For more information regarding computational thinking, take a look here!

The question then becomes, what does this look like with our youngest learners? To begin, consider how you organize files on your laptop or computer.  I imagine you have them in folders.  If you are at all like me, perhaps even  folders within folders, within folders.  The files within these folders are similar and/or relevant.  I keep my documents , photos, and videos, related to my daughter in a folder titled, “Lydia”.  Translating this to the early childhood classroom, consider common spaces and routines: art center, reading corner, cubbies, dramatic play, etc.  When children enter their classroom, they find their own cubby, they put their own coat on a hook, they may put their lunch on a particular shelf, as well as put their own change of clothes in a particular bin.  In the art center they put their scissors with the other scissors and their crayons go in the bin with other crayons.  At an early age, they are already beginning to develop the skill to organize items into particular and relevant spaces and places.

By engaging in coding and programming activities, young children can explore foundational concepts such as:

• Sequencing/directions
• Directional coding
• Conditions/If-than statements
• Patterns/Looping
• Problem-based or goal-based design

Daisy the Dinosaur is a free iPad application that invites children to explore early programming and the above skills related to computational thinking.  Take a look at this quick video:  

You will see that this application is visual and textual at the same time.  From an early reader standpoint, this application utilizes high frequency words which would be taught in kindergarten and first grade.  As seen, there are two modes, “free-play” and “challenge”. Use what you know about your group to determine how you might introduce this application to them.  In my experience, I have found using the “challenge mode” first most successful because it slowly introduces new functions.  Once they have developed the understanding of the provided functions, the “free-play” mode is more understandable, intuitive, and of course fun.

Challenge idea:  Consider having children create challenge cards for each other.  On these cards, they can write/draw their own challenges to code Daisy.  Some of the common challenge cards I have observed created include:

• Make Daisy as big as you can
• Make Daisy disappear
• Make Daisy spin for a long time

Have fun!!