Academics
CommonplaceForge
A commonplace book you actually own. Read a durable idea and where it comes from, then — to keep it — restate it in your own words (you cannot keep a gem by pasting). Your gems live on this device, connect with a "because", come back for spaced review, gather into a written synthesis, and export as plain text you keep forever. No account, no feed, no summariser writing it for you. Ages 15–18.
#5a4a8c Distributed-narrative cast
Meet the cast
CommonplaceForge's crew (ages 15–18) each embody one move of a commonplace book you truly own — the crew IS the method: keep an idea only by restating it in your own words, connect two ideas with a because, let them come back, gather several into a written synthesis, and keep the whole thing as plain text no one can lock away. Mentor Marl keeps it honest: the app never writes your words or your synthesis — a summariser that thinks for you leaves you with nothing kept. Text-forward for teens (no illustrated cast by rule). No real brands, ever.
Verso
Keep an idea only by restating it in your own words — you cannot keep a gem by pasting; if you can only reproduce the wording, you have the words, not the idea
Corda
Connect two kept ideas with a because — the reason they belong together is the thread that turns a pile of notes into understanding
Reven
Let kept ideas come back — spaced review with no streak and no due-count dread; you keep what returns and you still recognise
Quire
Gather three or more of your ideas into one written synthesis — YOU write the paragraph that ties them; the app only gathers and asks
Marl
(Mentor) — your book is plain text you own and can export forever; no account, no feed, no summariser writing it for you. No real brands, ever.
What's inside
Learning goal
A commonplace book you actually own. Read a durable idea and where it comes from, then — to keep it — restate it in your own words (you cannot keep a gem by pasting). Your gems live on this device, connect with a "because", come back for spaced review, gather into a written synthesis, and export as plain text you keep forever. No account, no feed, no summariser writing it for you. Ages 15–18.
Question kits
16 curriculum-aligned kits × 25 questions = 400 questions per app, mapped to recognized standards.
On-device AI mentor
FoundationModels-powered hints, feedback, and adaptive difficulty — all running locally.
Mentored by Marl — on-device AI, no data leaves the device.
How CommonplaceForge handles your kid's data
- ✅ All progress, settings, and AI-generated content stays on the device
- ✅ No analytics, no tracking, no third-party SDKs
- ✅ No ads, no in-app purchases — you pay once
- ✅ No personal information collected from children — in line with COPPA (updated by the 2026 FTC amendments)
- ✅ Parental controls + session limits + content filters built in
CommonplaceForge runs on ForgeKit — the open-source Swift Package Manager framework that powers every Spark & Anvil app. ForgeKit ensures consistent accessibility, COPPA compliance, and design language across the portfolio, so your kid's progress and preferences feel coherent across every app they touch.
Coming to the App Store
CommonplaceForge is in active development. Email us to hear when it ships — no marketing, no spam, just a one-shot launch announcement.
Email me at launch