Preschool Children's Experiences and Interactions Related to Computational Thinking Skills: A Scoping Review of Literature

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: The Importance of Young Children's Interactions

Abstract

Computational thinking is considered an essential literacy skill for all children to develop, yet, preschool-age children’s development of such skills is scarcely researched. Research with elementary age students (K-Grade 5) has shown promising results, nevertheless, questions remain about 3-5-year-old children’s capacity for computational thinking. Given the limited breath of research for this age group, the purpose of this scoping review is to identify preschool children’s experiences, interactions, and computational thinking perspectives and to establish future directions for research. In this paper we address: a) technologies that are used to engage young children’s computational thinking skills, b) ways in which computational thinking experiences are integrated in preschool learning settings, and c) initial computational thinking skills that emerge in preschool-age children.

Authors

• Kate McCormick, SUNY - College at Cortland

• Jacob Andrew Hall, SUNY - College at Cortland