- Title: Connect Coding and Robotics Learner’s Book Grade 1
- Authors: Mashudu Raudzingana, Shani Nunkumar and Brian Dill
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- ISBN: 978-1-00-930148-0
- Reviewed by: Fiona de Villiers
After reading Cambridge University Press (CUP)’s Connect Coding and Robotics Learner’s Book Grade 1, I finally feel like I may actually understand what this subject is all about.
It’s an interesting fact that 20 years ago, such textbooks didn’t exist. I’m tempted to say that their arrival may be one of the upsides of COVID-19, and thank goodness for a quality publisher like CUP.
In this resource authored by Mashudu Raudzingana, Shani Nunkumar and Brian Dill, I found that a Grade 1 student could, over the course of a term, expect to work with patterns of three shapes that repeat three times, learn about robots, have fun making computer programs, learn about the internet and draw pictures on a computer.
I commend this pedagogical approach because everybody starts off knowing exactly what to expect.
The layout of the textbook is simple, and white space sits comfortably next to colourful text and images. The instructions and tips are clearly phrased too.
The textbook forms crucial building blocks for Grade 1 learners, starting with the concept of sets and patterns, how to distinguish between them, and how to isolate incorrect ones.
None of the activities are too onerous for the intended grade, and learners can also go back and try again, because there’s space included for them to do exactly that.
Wonderful pictures accompany the text in the section on robots, and the activities will light up the imagination of any child. Wouldn’t you like to make a robot mask? I also loved the sections on robotics and learning about how a computer works and what its component parts are.
I know many adults could also benefit from the expert, gentle approach that filters through in the language used by this textbook’s authors.
Teachers and parents alike can thank the authors for reminding children that the internet should be used with some important guidelines on safety and etiquette.
How to use Windows, how to draw shapes and lines on screen, and playing with ‘ScratchJr’ are some of the activities included in this excellent resource. I can hardly wait for term.