Helping parents with AI Literacy: Teaching students to question AI as part of learning how to use it

What Is “AI Literacy” and Why Does It Matter?

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AI literacy is not just about the technical side of learning how to use AI, but also how to learn how to use it critically. For parents, it can be about helping students understand, at a basic level, what AI systems are doing, where they are useful, and where and to what extent they are untrustworthy or unfair. In practice, this can mean helping them to ask questions such as “Who built this tool?”, “What data did it learn from?”, “What might it be getting wrong about people like me?”, and “When should I double‑check what it tells me?”​

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Students are starting to encounter AI in voice assistants, recommendation algorithms on video platforms, filters in social media apps, and, sometimes, in homework tools that summarise texts, generate practice questions, or offer writing suggestions. In this context, understanding that AI is more a pattern recognition tool rather than a final authority for finding information can be a valuable distinction to make. 

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Schools, universities and governments are beginning to publish some AI guidance and regulations. In the meantime, students are starting to build their own habits and beliefs: for example how to use chatbots to help with homework or study for an exam or the role of algorithms in offering recommendations on social media. 

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Without starting to build shared language at home, space could be created for young people to swing between uncritical trust (“the AI knows”) and blanket cynicism (“it is all lies”). Neither of these necessarily help them navigate a world where these systems are common but not omnipresent.

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Simple Ways Parents Can Build AI Literacy at Home

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The good news is that many AI literacy skills can be built through ordinary conversations and small routines. 

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Three practical habits are particularly useful:

1. Narrate your own questioning.
   When you see an AI‑generated suggestion – a recommended video, an auto‑completed sentence, an auto-generated summary – say out loud what you are thinking. For example: “This looks convenient, but I wonder what might have been left out?,” or “It seems to keep suggesting the same kind of video; why might the algorithm be doing that?” This can model for students that adults, too, treat AI as something to be used as a tool, rather than accepting without verifying or second guessing.​
2. Do side‑by‑side comparisons.
   If your child uses an AI tool for homework, pick a small piece of its output and compare it with a textbook, class notes, or a credible website. Ask: “Where do they agree? Where do they differ? Which one gives more reasons or evidence?” Over time, students can learn that even fluent or coherent explanations are not automatically correct.​
3. Name the trade‑offs.
   When you agree to use a feature – for example, a reading app which tracks progress or a homework platform that logs time on task – talk explicitly about what you get (eg. convenience, insight) and what you give up (eg. some privacy, some control). Ask your child what they think is fair. For example, you might decide together to use a tool in a limited way (only for certain tasks, with some settings turned off) rather than all‑or‑nothing.​

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Admitting uncertainty when using AI – “I’m not sure how this app uses our data; let’s check their policy” – can teach a powerful lesson: in a fast‑changing digital world, thoughtful questioning can be more important than having all the answers. Here at Turtle & Elephant, we are trying to weave these discussions into sessions to help students become not just more confident writers and readers, but more critical, empowered technology users across the board.​

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Note: the first draft of this article was done by AI Chatbot Claude with the support of Max Capacity. The text was then edited and adapted by Jaye Sergeant, who is responsible for the published version.

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