Precoding skills - Teaching computational thinking to preschoolers in Singapore using unplugged activities

Abstract

Computational Thinking (CT) by now is widely recognized as an important skill in K-12 education. Research suggests that, during children's early formative years, certain types of experiences, including exploration, exposure to basic skills, and practice with rich communication, among others, are critical to support typical development (Ramey and Ramey 1999). Exposure to these experiences cultivates school readiness, which in turn supports children's later achievement. The same holds true for CT. Exposing children to different kinds of CT-oriented problem-solving ideas and strategies, paired with thoughtful guidance, will allow preschool-aged children to practice CT over a wide variety of contexts. Kinder Koder was started in 2020 with the aim of teaching CT to preschoolers through unplugged games and activities. This paper shares how CT is being taught in Kinder Koder's enrichment classes in Singapore by using a framework more suited for early childhood education. This will help preschool teacher's integrate teaching CT in their day to day classrooms.