Programming for kids depends on their ages. Let’s focus this post on 5 – 8 years old. Kids will not create and code software. However, their age is old enough to be introduced funnily in the exploration of computer science programming concepts.
The list of coding options for kids ages 5-8 goes from those that do not require computers. So the kids can play with family — to offline and online options for kids who want to work alone.
It is helpful for kids to acquire computer science skills at an early age. These skills help students collaborate, create, and make every subject seem more effortless. It also encourages the development of programmers for the future. Therefore, they have designed the platforms to be self-paced, while others a directed by teachers or parents.
Coding is becoming such an essential skill, and there are many options to help make it possible for everyone to get into coding in a fun and easy way. In addition, learning computer science skills helps students succeed in a changing world.
These alternatives make coding easy to teach and fun and facilitate covering coding-related topics in the computer science curriculum.
However, it is essential to highlight that kids during these ages require supervision, and the activity must be directed by an adult (parents or teachers). Also, don’t forget the risk of leaving kids unsupervised during interaction with the computers for a long time.
Research with Gallup shows that many students aren’t getting the Computer Science (CS) education they need—and teachers don’t have sufficient resources to provide it. However, there are some options to solve that situation. They are provided by Google, Microsoft, Amazon AWS, MIT, etc.
Let’s talk a bit about tools used for programming for kids (age 5 – 8 years old).
CS Unplugged
Ironically, a great way to introduce kids to computer science is by leaving computers. Computer Science Unplugged is a free curriculum created by teachers and researchers for kids. Activities are hands-on and make it easy for teachers and parents to engage kids in a learning dialogue. We can find these materials at home or school.
CS Unplugged is a collection of free educational material that teaches computer science through exciting games and puzzles with the help of cards, string, colored pencils, and lots of physical activity.
Code.Org
It consists of online activities that kids 5+ years old can use, which are entirely free.
Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools. They focus on increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups. Their vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education—the leading provider of K-12 computer science curriculum in the largest school districts in the United States.
They also created the annual Hour of Code campaign, which has engaged more than 15% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by generous donors, including Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, the Infosys Foundation, Google, and many more.
Code.org increases diversity in computer science by reaching students of all backgrounds where they are — at their skill level, in their schools, and in ways that inspire them to keep learning. Increasing diversity in computer science is foundational to our work.
The home of Hour of Code, Code.org, includes interactive tutorials and projects for grades K-5 and 6-12, starting with block coding before moving into Javascript, HTML, and CSS. It’s a comprehensive resource, perfect for learning to code in the classroom or at home.
Scratch Jr
ScratchJr is an introductory programming language that allows young children (ages 5-7) to create their own interactive stories and games. First, children put together graphical programming blocks. These blocks make the characters move, jump, dance, and sing. Then, they can use the programming blocks to bring them to life.
Kids can:
- Modify the characters in the paint editor.
- Add their character voices and sounds,
- Insert their photos.
ScratchJr was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language (scratch.mit.edu). Millions of young people (ages eight ad up) use Scratch worldwide. In creating ScratchJr, They redesigned the interface and programming language to be developmentally appropriate for younger children. In addition, they carefully design features to match young children’s cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development.
ScratchJr is available as a free app for iPad and Android tablets. To learn more about ScratchJr, visit scratchjr.org.
Using code (or programming) is a new form of literacy. Just as writing helps you organize your thinking and express your ideas, the same goes for programming. In the past, programming was complicated for most people to optimize. But now programming is for everyone, just like writing. That’s why they have created a simple promotion language like ScratchJr.
When kids learn to code with ScratchJr, they learn to create and express themselves with a computer, not just interact with it. In the process, children learn to solve problems and design projects. As a result, they develop cognitive skills essential for later academic development. It also uses math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, thus supporting the development of literacy and numeracy skills. With ScratchJr, kids aren’t just learning to code. They’re coding to learn.
Code with Google.
Google provides many resources to help students, parents, and teachers learn to code. They are not precisely for 5 to 8, but you can find helpful resources there.
Code with Google helps to ensure that every student has access to collaborative, coding, and technical skills. These skills unlock opportunities in the classroom and beyond–no matter their future goals.
For more CS education resources from Google, visit Code with Google. To close equity gaps in CS education, Google created Code with Google. They provide the tools, resources, and inspiration to help every educator and student unlock their potential with code.
Conclusion
Many resources help students, parents, and teachers learn to code. In this post, we have evaluated four of them:
- CS Unplugged
- Code.org
- Scratch JR
- Code with google.
Related post.
Scratch programming examples for beginners.
Easy games to create on Scratch step-by-step
Comments
One response to “Programming for kids”
[…] Programming for kids […]