Does the child sit at the computer for hours and does not let go of the smartphone? Don’t worry: his enthusiasm can be directed in a promising direction. The free “Scratch Junior” program will help with this. It will teach the child to understand the principles of programming, count and write simple commands with the help of bright visual blocks.

Scratch Jr is a virtual environment created specifically for teaching preschoolers the basics of programming. Working with visual tools is interesting even for restless boys: you have to control the bright character Tic using blocks similar to commands in text languages. You can write a simple program and immediately see the result. Plus – implementation according to the principles reminiscent of the Lego constructor: the blocks must be attached to each other, connected. Thanks to this, you can make the virtual character Tick:

• Move in different directions and pass a certain number of cells;

• Increase or decrease;

• Repeat the necessary actions;

• Congratulate and not only.

We are at school Pixel we use “Scratch Junior” in programming courses for preschoolers and junior high school students because of the simplicity of this visual language and the environment of the same name. Children like direction: they are fascinated by the possibility of creating cartoons and animations, performing other projects from scratch. Even a preschooler who is not familiar with the code is able to cope with mastering the direction.

Scratch Jr should not be considered entertainment. This is an environment that will lead the child to understand the principles of programming, improve thinking, make it more rational. There are other advantages: we want to talk about them, the potential of the Scratch Junior environment and its possibilities.

What is Scratch Junior: details

We have already talked about the basics of Scratch Jr. Now we want to note that this is a great tool for immersing children aged 5 to 9 in programming. The visual language of the same name is based on the use of block commands: bright and colorful constructions that appeal to children, captivate them and involve them in the process.

When working with the internal tools of the environment, preschoolers and younger students:

• They will get acquainted with the basic principles of programming: logic, sequence, clarity and precision of representation and combination of constructions;

• They learn to perform the first simple projects using the example of animation, colorful cartoons, simple games;

• Find skills that will come in handy in the future if the topic of writing code takes hold. As a result of getting acquainted with “Scratch Jr”, the foundations of learning complex text languages ​​will be laid.

How the children’s environment is arranged for learning the basics of coding

The media device depends on the selected version, but everything is the same. You can use “Scratch Junior” on a computer online or in the form of desktop program for Windows and Mac. It is up to the user to install the program or use the web version. Functions are no different.

We should also note that the developer – the team of the media laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – predicted mobile versions educational environment for devices with iOS and Android operating systems. They are suitable even for tablets, say, iPad.

Let’s take a look at the online version to show how it all works. Here is the default home screen:

Now about the possibilities. Look at the screenshot and remember the numbers: below, taking them into account, the main sections are described (the first – 1, the second – 2, etc.).

To the point:

1. The first section is intended for saving projects and loading them into the visual programming educational environment. If you plan to do something large-scale, you need to save regularly.

2. The second section contains two icons with rectangles. Clicking on the left will activate full-screen mode, clicking on the right will activate cells or coordinates.

3. The third section will help if you want to change the background (click on the icon with the image of a forest and clouds) or write text and place it on the working field (letters ABC).

4. In the fourth chapter, as before, there are two images. Clicking on the left one with an arrow will help cancel the action of Tick, and the right one with a flag will help start the program. We will show a simple example of the latter below.

5. The fifth section will help if you want to place several conditional scenes in the project. Clicking on the plus sign will add a new workspace.

6. The sixth section is the immediate field where Tick or another character will take actions after writing a visual program.

7. In the seventh chapter, the user can write code using block constructs. Available visual commands are in the menu, nested in squares of yellow, blue, purple, and other colors. They can be seen above the black and white picture of Thicke on the lower left.

8. The figure eight in our screenshot represents the feature designed to add new characters.

9. The ninth section will help you decorate the workspace, add geometric shapes and other objects to it. It also has additional drawing tools: with their help, the child will be able to color Tick and his friends.

We will not talk about everything and fill the article with screenshots: if the child likes it, he will be able to figure out the same drawing in two seconds. Just invite him to work on his own or find Scratch Junior lessons in the format video or text.

Bonus: an introductory lesson for preschoolers

If you are our little reader or the parent of a child who is interested in the environment, we offer an introductory lesson. We prepared it to tell more about the program.

1. Let’s go to Scratch Junior onlinethat is, let’s turn to the web version.

2. Click on the rectangle with cells and move Tick to coordinates 1:1 with the mouse (you need to hold down the left button and drag the character to the right place). This is what should come out:

3. Let’s write the code. First, select the yellow cube and drag down the green flag. This is the beginning of our visual program. Next, click on the blue cube and select parts of the “designer” with forward and up arrows. Drag them down. Click on the purple cube, select an additional command – the first of the proposed ones. Let’s join it to the joint program. This is what should come out:

4. Let’s set our own values. Units are written under the arrows by default. The variable Hi is written in the dialogue block. Let’s enter in order: 5, 5 and the word “Hello!”. This is what should come out:

5. Click the check box to start the program. Tick ​​will move to coordinates 5 and 5 and say: “Hello!”. Here’s what you get:

If the program seemed incomplete, click on the red cube and close the sequence with the first command offered. This is a block of the same color without arrows.

What you can create with Scratch Jr

It has already been indirectly mentioned that the projects in Scratch Junior are mainly represented by animation and improvised cartoons. But the platform provides tools with which a preschooler can learn to:

We believe that something else is more important – the benefit of classes in “Scratch Jr”, because a preschooler who has mastered this visual language will definitely not immediately become a programmer. We do not recommend building illusions and feeding them: only a full-fledged and long study will help to master the code. But it is worth considering that each new project will become a means of the child’s development. In what directions – we will tell now.

What is the use of the visual programming language Scratch Junior

If you download “Scratch Junior” to a PC or mobile device and let your child work with it on a regular basis, you can get a number of advantages in terms of the development of a preschooler. It:

• Start writing the code. Programming in Scratch Jr may be done at the most simple level, but it bears fruit: the child begins to understand the principles of “adult” coding. This is logic, clarity of sequences and more. At the same time, an understanding of what structures are responsible for what is gradually forming. In the future, if the child is interested in full-fledged code writing, it will be necessary: ​​understanding the basics will be a good basis for learning;

• Development of logical thinking. Scratch Junior programming lessons for children or independent activities make the mental process more active. Designing its logical components and its development is a direct consequence of getting to know the basics of programming from the example of using bright blocks;

• Increasing interest in a number of school subjects. In the given example, there were coordinates and commands for moving Tick to a new position. He took 5 steps to the side and the same number of steps up. The example is banal and simple, but it is ideal for preschoolers and positive for the first introduction to complex mathematics. Perhaps this will somewhat simplify her study in the first school years;

• Education of attentiveness. Working with code, even block code, requires attention. The fact is that even insignificant errors often cause the program to start working differently. It may seem that a constructor-like language, where complex commands are assembled from blocks, is inherently error-free. This is not true: think of Lego to understand that the wrong connection of parts spoils the final appearance of what was intended to be assembled.

So, Scratch Jr helps preschoolers and younger students develop. Both in a narrow direction – programming, and in general. It is about the development of logical thinking, the education of attentiveness, as well as the awakening of interest in a number of school subjects.

And we want to sum up and finish the material. Finally, let’s ask a provocative question: do you think it is worth teaching preschoolers to write code at all? If so, do you think Scratch Junior would be a good fit?

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The material is prepared by the program for children Pixel. We teach boys 5-9 block programming in Scratch Junior and Kodu Game Lab. You can familiarize yourself with ours course and see free lessons by ScratchJR.