AI is transforming the way students learn to read and write, sparking a mix of excitement and concern among educators. In classrooms like that of Lisa Parry, a 12th-grade teacher in South Dakota, AI is seen as a helpful tool to spark fresh ideas. For example, Parry used ChatGPT to help her students brainstorm unique essay topics for their book report on Fast Food Nation, which allowed students to think beyond the typical focus on health effects and explore more interesting angles, such as how McDonald’s uses sugar in its products.
AI tools like ChatGPT and others are becoming common in classrooms, with a growing number of teachers using them to generate writing prompts, quizzes, and even feedback. Parry and other educators say AI helps reduce their workload by providing instant writing feedback, allowing teachers to better support students without overwhelming themselves with tasks like grading every essay.
However, there are concerns. As AI technology evolves, so too do the risks of over-reliance on these tools. Some teachers worry that AI could replace critical thinking and creativity in student work, with students potentially submitting AI-generated essays instead of doing the work themselves. Katie Thomas, a high school English teacher, faced this issue firsthand when she discovered many of her students used ChatGPT to write their essays. She responded by banning computer-based essays and requiring students to write by hand in class to ensure their learning was genuine and not AI-driven.
Despite these concerns, AI is also being used for specific literacy-focused programs that assist with foundational reading skills. Platforms like Amira Learning and Khan Academy’s Khanmigo are designed to help students practice reading comprehension, but experts, such as Ying Xu from Harvard, point out that while AI can support early literacy and writing, it struggles with more advanced skills like oral language comprehension and deep, critical thinking.
Teachers are still finding their balance with AI. While it offers benefits such as providing personalized feedback, there’s concern that overusing AI could reduce students’ social interactions and oral communication skills, which are crucial to their overall development. Schools are slowly adopting AI tools, with some districts planning to use AI for literacy instruction in the coming years.
For educators like Parry, AI offers a chance to explore new teaching possibilities, but she remains cautious, emphasizing that students must still produce their own work, and that AI should be a tool for editing and brainstorming rather than writing entire essays. As AI continues to evolve, teachers will need to strike a balance between using it to enhance learning and ensuring it doesn’t hinder the development of critical thinking and independent writing skills.
