Developing Computational Thinking Abilities in the Early Years Using Guided Play Activities
Valerie Critten, Hannah Hagon, Sarah Critten, David J. Messer · Education Sciences · 2025
While researchers of children in early years education promote the development of computational thinking (CT) abilities, many teachers are unaware of, or resistant to, the idea of teaching CT to such young children. This study explored the possibility of utilising everyday items and topics to develop CT abilities in a class of 24 four-to-five-year-old children. Over six weekly sessions, the children took part in innovative guided play activities integrated with class topics: Celebrations, Forest School and Christmas. Each session consisted of two activities: Task A consisted of deconstructing, evaluating and choosing equipment or items, and Task B consisted of sequencing and debugging the order of the activity, e.g., wrapping a birthday present. Two methods of assessment were utilised: quantitative where children were asked to do simple pencil and paper tasks and the sequencing or placement of pictures to record their accuracy; and qualitative where children were individually asked to explain their results. The findings indicate progress was made in task performance and the development of children’s logical reasoning and thinking abilities.