Small projects. Plenty to think about.

What does the research tell us?

A review combining 105 studies found that learning to program helped other thinking skills on average. The clearest benefits were for skills closely related to coding. Benefits for school results and reading and writing were smaller. The differences were also smaller when children were compared with others doing a different learning activity.

The studies involved different ages and ways of teaching. They do not show that every coding app benefits every child, and they did not study Pliro. Use them as background when deciding what to try.

Four things to look for

You do not need to test your child at home. Watch how they tackle a small project and ask a question when they need a hand.

Breaking a problem down

How will the character move? When does the player score? How does the game end? Pick one question to work on first.

Making a prediction

Before pressing Run, ask where the turtle will finish. Then look at the result together.

Trying one useful change

Change one instruction and try again. This makes it easier to see what caused the difference.

Explaining a choice

Why that colour or game rule? Let your child choose and show you how they made it happen.

Follow an interest in maths, art, music or science

A project can bring different interests together. There is no need to cover everything. Choose one thing your child wants to try.

Using maths

Change a turning angle to make a different shape. Adjust a character’s speed and see whether it can make a jump.

Making music

Write a short tune for a game. Change a note or its length, listen back and decide which version you prefer.

Bringing art to life

Draw a character, then make it move by showing slightly different drawings in turn. Choose its colours, shape and movement.

Trying a hands-on science project

With a Raspberry Pi and suitable extra parts, make a real light respond to a button. An adult can help connect the circuit and explain what happens. The small computer and parts are bought separately.

Trying again and working together

Talk about what already works, share the next job and celebrate a small improvement. A failed attempt can give you a clue about what to try next.

Help without taking over

Before offering an answer, ask, ‘What did you think would happen?’ If the task feels too big, make it smaller or try one step together.

Leave time for drawing, moving about and talking away from the screen. Your child could walk a route before writing instructions for the turtle to follow it.

Pliro uses readable instructions and coloured blocks, with results you can see straight away. These give children opportunities to practise. The software cannot promise that every child will become more confident or persistent.