You may be hearing stories and experiences of children learning to code at school since it was introduced in the updated 2020 Ontario Math Curriculum. Coding is simply a method of communicating with a computer to give it instructions in order for it to perform specific functions. At the elementary school level, students learn the basics of coding and continue to develop their understanding through the following grade and concepts:
- Grade 1 - Sequential events (instructions for events that occur one after another)
- Grade 2 - Concurrent events (instructions for two or more events that occur at the same time)
- Grade 3 - Repeated events (something that happens over and over again as loops which are used to repeat instructions)
- Grade 4 - Nested events (control structures that are placed inside other control structures; for example, loops occurring inside other loops)
- Grade 5 - Conditional statements (conditional statements tell a program to run an action depending on whether a condition is true or false and are often represented as if-then or if-then-else statements) and other control structures (control structures are instructions that influence the order in which other code is run)
- Grade 6 - Writing and running efficient code (code that uses the lowest number of instructions to accomplish a task, thereby minimizing storage space and run time)
- Grade 7 - Defined count (the number of times instructions are repeated based on a predefined value or until a condition has been met) and/or sub-programs (a small set of instructions for completing one small task that can be combined in a main program to accomplish a large task using small steps)
- Grade 8 - Analyzing data in order to inform and communicate decisions
- Grade 9 - Using coding to demonstrate an understanding of algebraic concepts, including variables, parameters, equations, and inequalities
Benefits of coding:
- Promotes logical and creative thinking
- Promotes problem solving
- Fun and engaging
- Helps children develop resilience and perseverance
- Requirement for some careers in STEM
While access to coding programs requires the use of technology, there are important fundamental coding skills that can be developed using offline coding activities for young children. Using positional language (in front of, behind, over, under, left, right, etc.) to describe the location of objects, giving directions in a sequence, and understanding how to move on a grid are all skills that help children learn to code effectively when technology is introduced.
Ideas for coding without technology:
- Write/discuss the instructions for brushing your teeth. What if you have run out of toothpaste?
- Write/discuss the instructions for how to get ready in the morning. What if it’s a weekend?
- Write/discuss directions for how to get to where a friend lives. What if one of the streets is blocked with construction?
- Write/discuss a recipe for preparing a favourite food or meal. What if you are missing an ingredient? What if several people were helping you?
- Make up a game and write/describe the instructions. What strategies can you create to win?