You are probably reading this article on a computer or phone, which means you have likely interacted with AI today—often without even realizing it! In fact, almost every adult engages with AI daily through smartphones and apps like Google, Facebook, TikTok, among many others.
Not to mention, children of Gen Alpha and teens of Gen Z are getting phones at younger and younger ages, leaving them susceptible to interacting with AI on a daily basis.
This is the very reason as to why it is integral that educators start having conversations and set learning standards in regards to AI for children in primary school. We teach kids about our environment, history, culture, literature, so why are we glossing over Generative AI as if it isn’t one of the most groundbreaking technological advancements that has ever been introduced to our society?
This leads us to the purpose of this article. I want to share how teachers can introduce AI first graders, explore some tools that can help open up and expand on conversations about AI, and get students excited about the future of AI and STEM. Let’s start by reviewing the foundational concepts that first graders should know and then touch on some additional ideas that teachers can introduce to them.
What Does Developmentally Appropriate Look Like For First Grade?
Before we dive into how to introduce AI to first graders, let’s take a moment to establish a shared understanding of some developmentally appropriate cognitive standards for this age group. In the American education system, first graders are usually between six and seven years old and according to Molly Algermissen, PhD, they are achieving the following cognitive milestones in first grade:
Develop Logical Thinking
Encourage them to reason and think through situations.
Decision-Making
Teach them to pause and think before making choices.
Learning from Listening
Help them understand that they can learn from listening and reading, not just from hands-on experiences.
Choice Overload
They might struggle with decisions because they want to try everything at once.
Reading Skills
> Can recognize common sight words.
> Can sound out other words.
Understanding Time
They’re starting to grasp concepts of time, like days, weeks, months, and seasons.
Pattern Recognition
They can predict what comes next in a pattern and can create their own.
Counting Skills
They can count to 100 by ones, twos, fives, and tens.
Number Recognition
They can write and recognize numbers from 0 to 100 and spell out numbers from one to twenty.
Basic Math
They can do simple addition and subtraction with numbers up to 20.
How to Introduce AI to a First Grade Class
Now that we’ve established what developmentally appropriate practices look like for first grade, let’s explore how we can effectively introduce AI into a first grade classroom so as to not overwhelm students with a concept as complex as AI. This integration can enhance their learning experience while aligning with their cognitive milestones.
Here’s a basic activity to introduce ChatGPT to a First Grade class:
Let’s introduce AI in a fun and engaging way that highlights its role in our education! For this lesson, we’ll introduce Chat-GPT as an AI friend “SmartBot,” a helpful assistant that loves to learn and share information.
Activity Steps:
Introducing SmartBot
Explain to the students that SmartBot is a friendly helper who can answer questions and provide fun facts about almost anything. Emphasize that SmartBot learns from lots of information and loves to help students discover new things.
Question Brainstorming
Ask the students to brainstorm questions they would like to ask SmartBot. Encourage them to think about topics like space, animals, their favorite hobbies, or interesting facts. Write their ideas on a whiteboard.
Choose Questions
Select a few fun questions from the list and type them into SmartBot (Chat-GPT). Read the answers out loud, discussing them as a class. Highlight how SmartBot gives detailed information that helps them learn.
Interactive Questioning
Let each student take turns asking their own questions to SmartBot. Guide them to think of things they’re curious about that they can’t easily find in books or online. As they ask, remind them to listen carefully for answers.
Sharing and Discussion
After each student receives a response, have them share what they learned with the class. Discuss the answers together, fostering curiosity and engagement.
Creative Reflection
To wrap up, ask the students to draw a picture of SmartBot and illustrate something cool they learned during the activity. This reinforces their understanding and gives them a chance to express their creativity.
By the end of this activity, students will not only understand what AI is but also appreciate how it can be a valuable tool for learning and exploring new ideas! For more tips on how to introduce AI to your little ones at home, or if you would like to learn more about AI in a homeschool environment, click here!
Best AI Tools for First Grade
Schooling America has searched the web and curated a list of AI games and online resources for first grade teachers. Here are the following tools we recommend for students at this grade level.
Code.org – Code a Dance Party
I first discovered Code.org when I was teaching elementary school a few years ago. My students absolutely loved this platform! After my students showed me what all the hype was about, I agreed that it was a super valuable STEM activity.
Code.org is a nonprofit dedicated to introducing computer science and AI to K-5 students. This platform aims to make STEM more accessible, reaching a diverse array of students from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. With Dance Party, students have a space to use block-based coding to creatively program a dance to a popular song of their choice. Students learn how to use AI in the debugging process, and how to enhance the functionality of a finished program. Dance Party is just one of the many engaging programming activities that Code.org offers for students. I highly recommend checking out this resource for a fun brain break activity or as an educational tool for parents to use at home
Learning Resources – Botley the Coding Robot
Next I want to highlight how Botley can help first grade teachers introduce early STEM skills in a fun and engaging way. Botley the Coding Robot teaches kids to code through active, screen-free play, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
As a mindful screen time advocate, I really appreciate that one of Botley’s standout features is its completely screen-free coding—there’s no need for phones or tablets at all. With an easy-to-use remote programmer, students can transmit commands and watch Botley come to life. Plus, Botley’s smart logic allows him to detect obstacles and avoid them, follow looping commands, tackle obstacle courses, and navigate black-line paths. There are even hidden features to unlock, making it an exciting resource for our young learners. I believe integrating Botley into a first grade curriculum can greatly enhance our students’ STEM experiences!
Scratch – MIT Education
Scratch is the world’s largest coding community for children, featuring a coding language with a simple visual interface that empowers young people to create digital stories, games, and animations. A few reasons for why I advocate for Scratch is because it promotes essential skills like computational thinking, problem-solving, and creative expression.
With Scratch, first grade students can code their own interactive stories and games, all while learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and collaborate—skills that are vital for student’s future success in the real world. Some students have even found a way to code AI in the Scratch platform themselves, and developers of Scratch are looking to adding more AI-based tools to the platform in the future.
And of course the most important detail, Scratch is completely free and available in over 70 languages, promoting accessibility for all learners!
CodeMonkey
CodeMonkey is a great resource for first grade teachers. You don’t need prior coding experience and you can easily implement CodeMonkey in schools, clubs, or at home. This platform also includes detailed lesson plans, online and unplugged activities, and a dashboard for tracking student progress. Say less!
So here is the premise of this platform – In the Coding Adventure, students program a monkey to retrieve its stolen bananas from a greedy gorilla, encountering helpful friends along the way. Each solution is automatically graded, giving instant “star-score” feedback to learners. There are tons of AI courses that children can learn from, including AI Game Creation Part 1, Using AI – Language Model, Creating Images with AI, and more. CodeMonkey also teaches kids real coding languages like CoffeeScript and Python in a fun, game-like environment. Highly recommended for first grade!
Lightbot Jr
Lightbot Jr. is an app that introduces young students to the basics of programming through puzzles. This platform has an incredible user-friendly design, which makes it easy for students and teachers to navigate. As you play you will unlock puzzles and it auto saves as you play, allowing students to continue from where they left off—no need for logins or saving progress.
One great feature is how it handles testing and mistakes. Unlike many other apps, it lets kids experiment without punishing them for running incomplete programs. Overall, I highly recommend Lightbot Jr. for its simplicity and its ability to cultivate patience and logical thinking skills in young learners.
Kodable basics
Kodable is making a significant impact in teaching computer science to young learners. Kodable was created with the simple goal of making computer science education accessible and engaging for kids. This platform includes an AI-powered tutor Chatbot to support students and guide them through the platform.
Kodable sparks kids’ creativity and problem-solving skills, encouraging them to find fun and unique solutions. As they tackle challenges, they build grit and resilience, learning to bounce back from setbacks with a smile. Teamwork comes alive when they collaborate on projects, sharing their triumphs and lessons along the way. Plus, coding lets them unleash their imaginations as they design games and characters. Highly recommended for first grade!
Navigating a Safe Path For the Future with Schooling America
I’m on a mission to help teachers navigate a safe path to the future with AI. If you’re looking to integrate AI into your first-grade curriculum, I’m here to support you with the tools and training necessary for this rapid shift in the education system. Allow me to help you become a more effective 21st century educator, harnessing AI with confidence that it is improving learning experiences, not impeding them.
By taking specific, actionable steps, teachers can create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that supports the diverse needs of their students. Engaging with communities like Schooling America also lets you connect with like-minded educators who are also exploring ways to integrate AI into their curriculum. If you’d like to get started on this journey, let’s schedule a free consultation!
Conclusion
In conclusion, integrating AI into the first-grade classroom opens up exciting possibilities for enhancing learning and engagement, especially with how fun these programming games are becoming! Embracing AI and coding in education is about cultivating a mindset of exploration and adaptability—skills that are crucial in today’s rapidly evolving world.
I am excited about the transformative potential of coding for young learners. Coding empowers students to tackle problems with innovative solutions, cultivating resilience and grit as young students navigate challenges and learn from setbacks. Moreover, AI in education opens up a door to the future where technology and creativity go hand in hand.
I hope you found valuable information and resources that will support you in integrating AI into your first-grade classroom. Together, we can create engaging and innovative learning experiences for our first graders. Happy teaching!
