How can you connect coding skills to everyday activities? It might be easier than you think to help your children learn foundational computer science skills. Although they might become an app developer or write the code behind a new website in the future, kids have to start somewhere.
What are coding skills? Lots of skills make up the foundation for what we think of when the terms coding or computer science enter the conversation. Children of all ages can explore the skills that are viewed as the building blocks for coding. There are even state standards, like the ones highlighted in my conversation with New York educator Laurie Guyon on an episode of my Easy EdTech Podcast from earlier this year.
Today, we’ll use four key skills to organize the activities on this list: noticing patterns, sequencing, problem-solving, and following instructions.
Connecting Coding Skills to Everyday Activities
In this blog post, we’ll look at ways you can connect coding skills to activities your children already participate in or could take part in without disrupting your schedule. Many activities or moments on this list encourage you to model, ask questions, or think aloud as you explore these skills with your children. You can take advantage of moments that happen every day, that might feel small or inconsequential, and connect them to foundational skills related to computer science.
These activities are great for kids of all ages, and you can customize them to the needs and interests of your children. For example, the questions you ask your children might become more complex as they age, or you might be surprised where the conversation goes if they bring in their own experiences and observations of the world around them.
Let’s jump into this list of activities you can use to make computer science connections to everyday moments.
Noticing Patterns
From the change of the seasons to how produce is organized in the supermarket, there are patterns everywhere we look. Although these patterns might feel obvious to you and me, even if your children can point them out, they might not have thought deeply about the patterns that are part of their regular interactions with the world. Patterns are a foundational piece of coding. Pointing out patterns or how items are organized can connect coding to everyday activities like a grocery store trip.
In addition to noticing patterns, you might encourage your children to create patterns, too. This could include the way they organize a bookshelf or help put away food in a pantry. After pointing out a pattern, like how the recycling bin is picked up every Wednesday morning, encourage them to think about the patterns in their own lives. You might ask your children a question like, “What patterns would you like to create?” Or “How would you organize this space?” to help them apply this skill.
Sequencing
Throughout the day, we see temporal words in action. This includes words like first, then, next, and finally. Sequencing is an essential skill in computer science, and putting pieces of code in the correct order can have a huge impact on whether something works or not.
To connect sequencing to everyday activities, you can break down a task your children complete every day into a few steps. You and your children might pause before brushing your teeth on a weekend morning to discuss the sequence of steps. Or you might ask a common question like, “What happened at school today?” But include follow-up questions like, “Did that happen before or after lunch?” or “Which of those moments happened first?”
Problem Solving
Your children might learn about cause and effect in an English Language Arts classroom as they explore literacy skills or work on reading comprehension. They might think of problem-solving as something that happens when they are given a word problem to tackle in their math classroom. Problem-solving and examining cause and effect both have a place in the world of computer science and coding.
“If, then” statements are a great place to start if you want to connect coding skills to everyday activities. You might start by simply bringing these terms into your conversation during otherwise mundane moments. For example, you might say, “If I use my turn single, the other drivers know I am going to switch lanes,” on your drive to soccer practice or a doctor’s appointment. Or, if the light from the windows makes everyone squint as they sit at a sunny kitchen table on a Sunday morning, you might ask your children, “What can we do to fix this?” Or “If we move the blinds, what impact will that have on the light in this room?”
Following Instructions
Have you ever followed a set of instructions but missed a crucial step? Or tossed the instructions before assembling an item and realized you should have paid attention to the manual? Following instructions and realizing that one step can build upon another is a crucial skill in computer science.
To connect this skill to everyday activities, you might bring your children into tasks like assembling furniture or following a recipe. They can watch as you move step-by-step, and you can point out how each step builds upon the next. Another option is to sit alongside your child as they work to follow a recipe or assemble a toy. You might ask questions like, “What do you think would happen if we skipped this step?” or “Do you think these instructions were clear?”
How will you connect coding skills to everyday activities? I encourage you to start small and choose just one place to start. For example, you might make a personal commitment to model using temporal words this week to show the sequence of different steps you follow to complete a task. Or you might decide to wonder aloud as you fix something and let your children hear you struggle as it takes a few tries to solve a problem. The possibilities are truly endless as you begin to connect coding skills with everyday activities with your children!
About Dr. Monica Burns
Dr. Monica Burns, Ed.D. is a curriculum and educational technology consultant, and founder of ClassTechTips.com. She hosts the Easy EdTech Podcast and is author of EdTech Essentials: The Top Ten Technology Strategies for All Learning Environments.
Photo description: A woman and a young boy are washing their hands at a kitchen sink.