Everything you need to know about Scratch programming language for kids

We all know that education today is no longer limited to basic subjects such as mathematics, chemistry and physics, and therefore no longer depends on indoctrination and memorization; but education has developed and curricula have recently developed to include sciences that we had never heard of before, or let us be more specific, we did not know that it was possible to present these sciences to children of four or five years of age, for example, as that stereotypical image of them as difficult and complex has been formed in our minds, which of course requires certain mental and age capabilities.

It was not easy a few years ago to imagine that a child would learn programming, but with the increasing importance of learning it so that the child can benefit from it in studying his other subjects, not just as an abstract science, researchers and programmers have been interested in developing languages ​​that are easy for children to use, and one of the most important of these languages ​​is the Scratch programming language for children. The Scratch language has been provided in Arabic, so it is no longer difficult for our children in Arab countries to learn this simple language.

Features of Scratch programming language for children

Scratch is a programming language developed by a group of developers and programmers Lifelong kindergarten at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is characterized by the following:

1. To imagine the spread of the Scratch program, it is enough to know that it is used in 196 countries around the world in more than 70 languages, including Arabic - which makes it easy to teach it to Arab children - as it is used by more than 32,000 new users daily, of whom about 45% are girls.
2. Scratch is considered one of the most important programming programs for children. It is designed for children from 8-16 years old, but due to its capabilities, its use is not limited to children only, but it can be used by adults as well. There is also Scratch Junior, which is intended for younger children, as it can be learned from the age of four or five.
3. Scratch saves time and effort for programming learners as it relies on easy and simplified methods to explain programming, making it suitable for new learners.
4. It uses visual and audio content that is suitable for children and encourages them to learn independently.
5. It uses a simplified interface design so that it is easy to use and makes the user feel that he is playing and assembling pieces of a puzzle.
6. Scratch programming is used for children in designing games, digital stories and animations, and music and sounds can be combined with images.
7. One of the most important features of the program is that it is available with all its learning resources for free.
8. It relies on the use of blocks instead of text and symbols, making it suitable for beginners and children.
9. This program aims to develop creativity and development skills in children. Children who use Scratch are more aware and knowledgeable of programming basics such as conditions and repetition than others.
10. Scratch programming helps kids think logically without relying on memorization.
11. Scratch can be run on all operating systems, whether Windows 7, 8 or higher.
12. Scratch in Arabic can be used either by connecting to the Internet (Scratch Online in Arabic) or without connecting to the Internet. In this case, it is installed on the device. We will discuss later how to download and install it on the device.
13. Scratch works with minimal capabilities, despite its features, but it does not take up a lot of space on your device, as it does not exceed 60 megabytes, which does not affect the device’s other functions.
14. Scratch encourages its users to create their own projects and easily apply what they learn.
15. Scratch allows its users to share their projects, which increases the exchange of their experiences.
16. Scratch helps its users come up with ideas for new projects.

No need to search much: here is a guide to teaching programming to children from A to Z.

Disadvantages of Scratch

Scratch is like any other program. Just as it has many advantages, we also find some disadvantages, such as:

1. Scratch for Kids does not work on mobile devices but can be browsed through them.
2. There is no specific mechanism through which the teacher monitors what the student is doing.
3. Anyone can access other people's projects without ensuring privacy.

Steps to download and install Scratch programming program for children

Here is an explanation of how to install Scratch in Arabic on the device:

• You can access the direct link to the Scratch program, which is available for free on their website, and you will not need cracks or links to activate it.
• The appropriate link is chosen from the site according to the type of your device, i.e. you choose the Mac link if you are an Apple user, or you choose Windows, which is available in its versions, and so on.
• After clicking on the appropriate link, the program will be downloaded automatically, and then we open the program downloaded from the downloads file on your device.
• After opening the program, a window appears. We select Run.
• Another window will appear, so we choose Next, then we choose where to install the program on the device and click Next again.
• We click on Install, where the program is installed on your device.
• Then we click Next and then click Finish.
• We open the program and to run it in Arabic, we change the language from the settings from the globe-like icon in the program in the menu bar.

Explore the right language that will enable your child to start learning programming .

You can create an account on the program by following these steps:

Note : To start implementing your own project, you can skip the step of creating an account. You do not have to do so, but you will not be able to keep your project or share it later, but it is a necessary step, of course, if you want to do so.

• We click on Join, then we enter the username and password and reconfirm the password twice.
• We click on Next, we click on Next and fill in some fields for personal data such as the country of residence, date of birth, gender and email.
• We click on Create your account, and then your personal account is created, through which your projects are saved and thus you can modify them and share them with others.

Scratch main interface explanation in Arabic

1. The main interface of the program consists of:

• Menu bar: It consists of some simple menus that are suitable for children to use, which are:

• Language control list.
• File list.
• Edit List

• Toolbar: It contains some simple tools that are used to duplicate, delete, zoom in or out of the object.
• Platform area: This is where everything that is being implemented in the project appears.
• The object: It is the basis of the project.
• Platform Background: You can add different backgrounds to the platform, either from the library, the paint program, the camera, or even upload an image from the device.
• Object area: Can contain any number of objects and combine them in the same project.
• Tabs bar: It consists of three tabs, which are:

- Programming sections.

- Appearances.

- Sounds.

• Programming area: A set of graphics are arranged in a specific order.
• Command group area:
• X&Y point: represents the position of the object on the platform.

1. Sections of the basic building blocks in the program:

• Movement: It is colored dark blue and controls the movement of the body and changes its directions at the angles and directions that are specified.
• Body: It is colored purple and is used in words about the sizes and colors of objects.
• Sound: It is colored pink and controls the sounds that are combined with the shapes.
• Events: These are colored yellow and are used in some basics in the sections.
• Control: It is colored orange and we use it to control the time, repetition and mechanism of the clips.
• Sensor: It is colored light blue and is used to link different commands together.
• Operations: These are colored green and are used to control sections according to numerical values ​​and the relationships between them.
• Variables: These are colored red and are used to control variables.

Learn about the most important activities that help your child learn programming .

Madrasa.com offers a Scratch programming course for children with many features:

• Flexibility in choosing study times.
• Individual courses on Zoom.
• Continuously follow up on children's progress with teachers.
• Arab and foreign teachers with experience in the field of programming.

You can learn more about: Scratch programming course for children .

Conclusion

After learning about the most important advantages and disadvantages of the Scratch programming program for children, and after learning the steps to download and install it, and explaining the main interface of the program, it has become easy to make the decision to put your child's feet on the first step of the ladder of learning and professional programming later on; you will not find anything easier than the Scratch program to start with. You can also enjoy this journey with your child by playing with the program and discussing his ideas and the way he implemented his project in it. Imagine with me the benefits that will accrue to your child and to your relationship with him as a result of his participation in this.

Now it's time to learn the basics of choosing your child's future job .