Tier 1 Instructional Strategies To Improve K-4 Reading Comprehension
Category: Student Learning
Instrument Overview
Expert Notes AvailableView expert commentary on strengths and cautions for this instrument
Strengths
Includes both block recognition and block sequencing tasks, allowing it to capture multiple dimensions of programming knowledge
Cautions
Relies on paper-based representations of programming tasks rather than the actual ScratchJr environment, which may not fully reflect how children demonstrate their understanding during authentic, hands-on coding experiences.
This assessment is a programming knowledge measure designed to evaluate young children’s understanding of foundational coding concepts after completing a multi-week instructional unit using ScratchJr. The assessment consists of a series of structured tasks that require students to interpret, recognize, and construct simple programs based on observed animations.
The instrument includes two main task types: block recognition tasks and block sequencing tasks. In block recognition tasks, students view an animated program and identify which programming blocks were used to create it. In block sequencing tasks, students construct a sequence of programming blocks to replicate a given animation. These tasks assess children’s ability to connect programming commands to their outcomes and to organize commands in correct logical order.
Responses are scored based on the number of errors relative to correct solutions, with scoring accounting for missing, incorrect, or misordered elements. The assessment is designed to examine children’s understanding of programming logic, including sequencing, control flow, and cause-and-effect relationships within coded systems.
Organization
Topic
Collection Category(ies)
Content
Grades
Kindergarten,
1st Grade,
2nd Grade
Languages
English
Respondent
Student
Administration Information
Length
9 items in total developed (6 BLock Recog. Solve Its for Grades 1 and 2; 5 for K. Block Sequencing: 3 tasks/student)
Administration
Paper
Access and Use
Price
No fee
Psychometrics (additional guidance)
Item Type
Open response
