How do the five stages work?

Sprout (about 4–6) is story-first with large controls. Explorer (7–10) adds quests and quizzes. Builder (11–14) unlocks projects, Essay Coach, and Code Lab. Navigator (15–18) adds exams, interviews, and the Privacy Lockbox. Pioneer (18+) is a professional workspace. The default comes from the learner's age.

The Guide's vocabulary, which learning modes appear, how strictly output is screened, and whether parents see raw academic-struggle notes all depend on stage. A Sprout never sees a timed exam. A Pioneer never gets a fairy-tale wrapper around transformer attention.

Parents can move a profile one stage forward or back from the age default. That is for a preview weekend or a too-steep jump — not for skipping an entire developmental band. The server rejects larger jumps.