Writing Effective Prompts for Your AI Math Coach

Published: October 28, 2025

As educators, we're always looking for ways to maximize our resources. When working with AI Math Coach by All Learners Network, the quality of your prompts directly impacts the quality of support you'll receive. Here's how to craft prompts that will help you get the most valuable guidance for your math instruction.

Be Specific About Your Context

The more details you provide about your teaching situation, the more tailored the support will be.

• Include the grade levels you teach
• Mention specific math concepts or standards you’re addressing
• Share relevant background information about your students’ current understanding

Example: “I am teaching multiplication to my third graders who are struggling with the concept of equal groups.” 

Clarify Your Goal

Be clear about what you hope to accomplish.

• State what you want to achieve (planning, troubleshooting, reflection)
• Explain what type of support you need (activities, questioning strategies, assessment ideas)

Example: “I need activities that help students visualize fraction equivalence without me demonstrating the procedure.”

Provide Relevant Details

Context matters when seeking relevant instructional guidance.

• Describe what you've already tried
• Mention available materials or constraints
• Share examples of student thinking or misconceptions

Example: “My students can solve division problems procedurally but struggle to explain what division means."

Ask Focused Questions

Specific questions give more useful responses

• One specific question is better than multiple vague ones
• Frame questions to elicit student-centered approaches

Example: "What Math Menu activities could help my 2nd graders discover patterns in even and odd numbers?"

Follow Up Effectively

Getting an initial response is just the beginning of your coaching journey. Thoughtful follow-up questions deepen understanding and lead to more successful classroom implementation.

Activity Implementation Feedback: "I tried the number talk about decomposing numbers with my 1st graders. About half the class was able to articulate their thinking, but others struggled to explain their strategies. What questions might help draw out their thinking without me demonstrating?"

Student Work Analysis: "Here's what happened when my 3rd graders worked on the array activity: Some created perfect arrays while others arranged objects in irregular patterns. What might this tell me about their understanding of multiplication, and what would be a good next step?"

Adapting for Different Learners: "The fraction comparison activity worked well for most students, but my English language learners seemed confused by the vocabulary. How might I modify this activity to support their language development while maintaining the mathematical focus?"

Building on Success: "My students loved the pattern block activity and made great progress with geometric thinking. What would be a logical next step to deepen their understanding of shapes and their attributes?"

Connecting to Other Concepts: "My 4th graders have developed strong understandings of area models for multiplication. How might I use this foundation to help them discover the relationship between area and perimeter?"

Ask for What You Need: AI Math Coach can provide links to our vast resource library, but occasionally it talks about a resource and forgets to offer the link. Simply follow up with "Please provide the resource links."

Examples of Effective Vs Less Effective Prompts

Less Effective	Effective
🤔 "I need help teaching fractions."	🤗 "I'm teaching 4th grade fractions. My students can identify fractions but struggle comparing fractions with different denominators. What student-centered activities could help them discover relationships between fractions without me showing them procedures?"
🤔 "Give me some math games."	🤗 "I'm looking for math games that would help my 1st graders practice addition within 20. I'd like games that allow for multiple strategies and encourage mathematical discourse."

 

Starting a New Conversation VS Continuing an Old Conversation

With ALN’s AI Math Coach, you have the option of starting a new conversation or continuing with an old one. 

When to start a new conversation

• When you are exploring a completely new math concept or teaching strategy
• When you want to focus on a different grade level or student population
• When you are starting a fresh planning session for a new unit or lesson
• When your previous conversation reached a natural conclusion
• When you want to keep your conversations organized by distinct topics

When to Continue an Existing Thread

• When you are building on ideas from a previous conversation
• When you want to ask follow-up questions about advice you've already received
• When working through multiple aspects of the same teaching challenge
• When you want to share updates on how strategies worked in your classroom
• When you are developing a deep understanding of a math concept over time

It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

Don't worry about crafting a 100% perfect prompt every time. Sometimes just starting the conversation is the best move, then following up with the strategies above. As with any skill, your prompts will get better with practice.

Remember, your AI Math Coach is designed to help you develop student-centered math instruction. The more clearly you communicate your context, goals, and specific needs, the more valuable the coaching support will be for your classroom.

 

How Do I Access AI Math Coach?

ALN’s AI Math Coach is included in All Learners Online Unlimited. If you are already an ALO Subscriber, find the link to register for AI Math Coach on your ALO dashboard.

Not on ALO yet? Individual subscriptions as well as district discounts are available. Click here to learn how to access AI Math Coach and our comprehensive platform.

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