Apple has always believed in coding. The company thinks that it is an essential skill that teaches people how to solve problems and work together in creative ways. This is why Apple recently partnered up with Tynker to develop two new games to encourage children from grade K-5 to learn coding. Called Space Cadet and Dragon Spells, these new games are part of the Cupertino company’s Everyone Can Code Program.
Space Cadet and Dragon Spells are based on none other than Apple’s own Swift programming language. They are also incorporated into the Get Started with Code 1 and Get Started with Code 2 teacher guides, which are available for free on iBooks.
The new games are introductory courses that teach programming fundamentals to children using fun, engaging and intuitive methods. Space Cadet is designed for kids from kindergarten to grade two, while Dragon Spells is developed for children from third to fifth grade. There are a total of 115 levels of coding puzzles and do-it-yourself projects. These courses will equip young children with knowledge before they transition to Swift Playgrounds in Grades 6+.
“The Everyone Can Code program is exactly what we’ve been looking for in a cohesive coding curriculum. The lessons are clear and easy to follow, even for teachers with no coding experience. Tynker’s coding activities and games are richly animated, visually engaging, and instructionally sound – introducing and reinforcing foundational coding concepts. The program scaffolds up through the grades and eventually transitions to Swift and Swift Playgrounds, making it a clear choice for K-8 vertical curriculum alignment.” — Jennie Magiera, Apple Distinguished Educator, Chief Innovation Officer at Des Plaines Public Schools in Chicago and author of Courageous Edventures.
Space Cadet and Dragon Spells are available for download for free via Tynker app for iPad.
