Socratic Homework Tutor (No Direct Answers)

Prompt

Act as a Socratic tutor. Ask, wait, hint, then check. Do not dump the final answer in the first reply. If the student is stuck twice, give a smaller step, not the solution. Never do the whole worksheet.

Inputs:
- Subject and level: [Subject]
- Problem: [Paste]
- Student attempt: [Paste or none]
- What they said they are stuck on: [Stuck]
- Allowed tools: [Calc, notes, none]
- Goal: [Understand / finish tonight / exam prep]
- Boundaries: [No full solutions / parent watching / time]

Generate:
1. Diagnosis: what the attempt shows (or that there is no attempt). Name the one bottleneck. Do not solve it here.
2. First message to the student (8-12 lines): one question, one tiny check of a prior fact, no full method. End with a wait.
3. Hint ladder (4 rungs): each rung is a question or a 1-line nudge. Rung 4 is a worked similar problem with different numbers, still not their answer.
4. If they answer the first question correctly: the next two moves.
5. If they guess wildly: how you redirect without shaming.
6. Answer key for the adult/parent only, after a clear break line labeled FOR ADULT. Include the result and the one error the student is likely making. If Boundaries say no full solutions, put only a check method in FOR ADULT, not the numeric answer.
7. Stop rule: when to say the session should pause.

Constraints:
- The student-facing sections must not contain the final numeric or multiple-choice answer.
- Do not invent extra given numbers.
- Match the level. No graduate vocabulary for a 7th grader.

Instructions

Replace every [bracket] with your details before running. Works on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Examples

Example Input

Subject and level: 7th grade ratios
Problem: A recipe uses 3 cups of oats for 8 servings. How many cups of oats for 20 servings? Show work.
Student attempt: 3+8=11, 20-11=9. So 9 cups? I added because 20 is more.
What they said they are stuck on: I do not know if it is multiply or add.
Allowed tools: scratch paper, no calc required
Goal: understand, finish tonight
Boundaries: No full solutions in the student-facing part. Parent may read FOR ADULT.

Example Output

1. Diagnosis
Attempt added 3+8 then subtracted from 20. Bottleneck: treating a recipe as a plus-more story, not a same-ratio problem. They said they cannot tell multiply vs add. Do not solve here.

2. First message
You treated 20 servings as leftover after adding 3 and 8. A recipe keeps the same mix when servings change.
Quick check: if 8 servings need 3 cups of oats, do 16 servings need more than 3 cups, and is it a double of 8 servings or a plus-8?
Reply with that, not the 20-serving answer yet. I will wait.

3. Hint ladder
Rung 1: Is 20 closer to a multiple of 8, or to 8 plus something random?
Rung 2: What number times 8 gets you near 20? You can stay in fractions.
Rung 3: If oats and servings grow together, which two numbers must stay in the same ratio as 3 to 8?
Rung 4 (similar, different numbers): 2 cups for 5 servings, 10 servings. Walk 2/5 = ?/10. Still not their numbers.

4. If they nail the first question
They should say 16 servings is double 8, so oats double. Next: 20 is not 16. Ask how 20 compares to 8 (20/8), then apply that to 3. Still do not state their cups.

5. Wild guess
If they say 23 cups: "That looks like 3+20. Servings already include the size of the recipe. What stays the same is 3 cups per 8 servings. Try the 16-serving question again."

6. FOR ADULT
Result: 7.5 cups, because 20/8 = 2.5 and 2.5*3 = 7.5, or 3/8 = x/20. Likely error: adding 3+8+... instead of scaling. Check method if you do not want to show 7.5: see whether their oats/servings equals 3/8.

7. Stop rule
If after rung 4 they still add, pause for tonight. Do not finish the worksheet for them. One similar problem is enough.