Painting with Code: A Case Study on an Interactive JavaScript Drawing Editor for 8–10 Year Olds

This study explores visual-first learning for early JavaScript education. A web-based drawing editor was designed to help 8–10-year-olds transition from block-based to text-based programming. The editor provides instant visual feedback using simple functions like drawCircle(), drawSquare(), and drawStar().In a four-week pilot with two participants, both children advanced from copying code to independently writing loops and conditionals, creating complex spiral patterns. These results suggest that visually reinforced coding lowers cognitive barriers, encourages experimentation, and fosters early computational thinking.Future work will involve more learners and additional functionalities to evaluate scalability and educational impact.