Our students use technology on a daily basis. Understanding
this technology is essential for 21st century learning.
So what is coding? Coding is another word for programming which consists of
writing the directions for what you want a computer to do.
What?? We want to teach young kids how to program a
computer? Yes! The first steps for coding is understanding the sequence of
directions needed to complete a task. Sounds overwhelming, right? It is not, it
is totally fun for kids! Teaching coding is as easy as giving children a maze
where they have to move an object.
Children use critical thinking skills to figure out the sequence of
moves and turns an object has to make to get to the end or complete a task. It
is as simple as that. As children become more proficient, the sequence of
directions gets more challenging and complex. There are lots of coding
activities available online (and hopefully you have access to computers in your
school) to help your children begin their way to becoming computer programmers.
How Do we begin?
You can start by
introducing young children to some game board games such as the following:
Robot Turtles by ThinkFun teaches
programming fundamentals to kids starting
with age 4.
3 Coding activities created by my K kids using Scratch Jr.:
The Four Seasons
Bird Learns to Fly
I Want to Be a Pilot Like My Dad
Coding Books:
My Favorite Coding Apps:
Coding Product: (coming soon)
