Useful starting points

AI assistants are most helpful for variations on something you already have. Ask for the same reading passage at three reading levels, a set of practice sums with different numbers, or ten example sentences using a new vocabulary word. You set the content and learning goal; the tool produces versions.

They can also suggest ideas, such as a real-world context for a physics problem or a debate question for a history lesson. Treat these as prompts for your own thinking rather than ready-made material.

The quality of what you get back depends heavily on what you ask for. Include the age group, the learning goal, the length you want and any words pupils must meet. Asking for a specific format, such as a table of five key terms with one-line definitions, produces something easier to check than an open request for a worksheet on a topic.

Checks before a resource reaches pupils

Generated material can contain factual errors, invented references, cultural assumptions or reading levels that do not match the request. A short review routine catches most problems.

• Read every fact, date and figure and confirm it against a trusted source.

• Remove any references, quotes or sources you cannot find yourself.

• Check names, examples and images for balance and relevance to your pupils.

• Read it aloud to judge whether the language suits the age group.

• Note on the resource that it was drafted with AI and reviewed by a teacher.

A levelled-reading activity

For a Year 3 class (ages 7 to 8), a teacher preparing a 30-minute lesson on how plants grow can ask an AI tool for one short passage written at three reading levels, then edit each for accuracy. Materials: the three printed passages, seeds, cups of soil and a simple observation sheet.

Pupils read the passage at their level in small groups (10 minutes), plant a seed in pairs (10 minutes) and record one prediction on the observation sheet (10 minutes). Every child meets the same science ideas, while the text matches what they can read independently.

Copyright and sharing

Before sharing AI-assisted resources with colleagues or online, check your school's policy and the terms of the tool you used. Avoid pasting in copyrighted texts or pupils' work. Resources that mix your own writing with AI drafts should still carry your name as the person responsible for the content.

Key points

• Use AI to create versions and variations of content you already trust.

• Fact-check every generated resource before pupils see it.

• Adapt reading levels while keeping the same learning goal for all.

• Follow school policy on sharing and never paste in pupils' work.

Photos: Ronald Felton, Andri Aeschlimann / Unsplash