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Put steps in order

  1. socks, then shoes
    works
    shoes, then socks
    does not work

    Order matters

    Many jobs need steps in the right order. Socks go on first. Then shoes. Shoes first would not work.

    1. 1
      1. Rinse it
    2. 2
      2. Dry it
    3. 3
      3. Eat it

    What has to happen first?

    Ask yourself, what has to happen first? You rinse an apple before you eat it. You dry it in between.

    1. 1Drink the water
      out of place
    2. 2
      Get a cup
    3. 3
      Fill the cup

    Find the step out of place

    Read the steps. Drink the water, get a cup, fill the cup. You cannot drink first. That step is out of place.

    1. 1
      Step 1: get a cup
    2. 2
      missing
    3. 3Drink
      Step 3

    Find a missing step

    Sometimes a step is missing. Get a cup. Then what? Then drink. The missing step is fill the cup.

  5. hat, then mittens
    fine
    mittens, then hat
    also fine

    Sometimes order does not matter

    A hat and mittens can go on in any order. Neither one needs the other first. Ask, does one need the other?

  6. move down
    move right
    move right

    Order matters for a robot

    A robot needs its blocks in order too. Here the down block comes first. Right first would bump the rock.

For parents

Goal: Your child learns that many jobs need steps in the right order, finds the first step, a missing step and a step out of place, then plays three short game labs.

  • Ask: what has to happen first? What can only happen at the end?
  • In the step games, let your child explain why one step must come before another.
  • Mix up the order on purpose and let your child catch the silly mistake.

Away from the screen: Take three or four photos or drawings of a routine, like making a sandwich or getting dressed. Shuffle them and let your child put them in order.

Coding · Steps in Order
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