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Learn the basics

Flow charts

Draw what a program does, step by step, with boxes, diamonds and arrows: the idea of a program without the blocks or the code.

Flow charts

A flow chart shows what a program does, one step after the other. It works for every board and every language: the blocks change, the idea stays.

  • Rounded box: where it starts
  • Box: one thing to do
  • Diamond: a question with two answers, yes and no
  • Arrow: what comes next; an arrow back up repeats

One box for each step, a diamond for each question, and follow the arrows with your finger.

More: how to draw your own

Draw on paper with a pencil. Read your program from the top and draw one box for each block or line. "Forever" and "loop" are an arrow back up. "If", "while" and "on button pressed" are questions: a diamond with yes and no. Then point at the boxes with your finger and say out loud what the board does. If your finger gets stuck, the program would get stuck too.