A Fluid Resource of Quality Educational Apps and Sites That Can Be Used In The Classroom to Complement Traditional Student Learning
JK and SK students have access to Osmo devices and accessories in the classroom, where one of the strongest accompaniments is the Osmo Coding program. They provide a nice bridge between the tactile elements found in other early coding tools such as Bee-Bots, and transition to the screen based drag and drop style that they will be accessing more and more.
codeSpark Academy is another platform for young coders. It is drag and drop, block-based coding that gets more challenging with each level. It is almost strictly pictorial, so even emerging readers can find success.
Bee-Bot is a great app suited for JK and SK students who are just getting started with building a “coding mind”. It would be the best route for laying the foundation for planning out a path using simple commands, as well as block-based. We use the physical Bee-Bots with mats in the classroom beginning in JK and continuing with SK.
Code.org is a free online platform that teaches students of all ages how to code at their own comfort level. Younger students can progress through different challenges using block-based coding, similar to what they will use when working with Scratch Jr. The early lessons also let them click on the speaker icon to hear directions rather than rely on being able to read them, should they still be an emergent reader. Our oldest students will also be plenty challenged as they are given personalized lessons that suit their level of programming experience.
Scratch JR. continues to be one of the leading platforms for teaching young students how to code. Because it lays the groundwork for success when students are ready to make the transition to Scratch (the more robust platform for older students), it becomes a natural transition when they are ready to layer in more advanced commands.
Tynker is both an app and an online platform that teaches early coding. Even the free offerings provide a large volume of coding lessons. For younger students, the “drag and drop” block-based coding is presented in a way that they can learn the basic elements of coding. There are a number of game-based tutorials that keep young learners engaged, and lay the groundwork for java and python languages down the road.
Integration Resources 
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