Think Together · Start with a Short Story
The girl is making a reading counter: enter the number of pages read today and show the total. She starts by making one small feature truly work.
Lay Out the Process
- GoalTotal the pages read
- Smallest versionEnter and add
- Verify2 pages plus 3 pages should be 5
- ImproveReset and handle invalid input
When building a project with AI, break the goal into small steps that you can check.
Write down what success means first, then build the smallest useful feature. Check every addition: What happens with empty input? Are negative numbers allowed? Is it clear how to reset the total?
Keep notes about the important code you understand. That way, the project becomes part of your learning instead of leaving you with a finished product that you cannot maintain.
Now You Try
The interface looks great, but the total disappears when you close the page. Is that a bug?
Ready? Open this to see the explanation
It depends on whether saving the total was part of the agreed requirements. Clarify the requirement first, then decide whether to add persistent storage.
One Idea to Take Away
When building a project with AI, break the goal into small steps that you can check.
Try covering the diagram above and explaining each step to someone in your family. If one step is hard to explain, return to that card and look again.