Reading, Writing and … Computing? Teaching Coding to Young Children скачать в хорошем качестве

Reading, Writing and … Computing? Teaching Coding to Young Children

For today’s pre-kindergartners, learning computer coding should be as vital as learning their ABCs. Keri Gritt, technology coordinator at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Virginia, believes children should be taught to code about the same time they learn basic reading and writing skills, that is, before they start kindergarten. Gritt says that with the right resources and goals in mind, teaching coding to 4- and 5-year-olds can develop important skills and reinforce concepts already taught in an elementary classroom, such as sequencing, patterns, measurement and creative storytelling. It’s not so much in addition to what is already being taught, but a shift in how we teach various skills. So, how does she do it? Before using programs or robots, she ties sequencing and commands to physical movement by having students follow a program listed with cards on a whiteboard, starting and stopping with begin and end commands. Students then write programs to guide a peer across the room, making turns and avoiding obstacles.They then move on to robots. Gritt says combining robots with coding is powerful. They make coding more engaging and visual, allowing students to see their code brought to life. Gritt uses Kibo and Dash robots, as well as Puzzlets. Technologies like robotics kits offer students a way to learn computational thinking while still honoring that they are young children who need to play, move and explore.