Coding
With ICT/computing becoming an
increasingly desirable skill in employment, coding has rightly been included as
an essential for all primary pupils across all key stages. However, one must
not mistake “coding” as being exclusively computer-based. Indeed, in Key Stage
2, the subject of coding becomes more reliant on improving pupil’s ICT
Computing skills.
Nevertheless, to become familiar with the basic concepts of coding and programming, it is not necessary to have a computer, as is the case in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1. Coding, at a lower key stage level, should be viewed as giving instructions. This can range from children having to think and instruct a friend how to make something relatively simple like a sandwich step-by-step or guide someone how to construct something specific using coloured blocks.
Nevertheless, to become familiar with the basic concepts of coding and programming, it is not necessary to have a computer, as is the case in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1. Coding, at a lower key stage level, should be viewed as giving instructions. This can range from children having to think and instruct a friend how to make something relatively simple like a sandwich step-by-step or guide someone how to construct something specific using coloured blocks.
There is a whole array of resources
available to introduce and then apply this knowledge in the Primary School. A
consistent favourite of KS1, and also at EYFS, is the Bee-Bot. This allows
pupils to program a robot. They dial in set of commands in sequence and the
Bee-Bot will follow them out accordingly. See the video below for example.
Daisy the Dinosaur is also suitable for
KS1, building up to Scratch Jnr, Scratch and Roamer, for KS2. The difficulty of
the levels increase as the pupils become evidently more confident in
programming, coding and determining algorithms. Sequence, selection and
repetition are 3 elements the National Curriculum (2014) states must be
introduced to all pupils by the end of KS2.
However, these resources might be
difficult to access as a class (e.g. the class may not have 30 Bee-Bots), so
careful management of the lesson is important, as well is the case of
computerised programs if there is a limited number of laptops/tablets
available.