How it works
Bo cannot guess a step that is missing. He does exactly what he hears.
When Tess said, put the jam on the bread, Bo put on the whole jar!
A clear step says exactly what to do, in a tiny piece. Clear steps in the right order make a program.
Worked examples
Too big
- Tess says, make lunch.
- Bo does not know where to begin.
- Make lunch is too big a step. Bo needs tiny steps.
Not clear
- Tess says, do the jam bit.
- Bo cannot guess what that means.
- Say exactly what Bo should do: spread jam on one slice.
Tiny and clear
- Wash your hands.
- Lay out two slices of bread. Spread jam on one slice.
- Put the other slice on top. Cut it in half and eat.
A coat program
- Tell a grown-up robot how to put on a coat.
- Hold the coat, put one arm in, put the other arm in, pull it up.
- The robot does only what you say, so be exact.
A taste of the worksheets
These are some of the questions on the sets. The printable sheets have more and an answer key.