Computer Science Education Week is held each December around the birthday of Grace Hopper, a computing pioneer born December 9, 1906. An algorithm is a list of steps in order, which is just what a how-to is, so telling steps in order is a good way into coding, even before children can read.
Five pages, each read aloud, with large lines and a starter to trace. Page 1: draw a robot you would build and say what it can do. Page 2: draw and tell how to wash your hands in four steps. Page 3: a robot does just what you say; draw and tell what happens, first, then and last. Page 4: what job should a robot do, and why? Page 5: draw and write three jobs a robot could do.
Before page 2, play robot: the teacher does exactly what the class says, word for word, while washing pretend hands. When a step is missing, the robot gets stuck: that is a bug. Then children draw and tell their own steps.
Ask your child to tell you the steps for washing your hands while you follow them exactly. Laugh at what goes wrong, then fix the steps together.
Draw-and-write pages for Computer Science Education Week, from a robot of your own to the steps of washing your hands. Children draw, tell steps in order with starters to trace, imagine a robot that does just what it is told and say what job a robot should do.
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