Questions parents ask
Short answers about My Family School. For the full details, see Safety and privacy and the Terms of Service.
About My Family School
What is My Family School?
AI one-on-one lessons for children anywhere, following the curriculum a parent chooses for each child: the US Common Core and NGSS, the BC curriculum, or the first lessons of Cambridge Primary. Your child talks out loud with an AI teacher, in picture books that move and on a shared board with pictures, questions and hands-on models. The teacher gives hints instead of answers, each child gets a plan for the week, and you get a short report after every lesson.
Is My Family School a school?
No. The name is about where the learning happens: at home, with your family. My Family School gives AI one-on-one lessons built around the curriculum you choose, with a plan and reports for you, but it isn't a school. It doesn't give marks or credits, and it doesn't replace your child's school or teacher.
What does it cost?
Nothing for now, and we don't ask for payment details. Once class hours go on sale, a family buys them in packs, whenever it needs them, shared by its children. They don't expire, there's no subscription, and you agree to the terms before paying anything. A new family's first class may be on us, with some free class time to start. The pricing page shows the packs, and how much free time there is, if any.
How do we join?
For now, My Family School is invite-only, for the families we invite, wherever it isn't prohibited by law. A parent or guardian who is an adult (the age of majority where you live) opens the family account with the invite code from the invitation, then adds each child. No invite code? Join the waitlist.
Which grades and subjects are open?
US, Grade 1: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Arts Education and Physical and Health Education. US, Grade 2: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Arts Education and Physical and Health Education. US, Grade 3: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Arts Education and Physical and Health Education. US, Grade 4: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Arts Education and Physical and Health Education. US, Grade 5: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Arts Education and Physical and Health Education. US, Grade 6: Math and Science. US, Grade 7: Math and Science. BC, Grade 3: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Arts Education, Physical and Health Education and Career Education. BC, Grade 4: Math. Cambridge, Grade 3: English Language Arts and Science. Children in Grades 1 to 7 can join, and a grade opens as its first lessons are ready. In each subject, a child takes their own grade's lessons in the curriculum you chose for them, or while it has none yet, the grade below's, to review, or else the grade above's. In your child's settings you can choose another grade for any subject, or leave one out for now, and any curriculum's and grade's lessons are one tap away. Children in other grades can't join yet: join the waitlist to hear when My Family School opens for them.
Curricula and where you live
Which curriculum does my child follow?
The one you choose for them, wherever your family lives: British Columbia's curriculum, the US curriculum (Common Core for math and English, NGSS for science) or Cambridge Primary. You choose it when you add your child, and can change it in their settings. Their own page follows it, and on their lessons page any curriculum's lessons are one tap away. Each is taught the same way, by the same teachers. Which grades and subjects are open says what each has so far.
We don't live in British Columbia. Can we join?
Yes, with an invitation, wherever My Family School isn't prohibited by law. Our first families are in BC, and the terms follow BC law wherever you live. No invite code? Join the waitlist and tell us where you live and which curriculum you'd like: it's how we decide whom to invite next.
Does my child need to speak English?
Yes, enough to follow a spoken conversation at their grade: classes, the teacher and the board are in English. The parent pages, where you manage the account and read reports, can be in English or Chinese.
Classes
How does a class work?
Your child and their teacher talk out loud, one to one, following a lesson. Pictures, questions and hands-on models appear on a shared board as they talk. When your child is stuck, the teacher gives a small hint, one step at a time, so the thinking stays theirs. Classes are in English. You can watch a demo class first, with no sign-up.
How long is a class?
Lessons are planned for 20 to 40 minutes. Each class also has a time limit: when it's reached before the lesson is done, the teacher wraps up kindly and saves your child's place for next time, and you get the report when they finish the lesson. Your child can stop partway and pick up later where they left off, for up to 30 days.
What do we need?
A computer or tablet with a microphone, and a quiet place. The device's speakers or wired headphones sound best: Bluetooth headphones can make the teacher sound like a phone call. Before class, your child rings a bell to check the sound. The first time on a device, and about once a week after that, they also say hello to check the microphone, and the browser may ask you to allow it. Class turns on the microphone; the camera stays off.
Should I stay nearby?
Yes, when you can, especially for the first few classes. Younger children do best with a grown-up nearby. Your child can turn the microphone off or leave a class at any time.
What do I see as a parent?
A short report after each lesson your child finishes: the learning goals, how your child did, and what comes next. Each child's page shows what's next, what's paused and what's done. Each unit also has a book, with a page for every lesson your child finishes, to read together or print: see Your child's books.
Teachers and lessons
Who are the teachers?
AI teachers, not people: Ms. Carter, Ms. Miller, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Anderson, Ms. Bennett, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Parker and Mr. Hughes, each with their own voice. You choose one of the ten for each child and can change your choice later, and after you join you can listen to each of them first. If your child asks, the teacher says plainly that it's an AI. It may not say so otherwise, so please tell your child before their first class.
Who writes and checks the lessons?
The lessons are written with help from AI, following each curriculum, and checked by the My Family School team. They're still drafts: no certified teacher has reviewed them yet. If you spot a mistake, please tell us.
Can the AI teacher get things wrong?
Yes. It can misunderstand your child or say something that isn't quite right. If something seems off, tell us from the class's report (Something wrong with this class?), or write to us with the lesson and roughly when it happened.
Privacy and safety
Are classes recorded?
No. We don't record the sound of classes or keep full transcripts. While your child talks, their voice goes live to our voice providers, LiveKit and xAI, so the teacher can hear and answer; xAI keeps what it receives for 30 days to check for misuse. How voice classes work has the details.
What do you keep about my child?
Their first name or nickname, grade, curriculum, favourite theme and teacher; their progress and answers; and your reports, which include a few of their own words. Our database is in Canada. We don't show ads, sell personal information or use it to train AI. Safety and privacy says who sees what, where it's kept and for how long.
What if my child says something worrying in class?
If your child says something that suggests they may be hurt or unsafe, the teacher answers kindly: it asks them to tell a grown-up they trust and to call 911 if they're in danger right now, and the screen shows how to reach Kids Help Phone. A person on our team then reads what was said around that moment, and we may contact you. My Family School isn't an emergency service: if a child is in danger, call 911. More about safety.
Does my child get their own account?
No. Children use My Family School through your account and never type an email or password. Choices about consent, voice classes and removing a child are for parents, so the parent pages open only with your 4-digit parent PIN, which you choose the first time you hand over to a child. On shared devices, please also sign out.
Your family's account
Can we add more than one child?
Yes, up to 6 children in one family account. Each child has their own teacher, lessons and reports.
How do we stop classes, or delete our information?
You can stop voice classes for a child at any time, in their settings or on the Privacy and consents page. Removing a child, in their settings, deletes their profile, progress and reports. On your account page you can download a copy of your family's information at any time, or delete your account: classes stop at once, and the account is deleted 7 days later, so you can change your mind until then. The Privacy Policy says what stays.
How do we reach you?
Through the contact form. You don't need to sign in. If a child is in danger, don't wait for us: call 911.
Didn't find your answer? The Help centre goes step by step, or write to us. You don't need to sign in.