Scratch Jr
Springfield Ed Tech Leaders report that Scratch Jr is very intuitive and easy to navigate once students get registered. There are great initial “intro” lessons for teachers. It's user friendly and a good entry level program for students that sparks an interest in programming and learning other types of programs such as Javascript, etc. It can be used as an incentive for students (To do list for early finishers, reward for “Fun Friday” or earned as a class, etc.).
Overview
With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.
Is It Good for Learning? "ScratchJr's icon-driven interface is a good fit when the goal is introducing kids to programming concepts without all the complex programming....Include a little teacher guidance, and ScratchJr offers a rich and challenging environment for very young programmers. At its best, ScratchJr may be most important for teaching a love of digital creation." — Common Sense Media
All K-1 students can use Scratch Jr on their iPad once it has been installed.
Teachers: If you choose to use Scratch Jr, please review the information on this page prior to having your students install the app.
About Scratch Jr
Scratch Jr Tutorial
Everything you need to learn how to use Scratch Jr is on the Scratch Jr website:
If you prefer, you may want to watch the 3:53 minute video below to learn the basics of Scratch Jr. You will need the Drive Across the City activity, which is located on the Scratch Jr Activities page.
Installation
Open the Self Service app.
Locate and click on the Scratch Jr app to install it.
Unable to install the app from Self Service? Put in a Web Help Desk ticket.
Classroom Use
Articles & Ideas
Scratch Jr
Common Sense Media Teacher Reviews — additional ideas from classroom teachers.
Sample Projects
Click here to see more examples on Twitter.