What is coding?
Quick answer
Coding is writing instructions a computer can execute, typically starting with block-based tools in primary school and moving to text languages such as Python by middle school.
Grades 1 to 5 build in blocks, Grades 6 to 8 move into Python, and senior grades work with real libraries and version control.
In context
Blocks remove syntax so students can concentrate on logic. Text adds precision and opens the real toolchain.
The transition matters more than the language. A student who moves cleanly from blocks to Python can pick up whatever comes next.
In a NASCA classroom
Grades 1 to 5 build in blocks, Grades 6 to 8 move into Python, and senior grades work with real libraries and version control.
Related terms
Computational thinking
Computational thinking is a problem-solving approach built on four moves: break a problem down, spot the patterns, ignore what does not matter, and write a repeatable procedure.
Python
Python is a general-purpose programming language with readable syntax and the largest ecosystem of data science and AI libraries, which makes it the standard first text language in schools.
App development
App development is building software people can actually use, covering interface design, logic, data storage and the testing that happens before anyone else touches it.