A fun and fearless introduction to the digital world! Through a blend of off-screen and screen-based activities, the weekly Early Explorers class introduces our young learners to how fun coding can be. In this class, children learn to explore the possibilities of code and robotics with ScratchJr (a popular block based programming language) and MatataBot (an award winning coding robot).

A quick summary
– No prior experience required
– Weekly classes to develop your child’s computational thinking
– A blended learning approach to regulate screen time
– Develop technical skills such as coding and controlling robots
– Develop soft skills like collaboration and creativity

Through off-screen coding activities we engage young minds using the power of visual and interactive learning. In this class we introduce our Early Explorers to MatataBot, a friendly coding robot that develops computational thinking and problem solving while harnessing the power of tactile learning — perfect for our energetic explorers!

What your child will learn with MatataBot?
– Computational thinking.
– Key programming concepts such as sequences, loops, and functions.
– Problem solving through challenges such as capture the flag that increase in difficulty.
– That making mistakes is ok. We encourage learning by making mistakes, revising our plans, and trying again.
– Children will use mathematical reasoning and develop vocabulary such as “more”, “farther”, “fewer”, or “closer” to describe
movements along a path.
– Children will be practicing Decomposition, Pattern Recognition, and Algorithmic thinking as they move along paths and give commands to help others move along paths.
– As our Early Explorers become more comfortable with moving and turning the robot, we help them to notice that directions/commands are relative to the thing moving, be that a robot or a person. Point-of-view is a challenging concept for little learners; at Coding Strings we provide a lot of developmental support and plenty of opportunities for children to practice these more challenging concepts to support wider learning.

We start with a gentle but fearless introduction to programming through the user of ScratchJr, a visual block-based programming language that lets little ones learn programming by creating interactive stories and games.

With ScratchJr, Early Explorers will continue to develop their understanding of concepts such as conditionals, loops, and sequences. But it’s not just about the technical skills – Early Explorers have fun and are engaged in their own learning by building their own games or animations, and learning about the importance of teamwork and collaboration!

What your child will learn with ScratchJr?
– The core ScratchJr building blocks such as Triggering, Motion, Looks, Sound, and Control.
– Key programming concepts such as sequences, and loops.
– Creative problem-solving skills by designing and programming their own interactive stories and games.
– Basic computational thinking as they plan and execute coding sequences to achieve specific outcomes.
– Storytelling skills as they create narratives and characters within their ScratchJr projects.
– A solid foundation for future programming languages and coding environments such as Scratch.

1. Who is this class designed for?
   This class is great for all children aged 5-6. No prior experience with programming or digital devices (e.g. iPads) needed.
2. What’s the format of this course?
   Early Explorers is a weekly programme specially designed for 5-6 year olds to develop an understanding of tech! Each term of classes consists of 8 weekly lessons that are one hour long.
3. Can my child join in the next term of classes if s/he missed out on the previous term?
   Absolutely! Our term classes are designed to welcome new students at the start of every term. Do note however that we’re unable to include new students to an ongoing term as the lessons are progressive, so do sign up early to reserve your spot!
4. What equipment will my child need?
   We’ll provide all equipment and materials.
5. Are these classes available online?
   We care deeply about optimising the learning experience of every child that passes through our doors, and for young learners we believe that in-person learning works best.
6. My child is younger than 5. Can s/he join?
   We love the spirit of starting young! Unfortunately, as the learning needs of preschoolers at this stage of growth vary widely, we’re not able to accommodate kids under the age of 5 at the moment.
7. What if my child misses a class in the term?
   We offer one makeup class per term for students who have missed due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances. Given the structure of our classes, makeup sessions may be arranged outside of the regular term or our standard class hours.

Got More Questions?
Click here to Whatsapp us or get in touch over email at info@codingstrings.com.