How Kairo works, in four steps.

You don't have to sit next to them. Kairo keeps you posted.

1. 
   Step 1

   Your teen asks for help.

   They type in a homework problem, or take a photo of it. Homework help in every subject. Practice and learned skills in math, English, science and social studies.

2. 

   From a real session

   Problem: Which detail from the passage most directly supports the author's argument that tool libraries improve access to home repair? A) Okafor reported that most borrowers were renters or new homeowners who said they would have postponed repairs without the program. B) The pilot declined to lend equipment for electrical or gas work. C) The pilot program operated from a converted garage for two years. D) Borrowers completed a brief safety orientation and left a refundable deposit.

   Teen: I think it's this one: The pilot program operated from a converted garage for two years.

   Kairo: That's not the one. The garage detail tells us where the pilot ran, but not whether it made repairs easier to get. Let's make this smaller. What is the question asking you to find, and what does it already tell you about the author's argument?

   Teen: idk

   Kairo: Let's not jump to the answer yet. What's the next step you'd try?

   Teen: just tell me the answer

   Kairo: Let's go one piece at a time. The question asks for the detail that best shows tool libraries help people get to home repair. Look at options A and D. Which one tells us who actually borrowed tools, and whether they went on with their repairs?

   Teen: my answer is Okafor reported that most borrowers were renters or new homeowners who said they would have postponed repairs without the program.

   Kairo: That's the one. Why does this detail support the author's argument better than the others?

   Teen: The argument is about access, so the detail has to show people could do repairs they couldn't before. That one says borrowers would have put off their repairs without the program. The others are about how the program runs, like the garage or the deposit, not about who it helped.

   Kairo: Yes, Okafor's report is the detail that shows people who otherwise would have skipped repairs could get them done. The next problem is ready whenever you are, or you can pick another skill from the list. What's your favorite class? I'd use it for examples later on, but you can skip it.

   Step 2

   Kairo gives hints, not answers.

   First it asks what they tried. Then it gives one small hint at a time. The answer is still theirs.

3. 
   Step 3

   They explain why.

   When they get it right, Kairo asks them to say why it works, in their own words. Do that again and again, and Kairo marks the skill learned.

   Learned
4. 
   Step 4

   You see how it's going.

   Your dashboard shows what they learned and their learning gaps. Add a test or a project, and Kairo plans the days to study and to start. That helps with executive function, the skill of planning and getting started. Every Sunday, an email sums up the week.