Explain that when you ask an object to do something the proper syntax in Java is to say object [dot] method, sometimes there is additional information required.
Use 7-day 4-doses-a-day pill-organizers to introduce students to 2D arrays because these create an interactive, 7-by-4 two-dimensional array that helps students visualize this abstract concept.
Misconception: Students transitioning from Scratch to AppInventor are often surprised to not have a wait block.
Use technical vocabulary consistently and define terms repeatedly to help students gain competency and fluency speaking in technical terms.
Have students trace loops with break statements to reinforce the behavior of break because tracing is a powerful and straight-forward exercise.
Misconception: Students may think that assigning one array to point to another array makes a copy of that array, failing to make a distinction between shallow and deep copies.
Play musical chairs to explain while loops so students develop physical experience navigating through the structure of a loop to better understand while loops.
Foreshadow arrays right after teaching for loops by showing students how to create a 1x6 grid using the rectangle object in the Java objectdraw library because visualizations built off of recently introduced material provide a useful transition.
Use scoreboards to motivate the use of variables because young students have developed strong mental models for scoreboards through previous exposure allowing them to quickly understand what variables are.