Benefits

Here, we examine the benefits students can receive from studying computer science starting in the first or second grade and continuing through middle and high school. We begin with a general discussion of the advantages of learning computer science, including the support it can provide for other components of primary school curriculum and the unique modes of problem-solving it encourages. Then, we highlight some studies by researchers in education and computer science indicating that early computer science education is indeed feasible and effective. Once we have established the possibility of teaching CS and the potential benefits it provides, we enumerate possible focuses for computer science lesson plans; these can help school administrators align new material with their existing curricula. Finally, we provide success stories from teachers who successfully have integrated computer science into their lesson plans.