CDC Kindergartners Learn to Code with Daisy the Dinosaur

This afternoon after their Lego robotics work in the AT&T Classroom, the CDC Kindergartners were introduced to Daisy the Dinosaur, an iOS app designed to introduce coding to young children. Daisy the Dinosaur builds upon the skills the children have been developing with the Lego WeDo Robotics software as the app also utilizes drag-and-drop steps to code movement and sound. The app offers a challenge mode tutorial that shows the user how to use drag-and-drop steps to make the dinosaur move, jump, shrink and grow. There is also a free play mode in which users can design their own program to animate Daisy. Providing opportunities for young children to learn coding skills fosters children’s abilities for mathematical reasoning as well as skills for critical thinking, divergent thinking, creativity and problem solving.