always there?
4
Stage 7 Integration: Pattern Without Determinism
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
History rhymes. People don't have to. The patterns warn us; they don't condemn us.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 2-page essay: what does history teach us about human nature, and what is it our job — yours specifically — to do about it? Reference at least 3 things you've learned this stage.
❀
Stage 8 · with Ember · 4 weeks

Capstone Project Phase 1: Plan

Choose a project that will define your year. Research deeply. Plan rigorously. The plan IS half the work.

W29
Choosing the Right Project
What's worth two months of your life?
4 days ›
1
Brainstorming: Wide and Honest
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Don't pick the impressive-sounding one. Pick the one you'll still want to do in week 8.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Brainstorm 20 possible capstone projects. Examples: write a novella, build a website, start a small business, learn an instrument, teach a younger child, code a game, train for a physical feat. Be wild — narrow later.
2
Filtering: Three Criteria
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Will it stretch me? Can I actually finish it? Do I care after the novelty wears off?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Score your top 5 ideas against three criteria (1-5): stretches me, finishable, sustained interest. Total each. Pick the top 2. Write a paragraph for each on why it survived.
3
The Decision
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Choosing means letting go of what you didn't choose. That's the cost of doing one thing well.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick your capstone. Write a 1-page commitment letter to yourself describing: what you're doing, why this and not the other, what success looks like, what you're willing to sacrifice. Sign and date.
4
Defining 'Done'
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Without a finish line, projects sprawl forever. Define what 'finished' looks like — concretely.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a precise definition of 'finished' for your capstone. Examples: 'A 15,000-word novella, complete, print-ready.' 'A live website at a real URL with at least 5 sections.' 'A small business with first paying customer.' Pin it where you'll see it.
W30
Research Phase
What do you need to know that you don't know yet?
4 days ›
1
Mapping Your Ignorance
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Before research, know what you don't know. List every question your project raises.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List 30+ questions you'd need answers to in order to finish your capstone. Group them: technical, creative, logistical, financial. Star the 5 you most need to answer first.
2
Finding Real Sources
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Books, courses, mentors, documentation. Not just the first Google result.
✓
Session ends · go outside
For each starred question from yesterday, identify your best source: a specific book, person, course, or repository. Build a research schedule for the week.
3
Deep Read / Deep Watch / Deep Listen
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
An hour of deep reading on the right source beats ten hours of skim.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Spend 90 minutes today on ONE source related to your project. Take real notes (paper or doc). Write a 1-page summary of what you learned and what new questions appeared.
4
Finding a Mentor (or a Substitute)
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Anyone who's done what you're trying to do can save you weeks of mistakes — even from a distance.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Identify a real mentor or 'substitute mentor' (a creator whose work models the path). If a real person, draft a respectful outreach message — short, specific, easy to say yes to. Send it tomorrow.
W31
Planning Phase
How do you turn a vision into a sequence of doable actions?
4 days ›
1
Breaking Down the Mountain
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
A 15,000-word novella = 30 chapters of 500 words = 60 days of writing 250 words. Now it's doable.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Break your capstone into milestones (3-5 of them). Then break each milestone into weekly tasks. Then break this week's tasks into daily steps. The smaller the step, the more likely you are to take it.
2
The Build Schedule
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Calendar it. If it's not on the calendar, it doesn't exist.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Build a real schedule for weeks 33-36 (your build phase). Block specific times for capstone work. Include buffer time for setbacks. Write the rule you'll live by (e.g., 'I work on capstone every weekday from 4-5:30').
3
Anticipating Setbacks
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Things will go wrong. Plan for the most likely failures NOW, when you're calm.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List 5 likely setbacks. For each, write the 'if-then' plan. (E.g., 'If I miss 3 days in a row, then I write a 200-word check-in journal and start with the smallest possible step.') This is your insurance policy.
4
The Plan Document
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Write it down so completely that even Future-You can follow it on a bad day.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Compile a 4-6 page Capstone Plan Document. Sections: Vision, Definition of Done, Milestones, Weekly Schedule, Risks & Contingencies, Resources, First-Week Tasks. Print it. Keep it visible.
W32
Final Prep + Soft Launch
How will Future-You feel when this is finished?
4 days ›
1
Pre-Mortem: Why Will You Fail?
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Imagine, vividly, that you fail. List every reason. Address each one in your plan now.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Imagine your capstone failed. Write a 1-page 'pre-mortem': what went wrong? Distraction? Loss of motivation? Underestimated complexity? Then write counter-strategies for the top three.
2
Telling Someone What You're Doing
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Public commitment changes the math. Tell someone who'll ask about your progress.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Choose one accountability partner — a parent, sibling, friend, or mentor. Tell them exactly what you're doing and ask them to check in weekly. Schedule the first check-in. Send the calendar invite.
3
Soft Start: Day 1 of Build
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Don't wait for the official 'start.' Start the smallest piece today. Momentum compounds.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Do the FIRST real piece of work on your capstone — 30-60 minutes minimum. Document what you did. The plan is no longer theoretical; the project has begun.
4
Stage 8 Integration: Plan Locked
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
You have a project, a plan, a schedule, contingencies, accountability. Now you build.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read your full Capstone Plan Document aloud. Make any final tweaks. Write a 1-paragraph 'opening statement' of why this work matters to you. Tomorrow: Stage 9 begins, and the plan meets reality.
❀
Stage 9 · with Ember · 4 weeks

Capstone Project Phase 2: Build

Execute the project. Document the process. Navigate setbacks. Finish what you started.

W33
Build Week 1: Momentum
How do you keep going when the novelty has worn off?
4 days ›
1
Showing Up on a Hard Day
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Pros work when they don't feel like it. That's the only difference.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Work your scheduled capstone block today, no matter what. Even if it's 10 minutes. At end of session, journal: what was hard? What did I produce anyway? The fact that you showed up matters more than the output.
2
The Build Log Begins
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Document the journey. Future-You will need this. So will anyone you teach.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Start a Build Log file. From now on, after every capstone session, write 3-5 sentences: what you did, what worked, what didn't, what's next. This log will become a record of becoming.
3
Hitting the First Real Obstacle
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
It will happen this week. The plan never survives contact with reality.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Identify today's obstacle (technical, motivational, logistical). Write what it is, what's blocking the next step, and three possible paths forward. Pick one. Take the first step on it.
4
Week 1 Review
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Compare actual progress to planned progress. Honest math, no shame.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Compare what you planned for week 33 to what you actually did. Calculate completion percentage. Adjust week 34's plan to reflect reality. Celebrate the part you did finish.
W34
Build Week 2: The Middle
How do you survive the messy middle, when the project feels like a disaster?
4 days ›
1
Resistance Recognized
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Steven Pressfield's Resistance: a force inside you that hates creative work. Naming it weakens it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Read a brief on 'Resistance' (from The War of Art, or summary). Write today's encounter with it: what did Resistance whisper to make you avoid the work? How did you respond?
2
The Quality Crisis
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Around now you'll think your work is bad. Most projects look like garbage in week 2. Keep going.
✓
Session ends · go outside
If your work feels bad, name it: 'I am in the messy middle. The work always looks worst here.' Keep working anyway. Write 3 honest sentences about the quality crisis in your build log.
3
Tightening the Loop
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Are you spending more time planning than doing? Time to shift the ratio.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Audit your last 5 sessions: how much time spent doing vs. preparing? If prep > 30% of time, cut that ratio. Schedule one session this week that is pure execution, no prep.
4
Week 2 Review + Recalibration
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Halfway. Time to look at what's still in front of you with fresh eyes.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Review weeks 33-34. What's actually been built? What's still ahead? Do you need to cut scope to finish? Be ruthlessly realistic. Update the Definition of Done if necessary — and explain why.
W35
Build Week 3: Pushing Through
What's the difference between perseverance and stubbornness?
4 days ›
1
When to Push, When to Pivot
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Smart people quit bad plans. Stubborn ones double down. Knowing which is which is a skill.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Honestly assess: is your remaining plan still achievable, or are you forcing it? List signs of each. Decide: push, pivot, or shrink scope. Write the decision in your build log with reasoning.
2
Asking for Help
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Pros ask for help. Amateurs hide their struggle. Don't be precious.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Identify one specific thing on your capstone you can't easily figure out alone. Ask someone (mentor, parent, friend, online community) a precise, well-formulated question about it. Document who you asked and what you learned.
3
The Sprint
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
When stuck in the middle, sometimes the cure is a hard, focused sprint of work.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Schedule a 2-3 hour focused sprint on your capstone today. No phone, no breaks longer than 5 min. Document what you produced. Note the difference between sprint output and normal output.
4
Week 3 Review: The Path Home
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Last build week starts Monday. Plan it like a final exam.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List exactly what's still required to hit Definition of Done. Map every remaining task to a day in week 36. Identify the riskiest unfinished task — schedule it FIRST in week 4.
W36
Build Week 4: Finish
What does it take to actually cross the finish line?
4 days ›
1
The Riskiest Task First
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Whatever you've been avoiding — do it Monday. Don't end the week with the hardest piece undone.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Tackle your hardest unfinished task today. Document the process — even (especially) if it's painful. Note: this is the move that separates finishers from quitters.
2
Polish Pass
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Now make it good. The difference between 'done' and 'done well' is in the last 10%.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Review what you've built. List 10 small things that could improve it (typos, clearer wording, cleaner code, better images, more elegant structure). Fix as many as you can.
3
Final Push
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Today is the last build day. Whatever's left, finish it.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Work until you can mark Definition of Done as TRUE. If you can't get all the way there, document precisely how close you got and what's missing. Be honest. Commit to either finishing tomorrow or accepting the version you have.
4
Stage 9 Integration: Finished (or Almost)
⏱ 75 min
with Ember
Whether you finished or fell short, you DID it. Now you know what 4 weeks of focused work feels like.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 2-page 'build memoir': what you set out to do, what you actually built, what you learned about yourself, what you'll do differently next time. Save this — it's evidence of what you're capable of.
✦
Stage 10 · with Stardust · 4 weeks

Year Review & Self-Assessment

Capstone presentation, deep self-reflection, a letter to your future self, and a plan for the next year. Closing the loop with intention.

W37
Capstone Presentation
How do you present your work in a way that does it justice?
4 days ›
1
Preparing the Presentation
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
A presentation isn't decoration. It's the work of teaching others what you learned by doing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Plan your capstone presentation. Format options: live talk, slide deck, written report, video, demo. Whoever your audience (family, mentor, peers), what do you most want them to understand? Build an outline.
2
Drafting the Talk
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Tell the story: vision → struggle → result → meaning. Don't list features. Show transformation.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draft your full presentation. Open with the vision. Walk through the hardest moment. Show what you actually built. Close with what you learned about yourself. Aim for 8-15 minutes if spoken, 1500-2500 words if written.
3
Rehearsal and Polish
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
The first time you say it aloud, you'll find the dead spots. The second time, you'll fix them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Run your full presentation aloud (or in writing) twice. Time it. Cut what's slow. Add anything missing. Practice the opening and closing until they're crisp.
4
Presentation Day
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Show up. Deliver. Receive feedback. This is the public face of months of private work.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Present to your real audience. Take questions. Take notes on what they asked and what they understood vs. missed. Write a 1-page reflection on the experience of presenting your own work.
W38
Deep Self-Reflection
Who have you become, and how do you know?
4 days ›
1
Comparing Now-Self to Year-Ago-Self
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Read what you wrote in week 1. Then look at where you are now. Don't be modest — be accurate.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Re-read your week 1 self-portrait, your integrity letter, your initiative commitments. What changed? What didn't? Write a 2-page comparison: who I was, who I am, what shifted, and how I know.
2
What I Know Now That I Didn't Know Then
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Inventory your knowledge — not just facts, but ways of seeing.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List 25 things you can now do, think, or understand that you couldn't a year ago. For each, write a one-sentence proof. (Bonus: which 3 are you proudest of?)
3
What I Got Wrong
⏱ 75 min
with Sage
Honest review includes the misses. Not for shame — for learning.
✓
Session ends · go outside
List 5 things you got wrong this year — beliefs that turned out false, projects that failed, relationships you mishandled, commitments you broke. For each, write what the lesson is. No shame. Just data.
4
The Stage Ahead
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
What new stage of yourself is starting now?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Write a 1-page meditation: what new chapter is opening? Not 'goals' — character. Who are you becoming next? What does the next-stage version of you do that you don't yet?
W39
Letter to Your Future Self
What do you want the older you to remember?
4 days ›
1
Drafting the Letter (5 Years Ahead)
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Write to the version of you who is 5 years older. Tell them what you're afraid of, hopeful for, and what you don't want to forget.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Draft a letter to 5-years-from-now-you. What do you want them to remember about now? What are you afraid they'll forget? What promises do you want to bind them to? Aim for 1-2 pages.
2
Refining the Letter
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Re-read it. Cut the fluff. Add the lines that actually matter.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Rewrite the letter, this time as if it absolutely had to be readable in 5 years. Cut anything generic. Sharpen the specific. Make it sound like you, not like an inspirational poster.
3
Sealing the Letter
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Write it on paper. Seal it. Date it. Put it somewhere you'll find in 5 years.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Handwrite the final letter. Sign and date it. Seal in an envelope. Write 'Open in [year + 5]' on it. Give it to a parent or store it where you'll know to find it. This is a real promise to a real future person.
4
The Promise You Make Today
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
What is the ONE thing you commit to today, knowing you'll be held accountable in 5 years?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make ONE clear, specific, ambitious promise to your future self. Write it separately from the letter. Tape it where you'll see it weekly. Tell at least one other person what you committed to.
W40
Planning Year Two
Now that you know what you can do, what will you do next?
4 days ›
1
Year One Review: The Honest Audit
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Across all 10 stages, what's strongest in you now? What's still weak?
✓
Session ends · go outside
Make a 10-row chart, one per stage. For each: rate your retention/integration (1-10), name the most valuable thing you took, and identify what you'd revisit. Be honest, not generous.
2
Choosing Year Two's Themes
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Don't try to fix everything. Pick 2-3 themes. Build the next year around them.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Pick 2-3 themes for next year. (Examples: 'Master geometry and trig.' 'Ship a public creative project.' 'Become physically formidable.') Write each as a one-sentence intention. Each should stretch you but be reachable.
3
Year Two: The Plan
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
Draft a rough plan for next year — like the capstone plan, but for your whole self.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Build a 3-5 page draft plan for Year Two. Sections: Themes, Skills to Build, Books to Read, Habits to Establish, Projects to Ship, People to Learn From, Quarterly Milestones. Treat yourself as worth this kind of plan.
4
Stage 10 Integration: The Closing Ritual
⏱ 75 min
with Stardust
You started this year as one person. You finish as another. Mark the change.
✓
Session ends · go outside
Hold a small closing ritual for yourself — alone or with family. Read aloud the version of you from week 1. Read aloud the version of you now (from week 38). Burn the things you want to release; keep the rest. Take a photo. Then begin Year Two.

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