Computational Thinking through Body and Ego Syntonicity: Young Children’s Embodied Sense-Making Using A Programming Toy

Papert’s concept of body syntonicity (how an experience aligns with learners’ sense and knowledge about their own bodies) has been embraced by learning scientists; however, his notion of ego syntonicity (how an experience aligns with children’s sense of self as people with intentions, goals, desires, likes/dislikes) is less discussed. We argue body syntonicity (BS) and ego syntonicity (ES) are both critical dimensions for understanding how young children learn abstract concepts and skills as part of embodied computational thinking (CT) with tangible programming toys. Using multimodal interactional analysis, we demonstrate how a preschooler (aged 4) used both physical enactment (BS) and intense emotional involvement (ES) with precisely coordinated response cries (e.g., collaborative cheering, gasping) to make sense of how a continuous spatial route can be decomposed into discrete programmable steps. We discuss implications for learning sciences at large and for supporting young children’s learning of decomposition and other CT practices.