K-8 coding education should be integrated for best outcomes

Students exposed to coding at an early age are well-equipped to take on more advanced computer science courses in high school. They’re also given a head start on learning a valuable skill that could open new opportunities when they enter the workforce. But when Rob van Nood was hired as the educational technology specialist for Catlin Gabel School in Oregon, coding and computer science courses were only offered in grades 9-12. The lack of coding curricula for younger students has left a significant teaching gap in 21st century skills, he said, such as problem-solving, designing and computation-thinking.
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