An Experience Report on Teaching Computer Science in Elementary School

The motivation to introduce computing in Basic Education arises from the growing importance of digital literacy in the modern world. Recognizing this, Brazil’s National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) now includes an annex dedicated to Computing, structured around three main pillars: Computational Thinking, Digital World, and Digital Culture. However, this inclusion presents several challenges for implementation, such as the effective integration of computing concepts into school curricula, the development of appropriate methodologies for curricular activities, and the establishment of suitable assessment methods. This paper presents a seven-year experience report, from 2013 to 2019, on the introduction of computing activities in elementary schools. The report discusses the aforementioned challenges and provides insights into overcoming them. The findings emphasize that the physical space available, the layout of classrooms, and the contextualization of student groups are crucial for the planning of materials, lessons, and support teams, all of which contribute to achieving the desired learning outcomes. Additionally, the introduction of computing concepts is feasible and effective through unplugged methods, especially when using playful, incremental, and challenging approaches that align with students' contexts. The report also highlights that continuous and incremental assessment of the concepts introduced through exercises, games, and challenges proves to be effective. Furthermore, the strategy of evaluating learning gains through pre- and post-tests is successful when assessing the concepts and strategies incrementally and in contexts different from those presented in the classroom. This experience report demonstrates that the integration of computing in elementary education can be both viable and impactful, provided that careful planning and contextualization are prioritized.