School Skills
Scratch coding for kids
Making animations and simple games by snapping code blocks together: sprites, loops, decisions, variables and messages.
Suits: Primary and middle school children
Duration, fees and batch timings are quoted by the head office or your centre.
The study book of this course
- Scratch Coding for Kids
- Lessons
- 9
- Practice questions
- 40
- Free ebooks
- 0
About the course
What the Scratch coding course is about
Scratch lets a child build animations and games by snapping together coloured blocks, so the ideas of programming come first and typing errors do not get in the way. The course starts with sprites and the stage and builds up to a full game.
Along the way children meet loops, decisions, variables and messages, the same ideas that text languages use, and learn to find and fix mistakes and to share a project safely.
What you will practise
Drawn from the lessons of the study books below.
- 01
Move and animate sprites using coordinates and direction
- 02
Respond to the keyboard and mouse with events
- 03
Repeat actions with loops and choose with if blocks
- 04
Keep score and track lives with variables
- 05
Coordinate sprites by sending messages
- 06
Test a project, fix mistakes and share it safely
What you will learn
9 lessons, 27 exercises
Every lesson of the study book that comes with this course in the student portal, with the key points of each lesson and exercises to try. Your centre gives you the syllabus, the duration and the fee.
Study book
Scratch Coding for Kids
Learn to think like a programmer with block-based Scratch: sprites and the stage, motion and coordinates, events, loops, conditions, variables, messages, a first game, debugging and staying safe online.
1Meet Scratch: stage, sprites and blocks3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- The stage is where the project plays and sprites are the characters on it.
- Blocks are grouped into colour categories such as Motion, Looks and Events.
- A script starts with an Events (hat) block, then blocks run top to bottom.
- Click a block to test it and save your work often.
Try this
- Open Scratch, add the when green flag clicked block and a say block, and make your sprite greet you by name.
- Click through all nine block categories and write down one block from each.
- Change the backdrop and rename your sprite.
2Motion and coordinates4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Motion blocks are blue and move or turn sprites.
- The stage centre is (0, 0); x goes left and right, y goes down and up.
- change moves from the current place, set jumps to an exact value.
- Direction 90 is right, 0 is up, 180 is down and -90 is left.
Try this
- Make a sprite glide from the left side of the stage to the right side and back.
- Use only go to x y blocks to move a sprite to the four corners, then write down the four x, y pairs you used.
- Make a sprite walk across the stage and bounce at the edge forever.
3Looks, sound and events4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Looks change costumes, size, visibility, speech and backdrops.
- Sound blocks play sounds; "until done" makes the script wait.
- Events (yellow) start scripts when something happens.
- Many scripts can run at the same time.
Try this
- Make a sprite change costume every half second to look as if it is walking.
- Make a sprite say its name when clicked and play a sound.
- Make two different keys do two different things to the same sprite.
4Loops: repeating things3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A loop repeats the blocks inside it so you need fewer blocks.
- repeat runs a fixed number of times, forever never stops by itself and repeat until waits for a condition.
- A full shape turns a total of 360 degrees.
- The wait block slows a loop so you can see what is happening.
Try this
- Draw a square, a triangle and a hexagon using the Pen extension and a repeat loop.
- Draw a flower by repeating a square 10 times with a turn of 36 degrees after each square.
- Make a sprite walk back and forth on the stage with a forever loop and an edge bounce.
5Decisions and sensing4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- If blocks run their blocks only when the condition is true.
- Conditions come from Sensing and Operators and have a hexagon shape.
- Put if blocks inside a forever loop so they are checked all the time.
- pick random gives surprising numbers, like a dice.
Try this
- Move a sprite left and right with the arrow keys using if blocks in a forever loop.
- Make a sprite say "Ouch!" when it touches the edge of the stage.
- Ask the user their name and then greet them using the join block.
6Variables and operators4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A variable stores a value that can change while the project runs.
- Use set to give a starting value and change to add or subtract.
- Operators (green) do maths, joining and random numbers.
- Lists store many values in one place.
Try this
- Make a score variable and a sprite that adds 1 to it every time it is clicked.
- Make a lives variable that starts at 3 and loses one when a sprite touches another.
- Ask for two numbers and say their sum using the Operators plus block.
7Messages and your own blocks3 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Broadcast and when I receive let sprites send signals to each other.
- Clear message names such as game over keep projects easy to follow.
- A My Block is your own block built from other blocks.
- Custom blocks reduce repeated code and make changes easier.
Try this
- Make a cat sprite broadcast "hello" when clicked, and a dog sprite that says "Woof" when it receives it.
- Create a custom block called draw square and use it three times at different places on the stage.
- Add a game over message that hides all the sprites and shows a backdrop that says Game Over.
8Making a game: catch the apples4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A game combines events, loops, conditions, variables and messages.
- Plan the sprites and variables before building.
- A forever loop with if blocks checks keys, touching and scores all the time.
- Test, balance the numbers and ask a friend to try the game.
Try this
- Build the catch-the-apples game and play it five times.
- Add a speed variable so the apples fall faster as the score goes up.
- Add a game over backdrop and a restart when a key is pressed.
9Debugging, saving and sharing safely4 min read · 4 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A bug is a mistake and debugging is finding and fixing it step by step.
- Test small pieces, show variables and check hat blocks and the order of blocks.
- Never share real name, address, school, phone number or passwords online.
- Ask a trusted adult before sharing, be kind, report unkind behaviour and give credit when remixing.
Try this
- Take a project with a bug (your teacher may give you one) and write down each step you used to find it.
- Write a list of five things you must never put in a shared Scratch project.
- Choose a safe username idea that does not contain your real name, school or birth year, and show it to a parent or teacher.
Glossary: 26 key terms of Scratch Coding for Kids
- Scratch
- A block-based language for making stories, animations and games.
- Block
- A coloured puzzle-piece instruction that you snap together.
- Script
- A stack of blocks that runs from top to bottom.
- Sprite
- A character or object on the stage.
- Stage
- The screen where the project plays.
- Backdrop
- The picture behind the sprites.
- Costume
- One of the pictures a sprite can wear, used for looks and animation.
- Motion
- The blue category of blocks that move and turn sprites.
- Looks
- The purple category for speech, costumes, size and backdrops.
- Events
- The yellow category whose blocks start scripts.
- Control
- The orange category with loops, waits and if blocks.
- Sensing
- The light-blue category that asks about touching, keys and the mouse.
- Operators
- The green category for maths, joining text, random numbers and comparisons.
- Variable
- A named box that stores a value which can change.
- Coordinates
- The x and y numbers that give a place on the stage.
- Loop
- Blocks that repeat the instructions inside them.
- Condition
- A yes or no question that decides whether blocks run.
- Broadcast
- A message sent to all sprites so they can react.
- My Block
- A custom block you build from other blocks.
- Extension
- An added set of blocks, such as Pen.
- Remix
- A copy of someone else's project that you change and improve, giving credit.
- Bug
- A mistake in a project that makes it work wrongly.
- Debugging
- Finding and fixing bugs.
- Username
- A name you use online; it should not show your real name.
- Algorithm
- A set of steps to solve a problem.
- Random
- A number chosen by chance, like a dice roll.
Practice and study material
Study books and timed practice tests in the student portal
Students sign in to read the study books lesson by lesson, print them, mark lessons as done and test themselves with timed practice tests, every answer explained.
- 1study book
- 9lessons
- 40practice questions
- 26glossary terms
How the practice tests work
- Fresh questions each time
Up to 20 questions are picked at random from the subject’s question bank.
- One minute per question
A timer counts down. When it reaches zero, your answers are sent automatically.
- Move around freely
Skip a question, flag it, and come back to change your answer before you submit.
- Learn from every answer
At the end you see the right answer and an explanation for each question.
- Read, print and keep track
Each study book has its lessons, key points, exercises and a glossary. Print a lesson, or mark it as done.
Your centre gives you your login when you enrol.
Try 3 practice questions
Real questions from this course’s question banks. Pick an answer to see the explanation.
What is a good way to test a script that is not working?
Show the answer
Answer: B. Click one block at a time to test small pieces
Testing small parts helps you find which block is wrong.
What is the Scratch stage?
Show the answer
Answer: B. The area where the project plays
The stage is the screen on which sprites move and the project is shown.
To draw a triangle, how many degrees should the sprite turn after each side?
Show the answer
Answer: A. 120
A full turn is 360 degrees and 360 divided by 3 sides is 120.
Careers
Careers this course leads towards
The kind of work these skills are used for. Each guide explains what the job involves, the skills it asks for and how to get started.
Software developer
Writing, testing and fixing programs in languages such as C, C++, Java and Python.
How admission works
From your first question to your certificate.
The usual steps, at the head office in Delhi or at an authorised member centre.
- Who can join
- Primary and middle school children
- Where
- The Delhi head office and authorised member centres.
- Fees and timings
- On WhatsApp at +91 97116 99511, or by phone on 011 2721 1512.
- 1
Ask about the course
Call or WhatsApp the head office, or visit your nearest member centre. Ask for the duration, the fee and the batch timings in writing.
- 2
Fill the admission form
Admission forms are supplied by the head office to every centre.
- 3
Learn in class
Attend your batch at the centre, with the course material and study notes, and sign in to the student portal for the study books and practice tests.
- 4
Take the exam
The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher.
- 5
Receive your certificate
Students who pass get a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet. Employers can verify it with the head office.
Who can join the Scratch coding course?
Primary and middle school children. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre which group your child should join, and what they already know will help them start in the right place.
How long is the course and what is the fee?
Duration, fees and batch timings depend on the course and the centre. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre, and get the details in writing before you pay.
Where are the classes?
At the head office in Delhi (A-10, Chief Commissioner Colony, opposite Rana Pratap Bagh) and at authorised member centres. Call or WhatsApp the head office to find the nearest centre.
What do I need to use the study books and practice tests?
A phone or a computer with an internet connection, and the login your centre gives you at enrolment. The student portal opens in an ordinary web browser, so there is nothing to install. Student login.
How do the practice tests work?
Sign in to the student portal and choose a subject. Each test picks up to 20 questions at random from that subject’s question bank and gives you one minute per question, with a timer that sends your answers automatically when it reaches zero. You can skip a question, flag it and come back before you submit, and at the end you see the right answer and an explanation for every question. This course has 40 practice questions across 1 subject, and you can take the tests as often as you like.
Is there an exam and a certificate?
Yes. The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher. Students who pass receive a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet.
How is a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate verified?
On the verify certificate page, anyone can enter a certificate number and check it against the institute’s online register, which covers certificates issued through the portal. For older certificates, or if there is any doubt, send a copy to the head office by email or WhatsApp; the reply comes within 2 working days.
Ready to start the Scratch coding course?
Ask the head office for the duration, the fee, the batch timings and your nearest member centre.