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Write tiered reading questions labeled by level

Practice: Asking for a format you can use. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're making reading questions for a short passage, with tiers so every student can start somewhere. Write exactly 6 numbered questions: 2 starting with "Recall:", then 2 with "Inference:", then 2 with "Connect:". Every Recall and Inference question must be answerable from the passage alone, and include no answers, under 100 words, plain text. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • No fixed shape. The AI writes 10+ questions under headings, often with answers. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 6 numbered questions, 2 per tier."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 100 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each question under 12 words."
  • Not labeling tiers. The AI mixes question types, so you can't hand the right tier to the right student. Try: Add: "Start questions 1-2 with Recall:, 3-4 with Inference:, 5-6 with Connect:."
  • Questions the text can't answer. The AI asks how real lighthouses work, which isn't in the passage. Try: Add: "Recall and Inference must be answerable from the passage alone."
  • Adding an answer key. AI-made question sets usually end with answers. Try: Add: "No answers. Output only the 6 questions."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Labels the tiers
  • Sets the number of questions
  • Keeps it text-based
  • Rules out answers
  • Sets a word limit

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