ABSTRACT
ScratchJr is a graphical programming language based on Scratch and redesigned for the unique developmental and learning needs of children in kindergarten to second grade. The creation of ScratchJr addresses the relative lack of powerful technologies for digital creation and computer programming in early childhood education. ScratchJr will provide software for children to create interactive, animated stories as well as curricula and online resources to support adoption by educators. This paper describes the goals and challenges of creating a developmentally appropriate programming tool for children ages 5-7 and presents the path from guiding principles and studies with young children to current ScratchJr designs and plans for future work.
- L. Beals and M. Bers. Robotic technologies: When parents put their learning ahead of their child's. J Int Learn Res, 17(4):341--366, 2006.Google Scholar
- M. Ben-Ari. Constructivism in computer science education. In ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, volume 30, pages 257--261. ACM, 1998. Google ScholarDigital Library
- M. U. Bers. Positive technological development: Working with computers, children, and the internet. MassPsych, 51(1):5--7, 2007.Google Scholar
- M. U. Bers. Blocks to robots: Learning with technology in the early childhood classroom. Teachers College, New York, NY, 2008.Google Scholar
- M. U. Bers. Using robotic manipulatives to develop technological fluency in early childhood. Cont P on Sci Technol Early Child Educ, pages 105--225, 2008.Google Scholar
- E. Cejka, C. Rogers, and M. Portsmore. Kindergarten robotics: Using robotics to motivate math, science, and engineering literacy in elementary school. Int J Eng Educ, 22(4):711--722, 2006.Google Scholar
- D. H. Clements. The future of educational computing research: The case of computer programming. Inf Technol in Child Educ Ann, 1999(1):147--179, 1999.Google Scholar
- D. H. Clements and J. Sarama. Strip mining for gold: Research and policy in educational technology -- a response to "fool's gold". Assoc Adv Comput Educ J, 11(1):7--69, 2003.Google Scholar
- C. Copple and S. Bredekamp. Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. NAEYC, Washington, DC, 2009.Google Scholar
- C. Cordes and E. Miller. Fool's gold: A critical look at computers in childhood. 2000.Google Scholar
- D. H. Feldman. Piaget's stages: The unfinished symphony of cognitive development. New Ideas Psychol, 22(3):175--231, 2004.Google ScholarCross Ref
- H. Gardner, M. L. Kornhaber, and W. K. Wake. Intelligence: Multiple perspectives. Harcourt Brace College, Fort Worth, TX, 1996.Google Scholar
- J. P. Hourcade, B. B. Bederson, A. Druin, and F. Guimbretière. Differences in pointing task performance between preschool children and adults using mice. ACM T Comput-Hum Int, 11(4):357--386, 2004. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. Kelleher and R. Pausch. Lowering the barriers to programming: A taxonomy of programming environments and languages for novice programmers. ACM Comput Surv, 37(2):83--137, 2005. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. Lightfoot, M. Cole, and S. R. Cole. The development of children. Worth, New York, NY, 2008.Google Scholar
- K. B. McKeithen, J. S. Reitman, H. H. Rueter, and S. C. Hirtle. Knowledge organization and skill differences in computer programmers. Cognitive Psychol, 13(3):307--325, 1981.Google ScholarCross Ref
- NAEYC and Fred Rogers Center. Technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. 2012.Google Scholar
- National Research Council. Mathematics learning in early childhood: Paths toward excellence and equity. 2009.Google Scholar
- D. A. Norman. User centered system design: New perspectives on human-computer interaction, chapter Cognitive engineering, pages 31--61. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, 1986.Google Scholar
- C. Rader, C. Brand, and C. Lewis. Degrees of comprehension: Children's understanding of a visual programming environment. In Proc ACM SIGCHI Human Factors in Computing Systems, pages 351--358. ACM, 1997. Google ScholarDigital Library
- M. Resnick. Sowing the seeds for a more creative society. Learning and Leading with Technology, 35(4):18--22, 2007.Google Scholar
- C. Rogers and M. Portsmore. Bringing engineering to elementary school. J STEM Educ, 5(3-4):17--28, 2004.Google Scholar
Index Terms
- Designing ScratchJr: support for early childhood learning through computer programming
Recommendations
ScratchJr demo: a coding language for kindergarten
IDC '15: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Interaction Design and ChildrenThis paper describes the ScratchJr research project, a collaboration between Tufts University's Developmental Technologies Research Group, MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten Group, and the Playful Invention Company. Over the past five years, dozens of ...
KIBO robot demo: engaging young children in programming and engineering
IDC '15: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Interaction Design and ChildrenRobotics offers a playful and tangible way for young children to engage with technology and engineering concepts during their foundational early childhood years. This paper describes the development of KIBO, a newly created robotics kit for children ...
Exploring Parent Use of Early STEM Media to Inform Design for Children
IDC '19: Proceedings of the 18th ACM International Conference on Interaction Design and ChildrenThis paper explores how parents identify and use science and math media to engage their preschool children in informal science and math learning. Through an interview study, we examine parental beliefs about media's role in their preschool-aged children'...
Comments