DFI - Coding for Kids

 Scratch Junior 

Scratch Junior is a coding app that can be used on iPads and cell phones only. It allows you to add backgrounds, characters and objects. You use the different blue puzzle pieces below to help your characters move. Scratch Junior allows for multiple characters and settings which gives students a chance to tell their own story or retell a story. In terms of the structure of the coding I thought it was a little more complicated than the other coding apps I tried. This would be an app I'd recommend to our students who have prior experience with coding and who are happy to work on a long term project.

Lightbot

Light bot is an app that has different levels to it, starting from the very basic to more advanced. It is relatively easy to use and would be well suited to the junior school. Only once you pass the level you're on can you move onto the next level which means children are not skipping ahead to something they don't understand. The activities, especially in the earlier stages, are short and sharp which means students can see instant success. As a year 2 teacher, I would recommend Lightbot as a good starting point for direction and coding.

Code.org - Minecraft

The world is your oyster on Code.org. Probably my favourite of all the coding programs I have worked on to date. It has coding for a range of different interests (sport, minecraft, frozen, starwars etc). On Code.org it gives you small challenges located at the top of the page which can be read to you if you push on the small book and speaker icon which supports independence. The tasks flow in sequence telling a story that the students can follow. Each task gets harder and harder and students can't move forward in the story until they pass the task they are on. The coding is rather straight forward and focuses mainly on direction. Will be looking to try this with my students next term.

Kodable

Kodable is the type of game students are going to love. You earn rewards to buy things to change your avatars image / get new avatars. It is aimed at students from 4-9+. As you go up the ages the games change and become more challenging. Below is the 4 year old coding game. Students use the arrows to signal direction to help them collect the stars (which are used as points). Feels like a game for children while learning both direction and basic code.