AI: artificial intelligence.

Chat GPT. Robots. Taking over the world.

There’s a lot of panic and worry about AI and how it is going to take over the world and our jobs. I can definitely understand it—as a content writer, I have lost a lot of work to AI.

However, whether we like it or not, AI is here, and it is not going to go anyway. With that in mind, I figured we should lean into it and use it to make our lives easier when and where we can. As a working, home-educating mum of four, I am ALL for a shortcut or ten to make life easier.

I already use Chat GPT for things like recipes, meal planning, and so on, but I recently realised that I had never used it to help us with home education. And boy, have we been missing out!

What Is AI, and Why Should You Care?

AI (Artificial Intelligence) might sound a bit intimidating, but really, it’s just tech that’s designed to make your life easier. If you’ve ever used Netflix recommendations, voice assistants like Alexa, or had your phone auto-suggest your next text message (usually completely wrong, but hey), you’ve already used AI.

Now, before I go anywhere, I want to add a caveat: AI is never going to be any replacement for human interaction or hands-on and lived experience. It’s a tool that can be used to support and extend learning for kids or to make parents’ lives a bit easier, but it can’t replace the experience of sitting and learning together. It is also important to remember that Chat GPT, or whatever AI tools you use (and there’s a lot!) can and does make mistakes. It’s not infallible, so it is important to never rely on it for accuracy and to check things.

Ways AI Can Help with Home Education

Planning what you want to do in a session (remember, home education does not have to be lessons as per school, but we follow a semi-structured approach, so we break things down into sessions, where we focus on a skill or a concept until confident) can be a time-sucking black hole. AI tools like ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas, create personalised plans, and even suggest activities based on your child’s interests and learning style.

For example, Harrison and I were working on implicit and explicit meanings in texts last week. We had a chat about it and looked at some examples together, but he was finding it tricky to understand. So, I went on ChatGPT and instructed it to ‘Plan an activity for a UK-based year 9 child (13 years old) on explicit and implicit meaning in texts.’

This instruction gave me a superb plan for working through it with Harrison, and at the end of it, it asked me if I wanted to create a worksheet for this activity. Harrison loves a worksheet, so of course I said yes. It put together a sheet with answers, which, while fairly basic, did the job. We of course supplemented this with other resources, but for the bare bones and as a starting point, it was super helpful.

2. Research Assistant Extraordinaire

When Harrison (or any of the kids!) asks me a super-specific question about the history of samurai or some other concept I have zero ideas about, I sometimes need a bit (or a lot!) of backup. AI tools can summarise big chunks of information into bite-sized answers or help find reliable resources to dive deeper.

3. Creative Writing Support

Writing can be a hard sell for some kids. AI tools can help by generating story prompts or giving suggestions when your child’s stuck. It’s like having a writing buddy on standby—and it saves so many tears! We can also take a photo of his work or upload the text and ask AI for tips on improving it.

4. Maths Help Without Tears

Maths isn’t always my strong point, but some brilliant AI-powered maths apps can explain tricky concepts in ways that even I understand. They break things down step by step, which is perfect for those “Wait… what?” moments. Try apps like Photomath for step-by-step explanations, but we have also used Chat GPT, asking it to explain it clearly and in an age-appropriate way.

5. Foreign Language Practice

Want to brush up on your Welsh or learn some basic Japanese? AI-powered language apps like Duolingo are perfect for practising pronunciation and picking up new vocabulary without feeling like you’re in a classroom.

Of course, not everything works perfectly. Some AI suggestions can be a bit… weird. But for the most part, it’s been an amazing support.

Finding the Right Balance

While AI can be incredibly helpful, it’s important to remember that it’s just a tool. As I said above, there’s no replacement for real-life learning experiences—going for a walk to the beach, cooking and hands-on science experiments. Balance is key. We make sure screen time doesn’t take over, and we still prioritise good old-fashioned books and discussions.

My Favourite AI Tools for Home Education

Here’s a quick roundup of the AI tools we’ve found really useful:

• ChatGPT – For lesson planning and creative writing support.
• Photomath – For step-by-step maths explanations.
• Duolingo – For learning languages.
• Canva – For designing posters, presentations, and more.
• Twinkl – Lots of AI tools aimed at teachers, which you can easily adapt and carry over to home education

Final Thoughts

AI isn’t a magic solution, but it’s a pretty fantastic tool to have in your home-ed toolkit. Whether it’s helping you plan lessons, answering random questions, or supporting your child’s learning in creative ways, it’s worth giving it a go.

Have you used AI in your home-ed journey? I’d love to hear how it’s worked for you – or if you’ve got any favourite tools, drop them in the comments below!