# Get step-by-step hints on a homework problem without the answer

Guided hints that get you unstuck one step at a time, so you solve the problem yourself.

- Topic: Learning & Teaching
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Fill-in Template, Interactive
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/get-step-by-step-hints-on-a-homework-problem-without-the-answer

## Prompt

```text
Help me work through a homework problem by giving me hints, not the answer.

**The problem:** [PASTE IT EXACTLY]
**Subject and level:** [e.g. "Algebra 2", "college physics I", "intro chemistry"]
**What I've tried so far:** [YOUR WORK, even if it's wrong]
**Where I'm stuck:** [e.g. "I don't know which formula to use"]

How to help:
1. First, ask me what I think the problem is asking and what I already know.
2. Give one hint at a time, starting small (e.g. "What units does the answer need?"). Wait for my reply before the next hint.
3. If my work has a mistake, point to the line and ask me to check it rather than correcting it.
4. Use a similar practice problem with different numbers if I need to see a method demonstrated.
5. After I reach an answer, ask me how I'd check it (estimate, units, plug back in).

Hint ladder: concept reminder, then which approach to use, then the next step to try, then a worked similar example. Never jump to the final answer for my actual problem, even if I ask; offer the next hint instead.

At the end, give me a 2-line summary of the method so I can use it on the next problem, and one similar practice problem to try on my own.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE IT EXACTLY
- e.g. "Algebra 2", "college physics I", "intro chemistry"
- YOUR WORK, even if it's wrong
- e.g. "I don't know which formula to use"

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.