Experiment No. 38: Using AI for Homework Help

Have you ever been asked to help a child with math homework, and then immediately panicked when you looked at the page? You aren’t alone.

Today, homework help, like most childcare activities, falls more on women’s shoulders than on men’s. The latest data from the American Time Use Survey suggests women in households with children under 18 spend about four times as much of their day helping kids with homework than do men. But it does not need to be this way. AI tools like chatbots make it easier for caregivers to help children with all kinds of problems and tasks, even if they do not remember or have not studied the subject before.

This experiment from MotherAI’s Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey provides parents step-by-step guidance for using a chatbot in their homework help. It also addresses LeBlanc-Godfrey's point about the importance of using language consistent with what children are learning in school when prompting a chatbot for help. It aims to help parents or any caregivers use AI to provide assistance that aligns with the school's curriculum.

The Basics:

We're Trying to Solve: The stress and time tax of helping kids with homework

Audience: Parents and caregivers of school-age children

Category: Education

Estimated Time: 20-40 minutes per problem-solving session

Difficulty Level: Medium-Hard

By Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey

Directions:

1. Familiarize yourself with the child's math curriculum. Ask their teacher for any key terms or methods they're using in class.
2. When your child (or any child you care for) has math homework, open your chosen AI chatbot.
3. Input a prompt like: "I need to help my [grade level] child with math homework. They're learning [specific topic, e.g., two-digit addition]. Can you provide step-by-step instructions using the [name of method, e.g., 'base-10 blocks'] method?"
4. Show the AI's response to your child and ask if it matches what they're learning in class. If not, adjust your prompt accordingly.
5. Use the AI-generated steps as a guide, but have your child do the actual problem-solving. Encourage them to explain each step as they go.
6. If your child struggles with a particular step, ask the AI for a more detailed explanation or a different way of presenting that step.
7. After completing the homework, reflect with your child on the process. Ask them how the AI-assisted method compared to their classroom experience.

The key is to use AI as a tool to enhance learning, not replace it. This experiment allows you to provide consistent, curriculum-aligned support while still encouraging your child's independent thinking.