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Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
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Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#12This sounds like a terrible idea. 5 years olds need human interaction with a human tutor or with other children.
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#13stop. children need humans not AI. i hate this.
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#14What is being taught to 5 year olds? And why would an AI tutor be better than an pre-k learning app Most students are pretty homogeneous in learning at that stage
We started with reading, providing patient coaching as kids learn to read out loud. We are now adding math and in some countries, English as a Second Language.
Students actually aren't as homogenous as you might think. And it's one of the big challenges teachers have with a classroom of 25+. They're forced to teach to the middle, which isn't great for kids that are slightly behind or ahead.
An AI tutor has the advantage to adapt and teach to each child's unique learning path, make sure core concepts are covered on an individual basis before moving on.
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#15It's bad enough that schools give 5-year-olds tablets to do their maths work on.
Let's not expose them to AI brainrot now too.
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#16What is being taught to 5 year olds? And why would an AI tutor be better than an pre-k learning app Most students are pretty homogeneous in learning at that stage
We started with reading, providing patient coaching as kids learn to read out loud. We are now adding math and in some countries, English as a Second Language. Students actually aren't as homogenous as you might think. And it's one of the big challenges teachers have with a classroom of 25+. They're forced to teach to the middle, which isn't great for kids that are slightly behind or ahead. An AI tutor has the advant…
Have you read the Sal Khan thoughts on AI and education?
About 1-2 years ago he had similar thoughts to solve that exact problem you mentioned.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/04/09/sal-khan-reflects-on-ai...
Sal khan being the founder of Khan academy the most popular online education course
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#17Please don't. Don't deprive children of the interaction with other human beings. 5 year olds don't need tutors. They need play, touch, sense, feel, run, breath, sky, earth.
Some 5 year olds could use a human tutor. Giving them AI instead is no different than plopping them in front of "Youtube Kids" instead of being a parent.
"Some 5 year olds could use a gourmet meal. Giving them a mass-produced TV dinner is no different than sedating them with opiates* and pouring garbage on them instead of being a parent."
* the more things change the more they stay the same: https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/the-addictive-history-of-m...
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#18Please don't. Don't deprive children of the interaction with other human beings. 5 year olds don't need tutors. They need play, touch, sense, feel, run, breath, sky, earth.
We agree with this sentiment. Our goal is to supplement children with effective learning, NOT replace humans.
This article can provide a little more context on how we're thinking about this:
https://www.ello.com/blog/ai-should-make-clear-what-reality-...
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
We started with reading, providing patient coaching as kids learn to read out loud. We are now adding math and in some countries, English as a Second Language. Students actually aren't as homogenous as you might think. And it's one of the big challenges teachers have with a classroom of 25+. They're forced to teach to the middle, which isn't great for kids that are slightly behind or ahead. An AI tutor has the advant…
Have you read the Sal Khan thoughts on AI and education? About 1-2 years ago he had similar thoughts to solve that exact problem you mentioned. https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/04/09/sal-khan-reflects-on-ai... Sal khan being the founder of Khan academy the most popular online education course
Yes! Deeply admire what Sal Khan set out to do. One of the original pioneers of how technology could transform education.
What we learnt from it: a chatbot is not enough to teach a child though. We need more to fully engage them and have the tools and context to truly teach them.
We describe this in the blog post, curious what you think.
Re: Building a real-time AI tutor for 5-year-olds
#20What is being taught to 5 year olds? And why would an AI tutor be better than an pre-k learning app Most students are pretty homogeneous in learning at that stage
We started with reading, providing patient coaching as kids learn to read out loud. We are now adding math and in some countries, English as a Second Language. Students actually aren't as homogenous as you might think. And it's one of the big challenges teachers have with a classroom of 25+. They're forced to teach to the middle, which isn't great for kids that are slightly behind or ahead. An AI tutor has the advant…
Please define "we".
> Students actually aren't as homogenous as you might think. And it's one of the big challenges teachers have with a classroom of 25+
True. It's well known that some % of students do well with individual tutoring. Move faster, understand things better, etc. And another part of students don't do well with that. They need other things. Maybe help from their peers in smaller groups (like 3..8 students), some after-school extra, a fix for problems back home, whatever.
But 5y olds? They need contact with peers, play, attention from humans, run around, build stuff from Lego blocks, touch grass, etc. Learning to read, "3x4=12" math etc isn't hard enough to warrant putting 5y old kids on AI tutors.