The children in year 6 have made a brilliant start to programming with Logo, which is part of the J2E suite of online applications. Logo builds on Visual, which Year 4 are using and this in turn leads on from applications like JiT5, which Year 2 used to direct sprites in different scenarios. If you have a child in year six, you could ask your child to show you their programs and to explain what each algorithm does.
What pattern do you think this procedure would create?
repeat 40[repeat 6 [fd 50 rt 60]pu rt 39 pd].
If you are in year 6, or already understand or would like to try out Logo, then have a go at writing this procedure in Logo and see what happens!
Here is just one example of the fantastic programming year sixes can do just now.
https://www.j2e.com/stadrians/22addison/different+sized+stars/
JiT5, in KS1, provides opportunities to write algorithms as well as practising directional language in lots of different contexts, such as “The Three Little Pigs” or space.
This animation shows a cat and mouse chase, which involved programming two sprites.
https://www.j2e.com/jit5?fileId=anMhFyd4MBYmZlwn-1#turtle
If you would like your child to show you more of these programming tools, or would like to have a go yourself, then ask her/him to log into J2E and take you on a tour! The opportunities to use logic and express individuality in the suite of apps are wide and fascinating.