An exploratory approach for investigating the integration of computational thinking and mathematics for preschool children

Abstract Developing computational thinking (CT) skills at a young age is critical for preparing preschool children to engage with the technologies that have become central to nearly every occupation and for improving achievements in STEM, literacy, and other disciplines. This paper builds on foundational research in early childhood math and CT by reporting on two studies that explore how teachers and children interact with activities that focus on three different CT skills: sequencing, modularity, and debugging. The goal of these exploratory studies was to better understand preschoolers’ current CT skills and how these skills can be leveraged along with teacher, peer, and technological support, to foster CT in non-coding learning environments.