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Turn the school newsletter into this week's must-dos

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

About this exercise

Your daughter Maya is in 2nd grade, and her school's weekly newsletter is long and covers every grade. You want a short list for your phone's notes: exactly 4 numbered lines in date order, each starting with the day and date like "Mon Nov 9:", covering only what Maya's family must do or know (deadlines and no-school days), not optional events or other grades. Under 60 words, plain text. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Just saying "summarize this". The AI walks through every section of the newsletter, with headings and bold, and you still have to dig for your dates. Try: Give the shape: "Exactly 4 numbered lines, each starting with the day and date like 'Mon Nov 9:'. Plain text."
  • Not saying which kid it's for. The AI can't tell which items matter to you, so it keeps the field trip, the book fair and the PTA meeting. Try: Add: "Only what a 2nd-grade family must do or know. Skip optional events and other grades."
  • Missing the late update. The correction is at the very bottom, and the AI often keeps the first Picture Day date it read. Try: Add: "Check for updates at the end and use the newest date."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 60 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each line instead: "each line under 12 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Says which kid it's for
  • Asks for numbered lines
  • Starts lines with the date
  • Watches for updates
  • Asks for plain text

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