337: Homeschool AI Hacks: How to Write Prompts That Work
In today's episode, learn how to write better AI prompts for homeschooling—tips, examples, and hacks to save you time and spark creativity in your lessons.
Core Elements of a Strong Prompt
Role – “Act like a veteran homeschool mom with 10 years of experience.”
Grade level – Tailor to 3rd vs. 9th grade.
Time – “Should take 20 minutes to complete.”
Vibe – “Make it fun and silly” vs. “Make it serious and academic.”
Theme – Legos, Star Wars, Taylor Swift, history tie-ins, etc.
Format – PDF, quiz, table, chart, or outline.
Question type – Multiple choice, open-ended, discussion prompts.
Answer key / rubric – Included separately
Advanced Prompt Hacks
Length constraints – “Give me 10 problems” or “200 words.”
Scaffolding style – Step-by-step, increasing difficulty.
Differentiation – Ask for modifications for struggling, average, and advanced learners. - great for families with multiple ages
Integration – “Create a math problem that uses our history topic.”
Output organization – Request bullet points, tables, or charts.
Constraints – “No screen time,” “Only household supplies,” “15 minutes max.”
Iteration – Show moms how to refine: “Give me three variations.”
Critique mode – “Pretend you’re a homeschool evaluator—what’s missing?”
Reverse prompting – “What info do you need from me to make this lesson better?”
Using Multiple LLMs Together
Some examples:
Use Perplexity for sources, Notebook LM for summary / outlines
Fact-check with one model, add creativity with another.
Compare outputs from two LLMs to choose the best fit.
Real-Life Homeschool Applications
Quick scenarios moms can try today:
Create spelling lists or math word problems themed around a child’s favorite hobby.
Turn a video or book into discussion questions.
Adapt info into multiple-choice quizzes with answer keys.
Generate three versions of an activity: fun, serious, and quick-prep.
Sample Prompts
"Act as a homeschool mom who has been teaching for 10 years. Create a 20-minute writing activity for a 7th grader who loves Star Wars. Make it fun but still educational, and give me both the student instructions and a teacher’s answer guide."
"Create a 10-question multiple-choice quiz on the American Revolution for 9th graders. Provide the questions and four answer choices each. At the end, list the correct answers in a separate section so I can print it as an answer key."
"Design a math lesson on fractions for 5th graders. Provide three versions: one hands on, one story based, and one with clear instructions. Each version should take no more than 15 minutes and require only household supplies."
"Make a table with 8 spelling words for a 3rd grader. In the first column list the word, in the second column give a kid-friendly definition, and in the third column write a silly sentence that also includes a science fact."
"I want to create a fun history activity about Ancient Egypt for my children in grades 4, and 7.
