Programming in early childhood education: A systematic review

The current study aims to provide a systematic review of the literature about the teaching of programming in early-childhood education, and specifically for the age group of 3–8 years old. The review presents empirical investigations with young learners and reports on relevant frameworks and curriculum programs, effects of teaching approaches and educational tools on learning, and learning outcomes and pedagogical benefits of teaching programming. Based on the empirical studies reviewed in this study, programming can be introduced to young learners as a stand-alone subject matter or can be integrated in the regular kindergarten curriculum with other subject areas such as music, movement and dance, art, science, mathematics, and literacy. In addition, programming can be infused in literacy and storytelling activities as a developmentally appropriate delivery approach. The authors conclude that future research should devote time and effort in the development of educational curricula in which the teaching of programming is fully integrated, as well as teacher training programs so that teachers become competent to teach programming in early childhood education.