Welcome to the ScratchJr Research Project!

ScratchJr is a project led by Prof. Marina Bers from the DevTech Research Group at Tufts University and by Prof. Mitch Resnick from the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab. It is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The ScratchJr project aims to develop and study the next generation of innovative technologies and curricular materials to support integrated STEM learning in early childhood education. We will develop, implement, and evaluate a new version of the Scratch programming language, ScratchJr, designed specifically for early childhood education (K-2).

ScratchJr will have three components: 1) a developmentally appropriate interface; 2) an embedded library of curricular modules with STEM, math, and literacy content to meet federal and state mandates in early childhood education; and 3) an online resource and community for early childhood educators and parents.

The learning outcomes we are targeting with ScratchJr are grouped in three areas:

• Foundational knowledge structures: ScratchJr will engage children in building foundational knowledge structures applicable across domains, such as sequencing, causality, classification, composition, symbols, patterns, estimation, and prediction.
• Problem-solving skills: In the process of creating interactive projects with ScratchJr, children engage in problem-solving skills that are related to the engineering design process, the software development cycle, and the scientific method, and which can be applied across domains.
• Discipline-specific knowledge: Within its open-ended and project-based platform, ScratchJr will integrate curriculuar modules designed to target national and state curriculum frameworks across STEM, math, and literacy.

Children in kindergarten through grade 2, compared to children in older grades, have many fewer powerful educational technologies available that specifically take into consideration what is developmentally appropriate in terms of interface as well as what is needed to improve educational outcomes. ScratchJr will provide such a technology.

[Top]

Research Timeline

This project began in late summer of 2011, and will continue for three years. It involves four phases:

Phase 1

• Data collection from children and early childhood teachers on the use of the existing Scratch tool in kindergarten through grade 2
• Development of the first Scratch Jr prototype
• Development of curriculum modules to support the use of ScratchJr in classrooms

Phase 2

• Pilot testing of the initial ScratchJr prototype and revision of the technology
• Data collection on classroom use of the revised ScratchJr as well as curriculum modules
• Further redesign of the prototype and curriculum modules following each of two cycles of classroom implementation
• Development and pilot testing of a virtual community for parents and early childhood teachers interested in using ScratchJr with children

Phase 3

• Data collection on classroom use of the latest ScratchJr prototype, curriculum modules, and virtual community

Phase 4

• Implementation of ScratchJr and curriculum modules in a wider range of schools
• Launch of a virtual community for parents and early childhood teachers around using ScratchJr at home and at school to support learning

[Top]

[Top]

During Fall, 2011, we collaborated with the Eliot-Pearson Children's School to learn about how children in kindergarten through grade 2 use and understand the underlying concepts of the current Scratch technology and to gather teacher input on design criteria for ScratchJr.

We are excited to pilot the first Scratch Jr prototype with some EPCS children later this spring.

During the current research phase, we are also developing curriculum modules to support interdisciplinary learning through the use of ScratchJr. Each module will focus on areas of math or literacy drawn from the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks. These modules will be assessed and revised in parallel with the Scratch Jr technology through the remaining research phases.

[Top]

[Top]

Download Scratch and explore projects posted by Scratch users

ScratchEd is an online community for educators interested in using Scratch in the classroom

Keep checking back here for more resources!

[Top]

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1118664).

ScratchJr News

ScratchJr Team