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Computing for Little Thinkers

The Computing Hour

You do not need to be a programmer to teach a five- to ten-year-old real beginning computing. Ask what they think will happen before anyone presses go, and leave the child's program in the child's hands. Unplugged first.

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Editorial principle

What do you think will happen? The child holds the program. The grown-up holds the keyboard when the machine is on.

Chronology
2026
Length
~62,000 words
Reading time
~4.5 hours · 159 pages

Authors

Michael Gannotti

The voices

1 figures across 2026. Each speaks in their own voice, through their own texts.

  • The parent-teacher

    now

    Computing hour

    Core question: What do you think will happen?

    One adult, cards and beads on the table — the keyboard comes later.

Chapters

14 chapters. The disagreement is not resolved.

  1. Welcome

    Welcome

    Complete

    What is the computing hour still for at five to ten?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  2. How to Use

    How to Use This Book This Week

    Complete

    What can you run on a Tuesday?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  3. Five Things

    If You Only Remember Five Things

    Complete

    What must hold if the rest is ignored?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  4. The Hour

    The Computing Hour

    Complete

    What does a session look like before anyone presses go?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  5. Chapter 1

    What Computing Looks Like at 5–10

    Complete

    What is going on inside the machine?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  6. Chapter 2

    Steps and Algorithms

    Complete

    Can they say the steps before they do them?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  7. Chapter 3

    Patterns, Loops, and If-Then

    Complete

    What repeats, and what changes?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  8. Chapter 4

    Bugs Are Clues: Debugging as a Habit

    Complete

    What did it do instead?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  9. Chapter 5

    First Block Coding — and Robots If You Like

    Complete

    Whose program is on the screen?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  10. Chapter 6

    Computers Up Close: Parts, Hands, Keys, and Files

    Complete

    What is a file, and whose hands are on the keys?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  11. Chapter 7

    The Internet: How It Works, and How to Be Safe and Kind

    Complete

    What is a kind click?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  12. Chapter 8

    AI Explained, with the Grown-Up at the Keyboard

    Complete

    Is the computer thinking, or completing a pattern?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  13. Chapter 9

    Records

    Complete

    What still has to leave the house?

    Voices: parent-teacher

  14. Chapter 10

    Resources

    Complete

    Which program fits this hour, and which does not?

    Voices: parent-teacher

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