How low can you go?
Coding in kindergarten may seem unlikely, but that impression likely depends on your interpretation of what coding involves. Kodable is an app from SurfScore (the initial levels are free so you are encouraged to download and explore) designed for the earliest elementary grades and intended to develop an awareness of sequence, conditionals, loops, functions, and debugging within a game-like environment. The image that appears below illustrates most of these concepts.
In the Kodable app, the “programmer” selects and sequences tiles to control the movements of a “fuzz” within Smeeborg (the world explored by members of the fuzz family). Movement options occur within a “maze” and the goal of each level is to successfully navigate the maze to collect the most coins. Learning is “gamified” with maze completion without error and collection of coins earning points. The image showing one level of the game demonstrates sequence, conditionals, and loops (also debugging should an initial try be unsuccessful). This establishes the sequence of actions to be executed. The number of slots is limited to require the use of loops and functions. A colored tile topped by an action represents a conditional. It is equivalent to telling the fuzz, when you arrive at this location I want you to do this (e.g., “if you get to a green square go up”). Finally, the loop tile allows the repetition of a sequence of actions embedded within the loop. The setting forces the use of loops and functions by limiting the number of moves that are allowed. Only a specified number of moves is allowed to complete the maze. Once you have entered your codes, you select the forward arrow to run the program and see how you do.
If you have little background in this area, an example such as this may help you understand and explore some of the core concepts in computational thinking. Give the app a try. We predict your efforts will involve some debugging. If you can explore the app with first graders, you may also be impressed with their performance.
