Technology-based Literacies for Young Children: Digital Literacy through Learning to Code

Most research on literacies afforded by new technologies focuses primarily on older children and adolescents. However, developmentally-appropriate technologies exist for young children, and some technologies designed for older children may be used with a younger age group through adapted learning expectations and curricular supports. This chapter focuses on an area of technology education traditionally seen as academically advanced—learning to code—and describes how learning to code in early childhood can provide a pathway for young children to express themselves creatively as well as gain problem-solving and critical thinking skills through using technological tools added to existing classroom curricula. Innovative technologies used with age-appropriate curricula can teach children about the digital elements of our world along with skills that are beneficial beyond the computer screen.