Code-It: How To Teach Primary Programming Using Scratch

The new computing curriculum is truly transformational. However, many primary teachers and pupils have little or no experience of programming or the thinking skills that underpin it. This book, classroom-tested and perfected by the author through his website code-it.co, helps teachers to provide their pupils with an exciting, challenging computer science curriculum in Key Stage 2. The book can be used to supplement existing programming modules or as a complete KS2 computer science program of study. The author starts by outlining what computational thinking is and which approaches work when teaching programming. He also shows teachers how to promote resilience and problem solving. The book contains a series of programming projects that gradually introduce pupils to algorithm design and evaluation, generalisation and decomposition. Pupils learn how to use sequence, repetition, selection and variables through becoming creators of a wide variety of programming projects, that emphasise maths, literacy, humanities, gaming, music and control. There are four pupil workbooks to provide structure, resources and home learning links. These are designed to work in conjunction with the teacher book. A growing bank of online videos are available to help teachers improve their own skills and take full advantage of the cross-curricular benefits of developing depth in programming. The Scratch programming language, already widely recognised in schools, is freely accessible online or as a download at home. It is the ideal place to begin programming as there is no other system that allows pupils to create such a wide variety of projects and be used in both primary and secondary education. It also allow pupils to extend their understanding independently through the Scratch online community.