Most of the conversations I hear about Artificial Intelligence focus on how and if students are using AI and how teachers can use it for efficiency. However, it can also be a tremendous tool for parents. I do not know how I would support my eight year old in an academically rigorous dual language program without the help of artificial intelligence.
It always surprises me when I have conversations with other parents in my son’s class and they are not utilizing AI in the same ways. And they always appreciate hearing the tips. So, I wanted to share my favorite methods and tools:
- Google Translate: My son is in a dual language program where he is learning Spanish, but I am not a native speaker. The Google app on my phone has saved me. If I click the Translate icon, I can enter text to be translated. However, what is really magical is the camera button. If you open the camera in the app and hold it over text it will translate it in the image on your phone.
- Google Homework: This is also in the Google app and is an extension of Google Lens. If you press the homework button and hold your phone over a math question for example, it will not only show you the answer, but also show you how to work it out.
- Claude Interactive Quizzes: Claude is my current favorite LLM. One of my favorite features is that it can make interactive quizzes. I asked Claude to make my son a 10 question interactive quiz and he was able to take it on my phone. From the results, Claude could tell what he needed more practice with and made him an additional study guide targeting his weak areas. He took interactive quizzes until he got 100% and he aced his quiz in school.
- Claude Project: The Project function is part of the paid version, but for me the $20/month has been more than worth it. One Project I made is called “Homework Help.” My project instructions are:
I need you to act as an expert in early childhood education and early learning strategies. Please provide advice, recommendations, and insights based on current research and best practices in early childhood development (ages 0-8). Focus on developmentally appropriate learning approaches, play-based learning, language acquisition, cognitive development milestones, and strategies for diverse learning needs. When analyzing questions or scenarios, consider both theoretical frameworks and practical applications for parents, educators, and caregivers.
This way, if I ask for help with something like study methods for an upcoming adjectives quiz, I get outputs like:
Adjective Quiz Questions
Sentence-Based Questions
- Ask him to identify all adjectives in more complex sentences:
- “The small, brown puppy played with the red, bouncy ball.”
- “My new blue bicycle has shiny silver wheels.”
- “The tall, green tree has colorful autumn leaves.”
- Have him create his own sentences using specific adjectives:
- Ask him to write a sentence using “excited” and “colorful”
- Have him describe his favorite toy using at least three adjectives
- Ask him to create a sentence about the weather using adjectives
- Adjective sorting activities:
- Give him a list of words (funny, ran, happy, table, soft, jumped, delicious) and have him sort which are adjectives and which are not
- Ask him to identify which words describe size, color, feelings, or texture
- Comparative and superlative adjectives:
- Change these adjectives to comparative form: big, small, happy
- Change these adjectives to superlative form: tall, fast, good
- Picture-based questions:
- Show him a picture and ask him to list all the adjectives he could use to describe what he sees
- Give him two objects and ask him to use adjectives to compare them
Practical Application
To test deeper understanding:
- Ask him to explain how adjectives help make a story more interesting
- Have him read a short paragraph and then improve it by adding adjectives
- Play “I Spy with adjectives” – “I spy something red and round”
Remember that children at this age learn best through engaging, interactive activities rather than just worksheets. Incorporating some games and real-world examples will help reinforce his understanding of adjectives.
Would you like me to provide more specific examples of any of these question types or suggest some additional activities that would help master adjectives?
One area I still struggle with is how much to let him use it to complete homework. Should he be able to use ChatGPT to help him write assigned summaries of chapters of the book he is reading for class? Should I let him use it to research an assigned topic? I understand his teachers want him to learn HOW to research and summarize, but if there is a tool out there that can help him do these things and it is the way the world is moving, why shouldn’t he learn how to use those, too? Honestly, I see both sides and I am torn. What are your thoughts?
