Constructing the ScratchJr programming language in the early childhood classroom

This paper seeks to contribute to the growing literature on children and computer programming by focusing on a programming language for children in Kindergarten through second grade. Sixty-two students were exposed to a 6-week curriculum using ScartchJr. They learned foundational programming concepts and applied those concepts to create personally meaningful projects using the ScratchJr programming app. This paper addresses the following research question: Which ScratchJr programming blocks do young children choose to use in their own projects after they have learned them all through a tailored programming curriculum? Data was collected in the form of the students’ combined 977 projects, and analyzed for patterns and differences across grades. This paper summarizes findings and suggests potential directions for future research. Implications for the use of ScratchJr as an introductory programming language for young children are also discussed.