write and test simple programs
Introduction
Understand what algorithms are, and that algorithms are implemented as programs on digital devices; write and test simple programs.
Self study resources
Tangible K - great ideas about using non graphical interfaces with the very young.
Ian Addison's pages on Control and Programming. Levelling and lesson plans and lots more.
MSW LOGO - a free LOGO programming environment from Microsoft. LOGO is a natural follow on from BeeBots and 'robot' role play activities.. On line user guide - this is an excellent reference that gives an overview of LOGO an some very simple ideas for using it with young children. Click to download the application.
Year 2 Scratch Programming Lessons plus links to a range of other Scratch Programming Modules and Ideas from CAS members. These are being continually added to. You will need to be a CAS member to use these.
Crowd sourced computing doc has links to a range of resources / ideas
Resources for lectures or group study
Excellent set of resources curated by Leicester PGCE tutor Doug Dickinson.
Resources for use with pupils
Example Early Years webpage supporting data sorting, sequencing and simple programming.
Daisy the Dinosaur iOS App: A simple graphical introduction to some programming basics by creating sequences of commands. There are 5 beginner challenges and a free play mode covering basic logic, loops and events. Drag and drop commands and run to animate Daisy.
Scratch cards for beginners from ScratchEd.
More useful Scratch cards to print and laminate from Teach ICT.
A set of simple introductory Scratch resources designed for a low ability class with SEN and EAL students. Includes playground activity with chalk Contributed to the TES website by hcumbes.
One key logo: a simple Scratch drawing program for children to draw shapes using letters from Redware.
Peanut butter and jelly robot: A activity about robotics programming from Howtosmile.org. Learners discover how precise programmers have to be as they 'program' a friend to make a sandwich.
Rainbow Fish: Simple video instructions for making a colour-changing fish in Scratch. Suitable for KS1/SEN.
How to train your robot set of games from Dr Techniko aimed at 3-7 year olds. Teaches basic principles such as programming languages for communicating and programs as recipes. Incorporates repetition, composition, abstraction, loops and conditionals and unit testing.
Scratch Junior: a Scratch project which shares a simplified version of Scratch with 13 sprites and 52 scripts. Gallery of projects in Scratch Junior here. Read about plans to produce an official Scratch Junior from Scratch Ed
Redware lesson plans for adaptable for upper KS1 and great for KS2 on Scratch.
Espresso Coding - sequence of online interactive programming activities. Free until Oct 2014.
2Simples Purple Mash 2code (subscription required)