I’ve been homeschooling my children for several years now, and when I read Marc Andreessen’s perspective on education and AI, it struck me as one of the clearest articulations of why we chose this path.
The Real Question: N=1
National debates about education—test scores, funding, curriculum wars—rarely touch the daily reality of teaching your own child. What matters most is the progress of this one individual. For centuries, the most effective way to maximize a single person’s potential has been obvious: one-on-one tutoring. History confirms it. Alexander the Great was tutored personally by Aristotle, not in a group setting. Aristocratic families routinely invested in dedicated mentors because they understood that intensive, customized instruction produced extraordinary outcomes.
The Evidence: Bloom’s 2-Sigma Effect
This isn’t just historical anecdote. Benjamin Bloom’s 1980s research quantified the advantage. Students receiving one-on-one tutoring outperformed 98% of those in traditional classrooms—a two-standard-deviation gain that shifts a child from the 50th percentile to near the top. No other educational approach comes close. A good tutor spots confusion instantly, asks probing questions, tailors explanations to the learner’s thinking style, adjusts pace precisely, and corrects errors before they solidify. That level of responsiveness drives mastery.
Homeschooling’s Proximity to the Ideal—and Its Limits
As homeschooling parents, we come closer to this model than conventional schooling allows. We adapt lessons to our child’s strengths, follow their interests when they ignite, and reteach concepts until they stick. We can pivot mid-lesson when something isn’t working. Yet we are human. We aren’t experts across every domain. We grow tired. We can’t provide instant feedback at 2 a.m. when curiosity strikes, or generate endless fresh examples without repetition wearing thin. The constraints are real.
How AI Closes the Gap
AI changes this equation fundamentally. For the first time, we can approximate elite-level one-on-one tutoring at home, without extraordinary expense or access. In our household, we’ve integrated AI tools for subjects where we need reinforcement. When a math proof or science principle doesn’t click, the system offers multiple explanations, generates targeted practice, scales difficulty in real time, and provides immediate, precise feedback. It never loses patience. It never runs out of variations. The result has been noticeable: frustration turns into understanding, and understanding often turns into genuine interest.
What AI Cannot Replace
AI is not a substitute for the parent. It excels at delivering content, clarifying concepts, and drilling skills efficiently. That frees us to focus on what only a parent can provide: conversations about ethics and purpose, encouragement during setbacks, modeling intellectual honesty, and building the trust that sustains long-term motivation. Technology can explain how things work; human guidance shapes why they matter and how to use that knowledge responsibly.
A Practical Starting Point
If you’re considering AI in your homeschool, begin modestly. Select one subject where progress feels stalled or engagement is low. Use an adaptive platform or a well-prompted large language model as a patient assistant while you maintain overall direction. Pay attention to changes in your child’s confidence, curiosity, and retention—not just scores. The goal is deeper mastery, not more screen time.
Andreessen’s insight is powerful: one-on-one tutoring has always been the gold standard for developing individual potential. Homeschoolers have pursued that standard through commitment and adaptability. AI now makes it realistically attainable for far more families. This is an opportunity to raise the ceiling on what individualized education can accomplish.
Marc Andreessen: There are two ways to think about education. One is at the national level — how do you educate all kids? But the real question is N = 1: what do you do for one individual kid? And for centuries, the answer has been obvious.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@ianmiles) February 5, 2026
If your goal is to maximize a single… pic.twitter.com/2nha0k5wyh
