Computational Thinking (Breaking Big Problems into Small Ones)

Have you ever looked at a giant pile of toys and thought, 'That's too much to clean up.'. Or maybe you wanted to build the biggest, tallest block tower ever, but you didn't know where to start. It can feel like a big, tricky puzzle. When you feel that way, I am your secret helper. I am a special way of thinking that whispers in your ear. I say, 'Don't worry. We can make this big job feel small and fun.'. I am here to help you solve any puzzle, one little piece at a time.

I have four magic steps to help you. First, we break the big job into little pieces. We can make a pile for cars, a pile for dolls, and a pile for blocks. Easy. Next, we look for things that are the same. Let's find all the red blocks and put them together. Then all the blue ones. Look, we are finding patterns. After that, we focus on just one thing. Right now, we are only putting the cars in their box. We don't worry about the other toys yet. Finally, we make a plan with all our little steps in the right order. First cars, then blocks, then dolls. You did it. My name is Computational Thinking. A kind man named Seymour Papert thought I was a super skill for everyone. A long time ago, on January 1st, 1980, he started teaching kids how to use me with friendly computers.

You are already a super thinker. You use me every day and you don't even know it. When you get dressed, you follow steps. First you put on your socks, and then your shoes. That's a plan. When you help bake yummy cookies, you follow the recipe step by step. I am not just for computers. I am a thinking superpower for all kids. The next time you see a big, tricky puzzle, just remember me. Take one small, happy step at a time. You can solve anything you can imagine.