FlyingMindsWhat do I do today?
FlyingMinds has a lot in it — so here's the simple version. Twenty minutes a day, most days, following the routine below is all it takes to become a stronger reader, writer, and test-taker. When you're not sure what to do, just do these three things in order.
Your daily plan
Three steps. About 20 minutes. Do them in order.
Warm up with Fred
Open Fred's Grammar & Vocabulary coach and do one short round. Fred asks, you answer, Fred explains — it wakes up your brain and fixes the small mistakes that cost points at school.
⏱ about 5 minutesDo one Interactive Lesson
Go to Interactive Lessons and pick one at your grade. Read the story and the paired nonfiction, answer the checkpoints as you go, and write the short response at the end. This is the heart of your day — real reading and real writing.
⏱ about 15 minutesTest coming up? Add one Test Prep skill
Only if a school test is on the calendar (CogAT, Iowa, MAP, SAT/ACT): finish with one Test Prep skill lesson. Learn the skill first, then drill it. Skip this step on normal days.
⏱ about 10 minutes · only when neededThe parts of FlyingMinds — and when to use each
Four tools, four jobs. Use the one that matches what you need today.
Interactive Lessons
Connected fiction + nonfiction that build reading, vocabulary, and writing together.
Use when: it's a normal school day and you want to get better at reading and writing.
Open lessons →Fred (Grammar & Vocab)
A friendly coach that drills grammar and vocabulary in short, chatty rounds.
Use when: you have 5 minutes, or writing feels messy and you want it to come out clean.
Practice with Fred →Test Prep
CogAT, Iowa, SAT/ACT and benchmark skills — learn the thinking, then practice it.
Use when: a gifted, placement, or standardized test is coming up at school.
Open test prep →Trainers & Reading Lab
The Essay Trainer and Story Trainer walk you through writing step by step. Reading Lab lets you read about what you love.
Use when: you have a writing assignment, or you just want to read something fun.
See all →A week at FlyingMinds
A sample rhythm. Adjust it to your life — the point is most days, a little.
| Monday | Warm up with Fred + one reading lesson |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Warm up with Fred + one reading lesson |
| Wednesday | Warm up with Fred + Essay or Story Trainer (writing day) |
| Thursday | Warm up with Fred + one reading lesson |
| Friday | Reading Lab — read about something you love, your way |
| Weekend | Rest — or add Test Prep if a test is coming up |
How this makes you better at school
Every part of the routine connects to something your teacher grades.
- Reading lessons → you understand harder texts in every subject — science, history, even word problems in math.
- Writing with the Trainers → your essays and short answers get clearer, and structured — the thing teachers reward.
- Fred (grammar & vocab) → fewer red marks on your writing, and stronger words to use in class.
- Test Prep → you walk into CogAT, Iowa, or the SAT/ACT already knowing the moves.
Ready? Start at your dashboard.
Everything begins there — the three-step plan takes about 20 minutes.
Go to my dashboard → Browse lessons