In an ever changing and increasingly technical world, it makes sense to start teaching young people how to interact and use computer technology at an early age. It’s a vital skill, one that our youth will undoubtedly need to know – so why not start them out when they’re very young? The makers of Scratch Jr., a computer programming tool for children as young as three, aim to do just that.
The Scratch Jr. program is a child’s edition of a downloadable program called Scratch, a more technical program that is aimed at children 8 – 13 years old. While the program itself won’t venture to teach anything as difficult as C++ or Python, it can allow children to make their own movies, games, and art – thus acclimating them to the skills that are needed at a very impressionable age.
The other tangible benefit of starting an undertaking such as this is the ability to reach people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. In a field that is so heavily dominated by men, programs like Scratch Jr. can instill the notion in women, Latinos, and African-Americans, that this is a passion and a field that they can succeed them. Over time, we just might see a more integrated and diverse technology workforce.
Read more at Good.Is.
About Ryan Almodovar
with the PTO in our local elementary school I worked with the computer teacher teaching kindergartners how to point and click in their school program. Tons of fun with the little ones.
Being in front of screens at such young ages isn’t necessarily a good thing. It can impede children’s ability to develop their imagination through play, can lead to attention problems as they get older, and can lead to unhealthy habits of being too sedentary. http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/factsheets/screentime.pdf
I really like this article
Ooo for my 3 yr old