Putting Instructions in Order
Year 1 explore sequencing, learning why the order of instructions matters in programming.
# Putting Instructions in Order
Sequencing means putting instructions in the right order. Computers read programs from top to bottom, so the order of the steps really matters. A good sequence makes a program work well.
The Order Changes Everything
Imagine crossing a road. The safe algorithm is stop, look, listen, then walk. If we swap the order and walk first, it is dangerous. The same steps in a different order give a completely different result.
Screen Free Sequencing
Write the steps for making a jam sandwich on separate cards, then shuffle them. Put them back in the right order. Try the steps out for real and see if your sandwich actually works. This is a tasty way to learn about sequencing.
Sequencing With Bee-Bots
A Bee-Bot is a little robot you program with buttons. You press forward, forward, right, forward, and the robot follows your sequence. If the order is wrong, the Bee-Bot goes the wrong way. This makes sequencing easy to see and fun to fix.
Checking Your Sequence
Before running a program, good programmers read through their steps. Ask yourself if each step makes sense and if the order is right. Checking carefully is called predicting, and it saves lots of time later.
Related Resources
Need worksheets for this topic? Generate a personalised worksheet or browse our collection.
