Scratch is designed especially for young people ages 6 to 16, but people of all ages can create with Scratch and share projects with each other.
But the best age for learning Scratch is 6-16.
Mainly because of the characteristics of this programming language:
1. No need to know English letters
2. The programming is designed with colorful blocks
3. No complex syntax
Almost all children will love this software and are willing to learn projects by using it.
On the topic of the appropriate age for learning scratch, many people want to know the minimum age. But in fact, for children to learn to program, it is NOT the earlier the better.
Piaget's 4 Stages of Cognitive Development
The children’s cognitive theory proposed by the famous psychologist Piaget expounds the four stages of children’s cognitive development:
1. 0~2 years old: Sensorimotor stage
Children perceive the world mainly through various body responses.
2. 3-6 years old: Preoperational stage
Children can accept simple images and texts, but cannot understand and use them.
3. 7~11 years old: Concrete operational stage
The child has initially mastered the ability to understand symbols and objects, but has an insufficient understanding of abstract concepts.
4. After the age of 12: Formal operational stage
The child’s thinking has developed to the abstract logical reasoning level and can carry out hypothesis deductive reasoning.
The biggest advantage of learning children’s programming is to develop their logical thinking ability.
Research shows that children begin to form abstract logical thinking around the age of 6, so 6 is the best age to learn Scratch .
Therefore, Scratch doesn’t have an age limit. People of any age can learn Scratch and use Scratch . However, the best age for children to learn Scatch is around 6 years old.
