Scratch was created by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab and released in 2007. It is free, runs in a web browser and is used by tens of millions of young people around the world.
Instead of typing commands, learners drag blocks together like puzzle pieces. A block that says "move 10 steps" fits under one that says "when green flag clicked", and a cartoon character walks across the screen. Mistakes are visible and easy to fix, so children feel brave about trying things.
The ideas hidden inside the play
- Sequences: doing things in the right order.
- Loops: repeating an action without writing it again and again.
- Conditions: "if the cat touches the wall, then turn around".
- Variables: remembering a score or a name.
- Events: reacting when someone clicks or presses a key.
These are the same ideas that appear in Python, JavaScript and every other language. A child who is comfortable with them in Scratch is not starting from zero when text-based code arrives.
How we use it
Our younger learners begin with Scratch, then move on to Python and web development when they are ready. If you want to see how it feels, the first lessons of our Scratch course on the Techbase Academy are free.