Break Down a Complex Text

Support reading comprehension with targeted scaffolding.

Teaching context:
Perfect for secondary students who struggle with dense texts in English, History or Science.

Basic AI Prompt:
Simplify this text for easier student understanding.

Enhanced AI Prompt:
Rewrite this academic paragraph about climate change in plain English for a Year 9 student. Include a glossary of key terms and a summary sentence.

Spice it up:
Ask for visual aids, like diagrams or simplified analogies for difficult sections.

Lesson implementation:
Use this tool during reading-heavy units. Paste in the original text and generate a simplified version for supported reading. Ask students to highlight where the AI helped and what still confused them. You can also use it as a model for rewriting, helping students build paraphrasing skills.

Encourage students to use AI for unfamiliar homework texts, especially in research projects. This is excellent for EAL learners or students with learning difficulties. Combine with AI-generated comprehension questions to turn the text into a complete lesson. Ideal for cross-curricular literacy or science-humanities overlap topics.

Got ideas on different ways to use this prompt? Share them with the class in the comments below!

Also, if you liked this, you'll love 250 AI Prompts for English Teachers in our books section!