50 AI Prompts for Differentiated Instruction

Differentiation is one of the hardest, most time-consuming parts of teaching. AI won''t do it for you, but it will collapse the prep time on the parts that are mechanical — rewriting at reading level, generating scaffolds, producing extension tasks. These 50 prompts are organized by the goal, not by tool. They work in Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, or any capable chat model.

Every prompt assumes you fill in the bracketed placeholders and paste your source material. Feedback and quality control are still yours.

Readability and reading level (1–10)

1. Rewrite this passage at a [4th-grade / 7th-grade / 11th-grade] reading level. Keep the key ideas and vocabulary marked with bold.
2. Give me three versions of this text — below, at, and above [grade level]. Note the Lexile range of each.
3. Turn this dense paragraph into a bulleted summary a [grade level] student can skim in 30 seconds.
4. Rewrite this using only words a [ELL, WIDA level 2] student would know.
5. Take this reading and produce a version that keeps every key term but shortens sentences to 12 words or fewer.
6. Convert this passage into a table with columns: term, plain definition, example.
7. Rewrite this as a short dialogue between two students discovering the idea.
8. Take this paragraph and produce a "pre-reading" version — 4 sentences that prime the reader.
9. Rewrite this article as a diary entry from someone who lived through it.
10. Produce a version that removes every academic transition word ("moreover", "however") and replaces them with plainer connectors.

Scaffolding (11–20)

11. Give me a sentence-starter frame set for writing a claim, evidence, and reasoning response about this topic. Include 3 starters per section.
12. Create a graphic-organizer outline (as a markdown table) for a compare-and-contrast essay on [topics].
13. Break this multi-step problem into 5 sub-questions a struggling student can answer one at a time.
14. Draft 3 "hint" cards for this problem — each one nudges without giving the answer.
15. Create a "worked example" alongside a "you-try" version of this problem, with identical structure but different numbers.
16. Turn this rubric into a student-facing self-check with yes/no questions.
17. Generate a checklist a student can use to revise their own paragraph on [topic].
18. Give me three visual analogies that would help a student understand [concept].
19. Create a K-W-L chart pre-filled with 3 sample "K" and "W" entries from a typical [grade] student.
20. Draft a partner-work protocol (3 turns each) for discussing [topic] with a peer.

Extension and enrichment (21–30)

21. Give me three "challenge questions" on this topic that require a student to apply the concept in a new context.
22. Suggest three follow-up projects a student who already mastered [topic] could pursue in one class period.
23. Write an interview a student could conduct with an expert in [field]. Include 8 questions and follow-ups.
24. Design a mini-debate — two positions, key evidence for each side — on this topic for advanced learners.
25. Propose a real-world problem in [field] that requires the concept from today''s lesson to solve.
26. Give me three primary-source excerpts (or paraphrased stand-ins) that complicate the textbook version of [topic].
27. Create three "beyond the standard" questions that stretch this content toward the next grade band.
28. Suggest three cross-disciplinary connections between [topic] and another subject area.
29. Draft an open-ended research question a student could investigate over the unit and present at the end.
30. Design a creative product option (a comic strip, a short film script, a museum exhibit label) that demonstrates the same learning goal.

Language support (31–40)

31. Provide a bilingual vocabulary preview for this reading — English term, [target language] equivalent, one-sentence definition, one example sentence.
32. Rewrite this passage using cognates whenever possible for [Spanish / French / etc.] speakers.
33. Generate a set of pre-teaching activities for the top 8 academic vocabulary terms in this reading.
34. Create a Frayer model for the term [word] with definition, characteristics, examples, and non-examples.
35. Rewrite this word problem in shorter sentences, keeping every math term intact.
36. Provide sentence frames for a discussion protocol about [topic], with 3 levels of complexity.
37. Draft 5 comprehension questions in [target language] alongside the English version.
38. Produce a "cognate spotter" list for this reading — English terms and their [target language] cognates.
39. Rewrite these instructions using imperative sentences and numbered steps only.
40. Generate a picture-supported vocabulary list for this reading, with a description of what the picture should show for each term.

Choice, agency, and interest (41–50)

41. Design three product options a student could choose from to demonstrate learning of [topic]: one written, one visual, one performative.
42. Give me a menu of 6 activities (2 quick, 2 medium, 2 deep) on [topic] that a student can pick from.
43. Turn this lesson goal into a "student-facing" learning target using ''I can'' language.
44. Suggest three real-world contexts (sports, music, gaming, cooking) I could use to introduce [concept] to different interest groups.
45. Draft an "entry ticket" that lets students choose how they want to engage today: read, listen, or discuss.
46. Create a tiered exit ticket with three prompts — recall, apply, synthesize.
47. Produce three journal prompts on [topic] that invite personal connection without requiring disclosure.
48. Suggest three community or family voices a student could interview to enrich this unit.
49. Draft a "learning menu" with must-do, should-do, and could-do tasks around [topic].
50. Design a peer-feedback protocol that gives every student a voice — one specific thing to look for, one specific way to respond.

Guardrails

• Every prompt output needs a teacher pass. AI is fast at producing scaffolds; it''s bad at knowing whether your students need them.
• Rotate scaffolds. Students who always get the same graphic organizer stop noticing it.
• Never rely on AI to replace conferencing with a struggling student. Differentiation without a relationship is just paperwork.

Takeaway

Differentiation exhausts teachers not because it''s hard to imagine, but because it''s hard to produce at volume. That''s exactly the friction AI removes — if you keep the design decisions (who, when, why) and let it handle the drafting (what the specific version looks like). Steal these prompts, adapt them to your subject, and keep your judgment at the center.