Coding & Programming

Coding and programming is an important tool that all elementary students should have the chance to learn and advance in! What is coding exactly? Coding is what makes it possible for us to create computer software and different websites. Being able to code and to program is important because it allows us to understand what goes into computers and gives us an appreciation of how things work. By being able to code and learn these basics, students are problem-solving and figuring out the best strategies to complete things and they go through a variety of ways of doing things efficiently and successfully. Coding and programming give students a challenge to overcome and it really allows them to deep dive into problem-solving and effective strategies to overcome these challenges.

There are endless resources for elementary schoolers to use for learning/practicing coding and programming. Common Sense Education gives many different tools for elementary students to use to practice coding and gives a mini summary of each so that the students can find the best resources for them! Educators can use this website as a resource for finding and narrowing down some of the best resources.

I wanted to give a quick list of some of my favorite coding tools that are perfect for elementary schoolers to use!:

ScratchJr- ScratchJr is available as an app for young children and allows them to think creatively and create their own interactive stories and games using animations and different sprites as characters! Students will learn how to problem-solve and express themselves using this interactive website/app.



SpriteBoxCoding- SpriteBox Coding is a great website/app for all ages that teaches students different programming and coding skills such as parameters, sequencing, and loops. These skills are very important to have and can be used in different situations moving on with students' education. This resource gives students the opportunity to solve different coding puzzles using icons and have a great time doing it!

Ozobot- Ozobots are such a great resource to have in the classroom! Ozobots are little robots that teach kids programming in a fun and unique way. The student can calibrate these robots to follow colors, lines, and identify different surfaces. The Ozobot website has many different resources including videos, how to shop this resource, different lessons that educators can use with the Ozobot, and much more.


Code & Go Mouse- This is a fantastic tool and activity set to have at home or in the classroom for young students to use and practice coding with! The kit comes with coding cards that help the student create a path for the mouse to follow. The students will program the sequence of steps into the mouse and then watch it follow the code! There are endless amounts of activites and lessons that you can use with the Code & Go Mouse and it allows you to get creative with it and be very interactive with the students.