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Scratchjr Visual Programming Language for Early Math Skills Development in 4–7 years Old Children

Abstract:

Programming is commonly associated with mathematical skills as both need common ways of reasoning. This study examined how much the visual programming language ScratchJr influenced a set of eight early mathematical skills in a group of children from 4 to 7 years old. With this aim in mind, we designed an online course with 4 modules of synchronous and asynchronous programming activities during a six-week period. A cohort of 116 children from several Latin American countries participated in the study. We conducted a quasi-experimental research which included a TEMTU Early Mathematical Assessment pre and posttest along with statistical calculations. Based on pre and posttest data, our results showed an important increase in the set of mathematical skills in contrast to the baseline. This is more evident in the 6–7 group age which showed a higher mastery when compared to children aged 4–5. The latter even required assistance from an adult until get familiarized themselves with the online learning environment and the programming activities. Not all the mathematical skills were developed in the same degree, however, our study could demonstrate the efficiency of ScratchJr as a tool to reinforce mathematical skills in young learners.