There has recently been a lot of discussion about improving computer science education and the need to include the elementary and middle school students in the process. As a K-8 technology teacher, this age group is always on my mind. After attending a recent Scratch Conference at MIT, I am convinced, more than ever, that 21st century computing skills have an important place in even the earliest rungs of the K-8 ladder.
Kindergarten, and, in some cases, pre-school, is the ideal time to expose young children to computer science. According to the educational philosophy of Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, young children are primed for learning. Her approach focuses on developing a child’s independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development. She believed “Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.”
Montessori emphasized constructivism – the idea that children acquire knowledge by acting on the world around them. This model is a perfect fit with computer science and computational problem-solving. Constructivism stresses the importance of a child’s active participation in the learning process Computer programming places the emphasis of learning on the child by allowing her to take on the active role of designer and builder. At the same time, the iterative nature of computer programming, (i.e., start with a clearly-stated idea, create a working prototype, experiment with it, debug it when things go wrong, get feedback from others, then revise and redesign it) teaches students to think reflectively about the problem-solving process itself. Hence, computer science is a practical and powerful way for teachers to implement constructivist learning in the elementary classroom.
In order for young children to develop competency in computer science from a natural learning process, parents, teachers and administrators should support this effort. Unfortunately, many adults, instead of encouraging their children to explore computer science, share their knowledge of computer technology in the form of “smart” devices and Apps. According to a 2012 study conducted by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (iLearnII, An Analysis of the Education Category of Apple’s App Store, Carly Shuler, 2012) over 80% of the top selling apps in the Education category of the iTunes store target children. In 2009, almost half (47%) of the top selling apps targeted preschool or elementary-aged children. By 2012 that number increased to almost three-quarters (72%). While not necessarily a bad thing, parents and teachers should focus their energy on encouraging children to become developers, not consumers, of technology.
It has long been assumed that only adults, including college and high school students, can understand the basics of computer science. However, recent studies have shown that even children as young as age four, can learn to program.
The Tangible Kindergarten (TangibleK) Project study, conducted by the DevTech research group at Tufts University, demonstrated the potential of integrating robotics and computer programming into early childhood learning experiences. This research team found that children as young as four and half were able to successfully program a robot to complete a variety of challenges (Kazakoff & Bers, 2011). According to their website: “The overarching goal of the Tangible Kindergarten project was to explore how we can help young children to develop computational thinking by engaging them in computer programming and robotics in a developmentally appropriate way.”
Building on the philosophy of Maria Montessori, where students are provided specifically designed “materials for development”, the TangibleK curriculum provides ways for young children to engage directly with the programming environment, thus helping preschoolers to take charge of the learning process.
Because of the proliferation of Apps and other technologies, families and educators are looking for guidance. Now is the time to take charge of the conversation and steer it towards creating a generation of technology producers. According to Professor Marina Bers, Director of the DevTech Research Group, “Computers for most people are black boxes. I believe kids should understand objects are ‘smart’ not because they’re just smart, but because someone programmed them to be smart.”
Students no longer have to wait until high school to experience the learning benefits of computer science. I am eager to share my love of computing with my K-8 students and thanks to the research from Tufts University, I now have the resources to make that happen.
Resources:

Scratch Jr.: http://ase.tufts.edu/DevTech/ScratchJr/ScratchJrHome.asp
Patrice Gans
CSTA K-8 Representative, and Chair, K-8 Task Force