“Who likes to play video games? Angry Birds? Flappy Birds? Who wants to make Ana and Elsa skate?” At this point the students are bursting with excitement. “Today in Computer Lab you are going to be writing code and making the characters squash pigs, fly and ice skate!” No, the lab wasn’t quiet but they were ready to learn. In 15 minutes, the students were working independently moving characters and piecing together directions while understanding moving forward, left and right as well as cardinal directions. Those students were 1st and 2nd graders.

How do you even begin teaching something so abstract to young students? Have one teacher  stand in one spot and another teacher a few steps away. Have the students estimate how many steps apart they are. Try it and if they are wrong have them explain what went wrong and how to fix it. Redo this until they are correct. Once this is mastered, have one person take a step to the left. Demonstrate how moving a step to the left will now make this task three different steps: step 1-walk to the person, step 2-turn to the person, step 3-walk to the person so that you are standing by them.

Below are wonderful coding sites for all ages and abilities:

Courses that will teach you how to write code (scroll down for the different levels)

Help Elsa and Ana skate

Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies

Decorate the National Christmas Tree

Tynker

Scratch