The RAFT Method for Prompting AI
Prompting Framework for Educators

The RAFT Method

A four-part recipe for writing AI prompts that actually give you what you want. Originally a writing strategy from the 1980s, now a teacher's best friend for working with AI.

4 parts
Role, Audience, Format, Task. That's the whole framework.
~30 sec
The time it takes to upgrade a lazy prompt into a strong one.
1980s
Carol Santa created RAFT as a writing strategy for students. It still works.

The four ingredients

Every great prompt has these. Skip one and the AI fills in the blank for you, often badly.

R
Role
Tell the AI who it should be. This shapes vocabulary, tone, and what it pays attention to.
Example
"You are a veteran 5th grade science teacher."
A
Audience
Who is the output for? A parent, a student, a principal? Audience changes everything.
Example
"Write for parents new to the school, many speak English as a second language."
F
Format
What should it look like? Email, rubric, slide outline, bullet list, table? Be specific.
Example
"A short email, under 150 words, no jargon."
T
Task
What do you actually want the AI to do, and about what? This is the heart of the prompt.
Example
"Explain why we're starting a unit on persuasive writing."

Vague prompt vs. RAFT prompt

Same goal. Wildly different results.

Without RAFT

"Write an email to parents about our new writing unit."

Result: a generic, robotic email that sounds like every other school email and uses words half the parents won't recognize.

With RAFT

RYou are a 7th grade ELA teacher.

AAudience is parents new to the school, many of whom speak English as a second language.

FWrite a short email, under 150 words, no jargon, warm tone.

TExplain why we're starting a unit on persuasive writing and what students will be doing at home.

How to use it in real life

A simple workflow you can teach in five minutes.

1
Pause
Before you type, picture the output.
→
2
Fill the four blanks
Role, Audience, Format, Task.
→
3
Send it, then refine
First draft is a starting point.

Common pitfalls

Where teachers (and everybody else) trip up.

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Skipping the audience

You'll get language pitched at "the average reader," which is nobody in particular.

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Fuzzy format

"Write something about..." leaves the AI guessing. Tell it bullet list, email, rubric, table.

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Mushy task

"Help me with my lesson" is not a task. "Generate three warm-up questions" is.

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Teacher pro tip

RAFT was originally a writing strategy your students may have already learned. When you teach it as a prompting framework, you're not adding a new skill, you're pointing an old skill at a new tool. That makes it easier to remember and easier to teach.

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