This scoping review explores innovative approaches to teaching coding skills to young children, a crucial competency in our increasingly digital world. For consistency in terminology, the study uses the term young children to describe individuals up to nine years old. The research integrates data from several educational settings and explores approaches such as game-based learning, graphical coding treatments, hands-on robotics, and unplugged activities. The study highlights the effectiveness of tools such as ScratchJr, KIBO robots, Code Karts, and Blink debugging in enhancing young children’s computational thinking and problem solving abilities and increasing interest in coding. A number of studies have shown that coding enhances cognitive development in young children by encouraging computational thinking, which is vital for future careers and other fields such as STEM. Using unplugged approaches promotes communication, motor skills, and socialisation. A key recommendation to educators, which this study suggests, is to design coding programmes to suit the developmental stages of different age groups.
There are, however, some limitations to the study, including the use of a single database and the lack of longitudinal studies to estimate long-term impacts. One of the study’s limitations is the absence of longitudinal studies to estimate long-term effects. It is important to note that despite these challenges, the findings highlight how innovative teaching approaches could equip young children with the fundamental skills needed to succeed in a technologically advanced society. Future work should focus on collecting empirical data from coding schools for young children.