Top 7 Homeschool Computer Science Curriculum
The abundance of resources for homeschool computer science curriculum makes it easier than ever for parents to overcome barriers to teaching kids computer science at home. Why should we take homeschool computer science curriculum? What are the important criteria for homeschool computer science curriculum？ Here are some instructions for you to help parents and their homeschooled students get started.
Why take homeschool computer science curriculum?
The old-school core curriculum is basically about reading, writing, and arithmetic. Homeschool computer science curriculum is convenient for children to use spare time to explore the computer science field. Whether it’s self-study or an online class, computer science curriculum will teach your students how to write their very own computer programs and games.
Homeschool computer science curriculum can help children to develop the following abilities:
- Self-study.
Self-study is a method of learning where students take charge of their own studying outside of the classroom, without direct supervision. Homeschool computer science curriculum can help develop students' self-learning abilities.
- Encourage independence.
Growing up is inevitable, only kids with independent personalities can be responsible for their future.
- Instill Time Management.
Homeschool computer science curriculum develops children's time management ability. And time management helps children to reduce anxiety and promote clear thinking and problem-solving.
- Embrace Failure.
Fear of failure and failure itself can undermine our leadership styles, performance, judgment and even our happiness. Every failure students encounter in the homeschool computer science curriculum can help them embrace failure in the future.
- Be Constructive.
Homeschool computer science curriculum helps students to divide tasks into small parts in a constructive and result-oriented way.
What are the criteria for Homeschool Computer Science Curriculum?
- Professional.
The curriculum should follow STEM standards and certified teaching approaches.
- Simple.
The curriculum is very simple to use and does NOT require parents (or instructors) to have a very strong technical background in order to teach STEM
- Meaningful.
The curriculum should NOT heavily rely on unnecessary tests and/or projects that do not align with the student’s interest
- Engaging.
The curriculum encourages the student to explore his or her surroundings (on and offline) and use resources beyond what was already given to him or her
- Challenging.
The curriculum gives students assignments and topics that encourage them to think outside of the box in order to solve problems and appreciate STEM for what it is.
Top 9 Homeschool Computer Science Curriculum
1. Science4Us
Their lesson plans are easy to implement and incorporate other non-Science skills as well, like reading and literacy. One lesson even lets children learn about earth science by composing a limerick!
Right now, Science4Us offers four major subjects in their curriculum:
- Physical Science— Matter, Energy, Force & Motion
- Inquiry Science— Science Skills
- Life Science— Living Things, Balance in Nature
- Earth/Space Science— Earth, Space
2. Scratch 3.0
Released in early 2019, Scratch 3.0 is the latest rendition of the original Scratch visual block coding for kids' platform.
Developed by Mitch Resnick and his team at MIT, Scratch provides kids as young as age 6 with a free creativity suite that allows them to build their own games, puzzles, animations, and more using their intuitive platform. Intuitive and highly responsive, Scratch 3.0 is designed specifically for ages 8 to 16, but beloved by students well beyond that age range.
3. mBolock
mBlock is a programming designed for STEAM education by Makeblock. Through the Scratch 3.0-inspired drag-and-drop interface, coding is just as fun as playing games! Plus, mBlock is compatible with many custom hardware and extensions, and allows kids to make their creations, which brings the fun games from online to offline, screen to reality.
4. JASON Learning
JASON Learning is a textbook-free tool that offers a multitude of online classes for parents and educators to choose from and customize for their students. Their mission is to inspire and educate students all over through STEM and exploration.
By connecting students to leading STEM professionals, JASON Learning strives to create a sense of community with STEM leadership while encouraging love and interest in learning. They work with world-class partners to create the best possible programs.
5. Code.org
Code.org also strives to increase interest and participation in coding from women and underrepresented youth. Their vision is for every student in every school to have “the opportunity to learn computer science,” just as they do other subjects.
6. e-science
Created by former NASA scientist and university professor Aurora Lipper, e-science is a complete online science homeschool curriculum that utilizes a combination of video, reading, live video teleclasses, exercises, projects, and quizzes to bring an interactive, hands-on experience to K-8 students. Lipper designed it to be as kid-friendly as possible without downplaying important information or glossing over any challenging elements.
7. TimberDoodle
A two-time winner of the Practical Homeschooling Reader Award, the Timberdoodle STEM Curriculum Kits are designed to help children understand how STEM subjects interconnect with one another.
Depending on which option(s) parents choose, each kit comes with a multitude of toys that kids can use to learn about STEM—both online and off. You can purchase a kit of SCRATCH coding cards, a step-by-step robotics kit, a block builder/puzzle set, and more.
Coding Robots That Can Help You Learn Programming at Home
1. mBot Ranger
mBot Ranger is a 3-in-1 robotics kit for making three different robots: a robot tank, a racing car, and a self-balance car. It is an ideal option for 10+ years old kids. They can program the robot through block-based coding, and it also allows Arduino C, which is excellent for intermediate coders.
For beginners, there are eight presets available to get started in no time. It boosts creativity in beginners and lets them enjoy the coding results to the fullest. Most importantly, various add-on kits are available to upgrade the robot and have more options.
2. mBot Neo
mBot Neo is one of the simplest robot toys to teach the top coding languages for kids to learn. It is a beginner-friendly robot.
The robot engages the kids and helps them learn to code while playing. It develops critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and persistence.
The best thing is that kids can code the robot and interact with it. They see the results of their coding, which makes them happy and boosts their confidence. They can get started with Scratch or block-based coding. After that, they can switch to Python3 or Micro-python to dive into the real code.
It can teach AI, robotics, IoT, and data science. These skills are in high demand and can build a bright future.
3. mBot Ultimate
mBot Ultimate is a 10-in-1 robot kit to help kids (12+ years old) in getting a firm grasp on robotics. These different robots spark interest in engineering and programming.
Kids can easily assemble different robots and program them through block-based coding. They also have the option to switch to Arduino and Python coding to take their skills to the next level. The best part is that it is compatible with Raspberry Pi to work on advanced projects.