Programming

Code is a list of exact instructions that tells a computer what to do, step by step. Computers only do exactly what they're told.

A computer is a very fast, very literal instruction-follower.

Sequencing means putting steps in the right order so a program works, just like a recipe.

Right steps, wrong order = wrong result.

A loop repeats a set of instructions instead of writing them over and over.

Loops save typing and make code easier to read.

A bug is a mistake in code. Debugging is finding and fixing that mistake.

Every programmer debugs. It's part of the job, not a failure.

Scratch is a free programming language made by MIT where you build programs by snapping together colorful blocks instead of typing text. Each block is a puzzle piece that only fits where it's allowed to — so you can't make a typing mistake the way you can with typed code. A Scratch project has two main parts: the Stage, where the action happens, and Sprites, the characters and objects you control. You start most scripts with an event block like 'when green flag clicked,' then snap on blocks underneath to make your sprite move, talk, or react.

No typing, no typos — in Scratch, the blocks only snap together the right way.