Summer 2026 · GT Prep · Helms · K–5 HISD

Your kid worked hard this year. Don't let summer undo it.

Cusp keeps HISD K–5 brains academically wired all summer — 15–45 min/day, narrated by Mrs. Jessica, genuinely fun. Eight tracks: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, plus GT/Vanguard prep and Helms dual-language. Sprints come in 3-day, 5-day, or 1-week shapes — pick the pacing that fits your kid.

8 tracksK · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · GT · Helms
Sprints3-day · 5-day · 1-week pacing
EN + ESbilingual engine
K
Adventure World ⭐
Reading CVC words ✓
3
Quest Explorer 🧠 · math
12 × 12 in 4s
5
Launch Pad 🚀 · ELA
3-paragraph essay
26/27
HISD curriculum
Every TEKS standard for the target grade in ELA & Math, sequenced into 3-day, 5-day, or 1-week adaptive sprints — the kid finishes a sprint when they master the concept, not on a calendar day.
+1.5
Grade levels by August
We don't stop at grade level. Each track stretches into the first quarter of the next grade before fall starts.
200+
Interactive activities
Real games, not slideshows. Math races, phonics puzzles, a real typing tutor, weekly bosses.
0
Worksheets sent home
Everything runs on the platform. Tablet, laptop, Chromebook. Parents get a Friday progress digest.
Learning tracks

Built for the leap your child is actually about to make.

Eight tracks: every grade from K through 5, plus GT/Vanguard prep and Helms dual-language. Same platform, same teacher voice, same adaptive sprint engine — different front door depending on your family's path.

Track 01
Adventure World ⭐
Entering K · Ages 4–5 · finished Pre-K
3-day, 5-day, or 1-week sprints
Reads simple sentences, writes their name, adds within 20.
ELA26 letter sounds · CVC blending · 100 sight words · first decodables
Math0–100 counting · +/− within 20 · shapes · time to the hour
See full track →
Track 02
Rocket Academy 🚀
Entering 1st · Ages 5–6
3-day, 5-day, or 1-week sprints
Fluent CVC reading, sentence writing, +/− within 100.
ELALong vowels · digraphs · sight-word fluency · beginning paragraphs
Math+/− within 100 · place value to 120 · fact families · time to half-hour
See full track →
Track 03
Discovery Lab 🔢
Entering 2nd · Ages 6–7
3-day, 5-day, or 1-week sprints
Chapter books, 3-sentence paragraphs, regrouping to 1,000.
ELAMulti-syllable decoding · fluent reading · paragraph writing
MathPlace value to 1,000 · regrouping · 2s/5s/10s mult · time to minute
See full track →
Track 04
Quest Explorer 🧠
Entering 3rd · Ages 7–8 · the year STAAR begins
3-day, 5-day, or 1-week sprints
Multiplication 0–12 cold, multi-paragraph writing, STAAR-ready.
ELAComprehension across genres · paragraph & story writing · roots
Math× 0–12 to automaticity · ÷ · fractions on number line · word problems
See full track →
Track 05
Mission Control 🔬
Entering 4th · Ages 8–9
3-day, 5-day, or 1-week sprints
Multi-paragraph essays, multi-digit ×/÷, fractions & decimals.
ELATheme · evidence-based writing · multi-paragraph essays · POV
MathMulti-digit ×/÷ · equivalent fractions · decimals to hundredths
See full track →
Track 06
Launch Pad 🚀
Entering 5th · Ages 9–10 · prep for middle school
3-day, 5-day, or 1-week sprints
5-paragraph essays, fraction/decimal fluency, middle-school ready.
ELALiterary & informational analysis · 5-paragraph essay · research
MathFraction/decimal/% ops · volume · coordinate plane · expressions
See full track →
Track 07
The Lab ✨
GT Prep · K / 3rd / 5th identification testing
Focused sprint program
Calibrated to the GT/Vanguard identification test format.
VerbalAnalogies · classifications · sentence completion · 1–2 grades above
ReasonFigure rotation · pattern matrices · paper-folding · number series
See full track →
Track 08
El Puente 🌉
Helms 3rd→4th · Ages 8–9 · EN + ES bilingual
Bilingual sprint program
Bilingual reader, fluent ×/÷ in both languages, Helms-ready.
ELAComprehension across EN+ES · paragraph writing in both · cognates
Math×/÷ fluency · fractions · place value to 1,000,000 · narrated in both
See full track →
How it works

Not a tutoring session. A daily product.

Most "summer programs" are worksheets plus a teacher reviewing last year. Cusp is software designed like a flagship app — children open it the way they open a game — paired with a weekly human check-in.

15–45 min, daily

Short, focused sessions a child can actually finish — about 15 minutes on a tired day, 45 on a great one. Designed for the attention span of a real child after lunch, not an ideal one in a brochure.

Adaptive pacing

If a child masters a sprint in two days, the platform moves to the next one. If they stall, it loops the concept with new examples instead of pushing forward. Mastery, not seat time.

Live human check-in

Every Friday, a 20-minute video call with a credentialed teacher. They review the week, set the next week's stretch goal, and answer parent questions.

Parent dashboard

Friday digest: what was mastered, what's still shaky, exactly which standards. No guessing. No grade-school jargon. See a sample →

The plan

Adaptive sprints. Mapped to TEKS. Built to finish ahead.

This is the Quest Explorer 🧠 track (entering 3rd) shown below. Every world has the same structure with grade-appropriate units. Click a sprint on the platform to see the daily lesson plan.

SPRINT 01
Place value & reading routines
SPRINT 02
Multi-digit add/sub & main idea
SPRINT 03
Multiplication intro & fiction structure
SPRINT 04
×0–6 fluency & informational text
SPRINT 05
×7–12 fluency & paragraph writing
SPRINT 06
Division & story writing
SPRINT 07
Fractions on a number line & vocabulary
SPRINT 08
Equivalent fractions & research summary
SPRINT 09
Area & perimeter & persuasive writing
SPRINT 10
Stretch into Mission Control · review & mastery check
The platform

Four modules. One per day. Real software.

Each child opens the platform on their tablet or laptop and gets a daily plate: one math, one ELA, one typing, one mini-game. The whole thing is designed.

TEKS coverage

Everything HISD will teach next year. Then some.

This is the high-level map. Each item below corresponds to specific TEKS standards your child will leave the summer fluent in — not just exposed to.

⭐ Adventure World · K
🚀 Rocket Academy · 1st
🔢 Discovery Lab · 2nd
🧠 Quest Explorer · 3rd
🔬 Mission Control · 4th
🚀 Launch Pad · 5th
✨ The Lab · GT Vanguard
🌉 El Puente · Helms

ELA · Reading & writing

  • All 26 uppercase & lowercase letters & sounds
  • Phonemic awareness: rhyming, blending, segmenting
  • Read 100 high-frequency sight words
  • Blend & read CVC words (cat, bug, hop)
  • Read level-A and level-B decodable books
  • Write first & last name; write a complete sentence
  • Retell a story with beginning, middle, end
  • Stretch: Begin digraphs (sh, ch, th) — 1st-grade unit 1

Math · Number & reasoning

  • Count, read, write numbers 0–100
  • Compare numbers (greater/less/equal) to 20
  • Add & subtract within 20 using ten-frames
  • Identify 2D & 3D shapes; describe attributes
  • Sort, classify, & pattern
  • Measure with non-standard units; compare lengths
  • Tell time to the hour on analog clocks
  • Stretch: Place value to 50 — 1st-grade unit 1

ELA · Reading & writing

  • Read CVCe (long-vowel) words, digraphs, blends
  • Read 220 high-frequency sight words fluently
  • Decode 2-syllable words; identify base + ending
  • Retell a story with characters, setting, beginning/middle/end
  • Write a 3-sentence focused paragraph with capital + period
  • Identify nouns, verbs, adjectives in context
  • Question words: who, what, when, where, why
  • Stretch: 2nd-grade compound words & contractions

Math · Place value & operations

  • Place value to 120; tens & ones
  • Add & subtract within 100 with regrouping
  • Skip-count by 2s, 5s, 10s; word problems
  • Tell time to the half-hour on analog & digital clocks
  • Identify coins & bills; basic money problems
  • Measure length with rulers (inches & cm)
  • Compose & partition 2D shapes; identify 3D solids
  • Stretch: Place value to 1,000 — 2nd-grade unit 1

ELA · Reading & writing

  • Read fiction & nonfiction at 2nd-grade level fluently
  • Long vowels, vowel teams (ai, ee, oa), r-controlled vowels
  • Decode multi-syllable words; prefixes (un-, re-)
  • Compare characters across stories; identify central message
  • Write a focused narrative with sequence words
  • Compound sentences; subject-verb agreement
  • Capitalization, ending punctuation, commas in series
  • Stretch: 3rd-grade paragraph structure & topic sentence

Math · Place value, regrouping, intro to multiplication

  • Place value to 1,200; expanded form
  • Add & subtract within 1,000 with regrouping
  • Multiplication as repeated addition; arrays
  • Tell time to the minute; AM/PM, elapsed time intro
  • Measure with rulers, balances; compare attributes
  • Partition shapes into equal halves, thirds, fourths
  • Bar graphs, pictographs; interpret data
  • Stretch: Multiplication facts 0–5 — 3rd-grade unit 1

ELA · Reading & writing

  • Read fiction & nonfiction at 3rd-grade level fluently
  • Identify main idea & supporting details
  • Compare characters, settings, plot across stories
  • Vocabulary in context; prefixes, suffixes, roots
  • Write a focused paragraph with topic & closing
  • Write a 3-paragraph narrative & informational piece
  • Grammar: parts of speech, complete sentences, punctuation
  • Stretch: 4th-grade research summary & cite a source

Math · Number, operations, fractions

  • Place value to 100,000; rounding
  • Multi-digit add & subtract with regrouping
  • Multiplication facts 0–12 to automaticity (≤3 sec)
  • Division as inverse of multiplication
  • Fractions on a number line; equivalent fractions
  • Compare fractions with same numerator or denominator
  • Area & perimeter; tell time to the minute
  • Stretch: 4th-grade multi-digit multiplication intro

ELA · Reading, writing, expository

  • Read literary & informational at 4th-grade level fluently
  • Draw inferences; cite text evidence to support
  • Summarize main idea + key details across passages
  • Write a 5-paragraph expository essay
  • Persuasive writing: claim, reasons, evidence
  • Grammar: complex sentences, prepositional phrases, conjunctions
  • Greek & Latin roots (form, struct, scribe)
  • Stretch: 5th-grade argumentative essay with counter-argument

Math · Multi-digit operations, fractions, decimals

  • Multi-digit multiplication (4-digit × 1-digit, 2-digit × 2-digit)
  • Long division (4-digit ÷ 1-digit) with remainders
  • Fractions: add & subtract with like denominators
  • Decimals to hundredths; compare & order
  • Area & perimeter of complex figures
  • Classify shapes by lines, angles, symmetry
  • Multi-step word problems with all four operations
  • Stretch: 5th-grade unlike-denominator fractions & decimal ops

ELA · Reading, writing, research

  • Analyze theme, point of view, author's craft
  • Compare across genres & texts
  • 5-paragraph essay (intro, 3 body, conclusion)
  • Argumentative writing with evidence & counter
  • Research a topic; cite sources; outline
  • Grammar: clauses, conjunctions, agreement, mechanics
  • Word roots: Greek & Latin (port, scribe, photo, bio)
  • Stretch: 6th-grade rhetorical devices & thesis statements

Math · Fractions, decimals, algebra prep

  • Add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions
  • Add, subtract, multiply, divide decimals to thousandths
  • Order of operations & numerical expressions
  • Volume of rectangular prisms; nets & surface area intro
  • Coordinate plane: plot & interpret points
  • Multi-step word problems with all four operations
  • Convert measurement units (customary & metric)
  • Stretch: 6th-grade ratio & percent reasoning

CogAT · Verbal & Quantitative

  • Verbal analogies (cat:mammal :: oak:?)
  • Verbal classification — find the word that doesn't belong
  • Sentence completion with grade-level vocabulary
  • Number series & number puzzles (sequence prediction)
  • Number analogies (3:6 :: 5:?)
  • Quantitative reasoning with patterns & rules
  • Audio-narrated practice rounds (teacher voice)
  • HISD-aligned: matches K & 3rd-grade Vanguard composition

Nonverbal · Iowa-style passages

  • NNAT figure matrices (2×2 & 3×3 patterns)
  • Figure analogies & figure classification
  • Paper folding & spatial reasoning
  • Iowa-style reading passages with inference questions
  • Iowa-style math word problems (multi-step)
  • Pacing strategy: read once, answer, move on
  • Test-day routine practice (timed sets)
  • First sprint free — see if it clicks before paying

ELA · 4th-grade in English + Spanish

  • 4th-grade literary & informational reading in both languages
  • Cross-language vocabulary transfer (cognates, false cognates)
  • Expository writing in EN; expositive writing in ES
  • Spanish-language phonics: tildes, accents, ñ patterns
  • Grammar parallels: EN past-tense vs ES preterite/imperfect
  • Audio narration by a real bilingual teacher (not synthetic)
  • Cultural literacy: Hispanic authors at 4th-grade reading level
  • Helms-specific: 3rd→4th dual-language bridge prep

Math · 4th-grade in English + Spanish

  • Multi-digit multiplication & division in EN + ES
  • Fractions: add, subtract, compare in both languages
  • Decimals to hundredths in both languages
  • Word problems with bilingual vocabulary (suma, resta, producto)
  • Geometry terms in both languages (perímetro, ángulo)
  • Code-switching strategies for problem-solving
  • Measurement conversions: metric ↔ customary
  • Helms-specific: tracks 4th-grade Helms TEKS in EN + ES
Built for HISD families — GT, Helms, and beyond

A platform designed around how HISD kids actually learn.

Cusp started at Oak Forest Elementary and expanded across HISD. The pacing, the standards, the bilingual engine — all calibrated to what HISD will actually do in August 2026, from Vanguard GT identification to Helms dual-language 4th grade.

Short sprints with mastery checks replace the slog. A Foundation Check catches gaps before they become anxiety. Mrs. Jessica narrates every walkthrough in a warm teacher voice. Kids want to come back.

North Loop · 610 Oak Forest Elementary 1401 W 43rd St · HISD Garden Oaks The Heights Shepherd Park
Questions

The honest version of the FAQ.

Is this realistic? Can my child really make a full grade's progress over a summer of sprints?
Most school weeks aren't 45 minutes of focused instruction in each subject — they're 45 minutes of transitions, classroom management, and group work. Cusp is 45 minutes of just the instruction, daily, one-on-one with the platform, with no time lost. That's why the math works out. We're not promising a child becomes a different child — we're removing the friction that consumes most of a normal school day.
What devices do we need?
Any tablet, Chromebook, or laptop made in the last five years. The platform is browser-based. A physical keyboard is required for the typing modules in 3rd and 5th — a Bluetooth one works fine if you only have a tablet.
What if my child doesn't keep up?
The platform adapts. If a child is behind on a concept, it loops that concept instead of advancing. The Friday teacher session is when we recalibrate. Worst case: a child finishes the on-grade material but not the "stretch quarter" — and they still start fall ahead of their classroom.
What if my child is ahead?
Same mechanism. Mastery unlocks the next unit immediately. Children who finish the stretch quarter early get access to a curated reading list, math puzzle set, and an optional research project that gets bound into a small printed book at the end of summer.
Is this aligned to Oak Forest's specific curriculum?
Yes — we built the sequence to match HISD's 2026–27 ELA and Math scope & sequence for all eight tracks (K through 5, plus GT Vanguard prep and Helms dual-language), and confirmed the Oak Forest unit pacing across grades. The Friday teacher session is run by a credentialed Texas teacher familiar with HISD.
Can we drop in mid-summer?
Yes, prorated. The platform places a late-starting child at the right entry point based on a 10-minute placement on the first session. We don't recommend starting after Sprint 4 if the goal is to finish the full curriculum, but it's possible.

Open the platform. Try the first lesson.

Every track — Adventure World ⭐, Rocket Academy 🚀, Discovery Lab 🔢, Quest Explorer 🧠, Mission Control 🔬, Launch Pad 🚀, The Lab ✨, El Puente 🌉 — is live in the platform right now.

Open the platform →