Primary coding: sequencing, debugging and clear explanations

Give the program a purpose

Set a simple challenge: move a character from the library to the playground on a classroom map. Agree the starting position, direction and available instructions before pupils begin. A route cannot be evaluated fairly if different groups imagine a different starting point or interpret “turn” in different ways.

Predict before running

Ask pairs to arrange instruction cards and trace the route with a counter. One pupil explains the intended movement while the other checks each step. Run the program only after both have made a prediction. Compare the actual outcome with the plan and identify the earliest point at which they differ.

Make debugging visible

Provide a deliberately flawed route containing one misplaced turn. Pupils should describe the problem, propose a change and test it. Avoid replacing the whole program immediately: changing one instruction makes the relationship between cause and effect easier to see. Introduce repetition once learners can identify a genuinely repeated sequence, rather than adding a loop merely because the software offers one.

Choose accessible tools and evidence

Select resources with clear controls, readable symbols and a way to reset reliably. Offer keyboard, touch or physical cards according to the learner’s access needs. A child can demonstrate understanding by directing a partner or annotating a route, even if manipulating the device is difficult. Save the original and improved programs together with a brief explanation. Assess the quality of prediction, testing and reasoning as well as whether the final character reaches its destination.