Grade by Grade
Strand A: Foundations of Language and Mathematics · Patterns, Shapes, Measuring and Sorting

Be a Robot: Coding with Steps

B11.1 B11.2 B11.3About 20 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can follow and give step-by-step directions, like a robot.
  • I can write steps with arrows, pictures or words.
  • I can use first, next, then and last.
  • I can test my steps and fix a mistake (a bug).

Words to know

code
Steps, in order, that tell someone (or a robot) exactly what to do.
step
One small thing to do. Code is made of steps.
arrow
A symbol that shows which way to go: ⬆️ up, ⬇️ down, ⬅️ left, ➡️ right.
first, next, then, last
Words that tell the order of the steps.
bug
A mistake in the code. Fixing it is called debugging.

Beep boop! You are a robot!

Grown-up, read this out loud.

A robot cannot guess. It does exactly what the steps say, one at a time, in order.

The steps for a robot are called code. Let's try some code!

A small white toy robot with wheels on a play mat made of big coloured squares.
A toy robot like this moves one square at a time. It only goes where the code tells it to go! AI-generated image
1. Step forward 2 times.
2. Turn around.
3. Jump 1 time.
4. Sit down.

Robot code. Do the steps in this order.

Worked example

Let's follow the code

Follow the 4 steps above, like a robot.

  1. First: take one step forward, then another. (2 steps.)
  2. Next: turn all the way around so you face the other way.
  3. Then: jump just one time.
  4. Last: sit down on the floor.

You did it! Robots need clear steps in the right order. If the steps get mixed up, the robot does the wrong thing.

Writing code with arrows

We can write code with arrows instead of words. Each arrow means move one square that way.

➡️ right ⬅️ left ⬆️ up ⬇️ down

We can also draw them as plain arrows: → ← ↑ ↓

Start at the circle.Code: → → → ↑ ↑You land on the star!
Start at the circle. Move right 3 squares, then up 2 squares, to reach the star.
Worked example

Let's read arrow code

Start on the circle. Follow the code: → → → ↑ ↑

  1. Put your finger on the circle.
  2. → move one square right. → one more. → one more. Now you are in the bottom corner on the right.
  3. ↑ move one square up. ↑ one more.
  4. Where is your finger?

On the star! The code works.

Test it, then fix it

Programmers test their code to see if it works. If it goes wrong, that is a bug. That is OK!

Find the step that went wrong and fix just that step. Then test again.

Worked example

Let's find the bug

Mia wants to get from the circle to the star. Her code is: → → ↑ ↑

Does it work?

  1. Test it. Start at the circle. → → moves 2 squares right.
  2. ↑ ↑ moves 2 squares up. Now you are in the top row.
  3. Look: the star is one more square to the right. Mia's code stopped too soon!
  4. Fix it: add one more →. The new code is → → → ↑ ↑.

The bug was a missing →. Fixed code: → → → ↑ ↑.

Mia: → → ↑ ↑Stops 1 square short. Bug!Fixed: → → → ↑ ↑Lands on the star!
On the left, Mia's code stops one square too soon: that's the bug. On the right, one more → fixes it, and the robot lands on the star.

Steps for everyday things

Code is not just for robots. We follow steps every day! Washing hands has steps:

  1. First: wet your hands. 💧
  2. Next: rub with soap. 🧼
  3. Then: rinse the soap off. 🚿
  4. Last: dry your hands. 🧻

What if we dried our hands first? That would be a bug!

Hands-on activity

Floor grid robot

You need: painter's tape or sheets of paper to make a path of squares on the floor, a toy for the "treasure", and paper to draw arrows on.

  1. Make a grid of squares on the floor (3 by 3 is plenty).
  2. Put the toy on one square. Your child stands on another square.
  3. Together, draw arrow cards for the code to reach the toy (one arrow for each step). Lay them out in a row.
  4. Test it: your child walks the code, one card at a time.
  5. Switch: your child writes the code and you are the robot. Sometimes make a silly mistake on purpose, so your child can find the bug!
Just for fun

Why did the robot go on vacation?

To recharge its batteries! 🔋🤖

Your turn

1

Look at the grid picture. Start at the circle. Follow: → → →

Where are you?

2

From that square, which arrows take you to the star?

3

Follow this robot code: "Step forward 3 times. Turn around. Step forward 3 times." Where do you end up?

4

Put the hand-washing steps in order: dry, wet, rinse, soap.

5

Draw the arrow code for "move up 2 squares".

6

Teddy is 2 steps in front of you. The code says: "Step backward 2 times." Will you reach Teddy? How do you fix it?

More practice: warm-up

1

Which arrow means up: ⬆️ or ⬇️?

2

What does ➡️ mean?

3

How many steps are in this code? ⬆️⬆️⬆️

4

What do you put on first: a sock or a shoe?

5

What do we call a mistake in code?

More practice: on your own

1

Write the arrow code to go from the circle to the star in the grid picture.

2

Sam's code is: → ↑ ↑. Where does it stop? Is it at the star?

3

Draw 3 pictures that show how to make a jam sandwich, in order.

4

Give a grown-up "robot" 3 steps to walk to the fridge. Did your code work?

5

Code: ⬅️⬅️. Which way do you move, and how many squares?

Challenge

1

Find two different codes that go from the circle to the star.

2

Jay's code is → → → → ↑ ↑. What is the bug? How do you fix it?

3

Write a code with arrows for a friend to walk from the door to a toy. Test it together.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which arrow means up?

2.

A mistake in code is called a ...

3.

Washing hands: what is the first step?

4.

A robot follows the steps ...

5.

The code goes the wrong way. What should you do?

For parents and teachers

What this is about: The Kindergarten curriculum includes early coding skills: using direction and position words to give and follow instructions, writing steps with symbols (arrows), words or pictures, and testing and fixing the steps. No screens are needed!

How to help at home:

  • Play "robot": your child gives you steps, and you follow them exactly, even when they are wrong. Children love finding the bug.
  • Make arrow cards and use them on a floor grid or a board game.
  • Talk through routines with first, next, then, last (getting dressed for snow, washing hands, bedtime).

Common difficulties:

  • Left and right take years to learn. On a grid, arrows pointing on paper are easier than "your left".
  • Children often skip steps or count squares wrongly (counting the square they are on). Remind them: each arrow moves one square.
  • Getting a bug can feel like failure. Celebrate bugs as part of coding: "Great, now we can fix it!"