Community reviews for Scratch

The newer version, using the web, is a great alternative. However, it does require students to create an account in order to use it. The older version, while it has fewer capabilities, runs on the client computer and it is platform agnostic (windows, mac and linux). The version that you use in your classroom depends on the technology you have available and the age of your students.

very good teaching tool

Students like it.

Overall, I think Scratch is a great tool for teaching the basic skills needed for coding. Students are introduced to problem solving and logical thinking through block-based programming. The interface is visually appealing and the tool is simple to use. Being a web-based program is helpful in that students can access their accounts from any device, whether at home or at school. I would recommend Scratch for elementary and middle school students, although with the right context it could be used at any age.

Scratch is an amazing educational tool that can be used to introduce students to coding without having them learn a new language. It is versatile and complex enough to introduce advanced programming concepts yet simple enough for young students and beginners, alike. The online community allows for sharing and commenting which is amazing for both students and teachers, although open commenting can allow for the possibility of inappropriate nonsense so teachers and parents might want to keep close tabs to moderate what's up there.

I like this app for my class. I use this product to help develop children's problem solving skills as well as creative skills.

Although this website can be frustrating to emergent learners who may need more individual assistance, It is a great way to get students excited about computer science. The website allows students to have ownership over the outcome of their project and is a wonderful lesson in trial and error. The website is self-paced so that you can have learners of all levels working at once and give attention to those students who need more assistance.

This is a highly flexible teaching tool, especially to teach students programming thinking. The tutorials are a bit lacking. I wish there were more tutorial videos for kids to watch.

Great site. The programming blocks can be revised which takes the language to a more advanced level. Students can share their programs to the site for others to see. There are millions of shared programs and studios that help students learn the program as well as get ideas for their own projects. Additional links and resources include a site for parents, a site for teachers (ScratchEd) and a site for children ages 5-7 (ScratchJr).

It is visual and has a game like feel which makes students excited to use it. I love how students can remix already existing programs. This is a great way for them to learn how to create their own from scratch. Fantastic tool and free!