Because I’ve shown an interest in coding in the past, No Starch Press was kind enough to offer me a review copy of The Official ScratchJr Book by Marina Umaschi Bers and Mitchel Resnick. (2015)Sadly, I don’t have an iPad or Android-based tablet, so I was unable to download the ScratchJr app to test it, but judging by the book and my experience with Scratch, I’m sure it’s a wonderful tool for inspiring creativity and logical thinking.
Here’s what I like about The Official ScratchJr. Book:
- It targets a very young audience – ages 5 and up
- It can be useful for parents and teachers and librarians – especially those who might find coding to be intimidating
- Unlike the Hour of Code (which I love and have used as a resource for library programming), The Official ScratchJr Book focuses more on inspiring creativity than learning the nuts and bolts of logical thinking
- The above statement notwithstanding, it still can be used to learn the nuts and bolts of simple coding and logical thinking
If at first there was a great rush to teach kids to code, there is now a push in the opposite direction. Just Google “Should kids learn to code?” and you will find a wealth of opinion on either side. Personally, I liken the “argument” to car repair. In days gone by, many people knew how to do most repairs on their automobiles. Now, cars’ systems are so intricate, that most people have trouble doing anything other than the simplest of repairs. Most people have cars. Should we know how to repair them? No, I don’t think so. There will also be a need for an auto mechanic. But, knowing how to change a flat tire sure comes in handy! If working on cars appeals to you, become a mechanic. The same is true of coding. Give it a try. If your kids are looking for a follow up to the Frozen Hour of Code project, “Code with Anna and Elsa,” The Official ScratchJr Book is probably a good place to start (if you have a tablet that can run the ScratchJr app).
I’m going to pass my copy along to my school district’s media specialist. The kids have Chromebooks and should be able to make good use of it.
(See all of my reviews at Shelf-employed)
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
STEM Friday 