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Competency Map

This page gives facilitators a clear picture of what learners should be able to do at each stage of the curriculum. Use it for planning, progress conversations, and identifying where learners may need more time or challenge.

Competencies are organized into four strands that run across the entire curriculum:

  • Practical Skills — using the computer confidently for real tasks
  • Thinking & Reasoning — understanding how digital systems work and making good judgments
  • Creation & Communication — building, expressing, and sharing ideas with digital tools
  • Digital Citizenship & Safety — navigating the online world with awareness and good habits

A fifth strand, Optional Extensions, lists competencies for learners who are ready for more.

How to Use This Map​

  • Before the course: Skim the full map to understand where the curriculum is heading.
  • During the course: Check the stage your learners just completed. Use it as a quick mental checklist.
  • At milestone points: Compare what you've observed with the competency descriptions. Celebrate progress and note areas to revisit.
  • For reporting: If your setting requires written progress notes, this map gives you clear, plain-language outcomes to reference.

You do not need to formally assess every competency. Just use the map to stay oriented.

Stage 1: Digital Foundations (Weeks 1–4)​

Practical Skills​

By the end of this stage, the learner can:

  • Open and close apps on the computer
  • Use click, double-click, right-click, drag, and scroll with growing comfort
  • Open a web browser and navigate to a website using a link or URL
  • Manage browser tabs: open a new tab, switch between tabs, close a tab
  • Type their name and simple sentences using the keyboard
  • Place their fingers near the home row keys with gentle reminders
  • Use Backspace, Enter, and the space bar with purpose
  • Save a file using Save As, choosing both a name and a folder
  • Create folders and organize files inside them
  • Find and reopen a saved file using File Explorer or Finder
  • Recognize the difference between a file and a folder

Thinking & Reasoning​

  • Explain that computers respond to inputs and produce results
  • Predict what will happen before trying a new action on the computer
  • Explain that the internet connects people and that real people create online content
  • Sort examples of information into "public" and "private" categories
  • Describe at least one thing to do if something online feels confusing or uncomfortable

Creation & Communication​

  • Create and save a simple text file
  • Create and save a simple drawing
  • Organize saved work into a personal project folder

Digital Citizenship & Safety​

  • Explain why some personal information should stay private
  • Describe the "When in Doubt, Talk It Out" rule in their own words
  • Recognize that not all websites are designed for kids
  • Understand that an adult should be involved when something unexpected happens online

Stage 2: Creative Tools & Research (Weeks 5–8)​

Practical Skills​

  • Type a short paragraph with growing speed and accuracy
  • Use cursor placement (click or arrow keys) to edit text at a specific location
  • Select text by clicking and dragging
  • Use copy (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C), cut (Ctrl+X / Cmd+X), and paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)
  • Use undo (Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z) to reverse a mistake
  • Save updated work to an existing file (Ctrl+S / Cmd+S)
  • Use a search engine to find information on a chosen topic
  • Read search result titles and descriptions before deciding where to click
  • Open links in new tabs to compare sources
  • Download or save an image from the web (with guidance)

Thinking & Reasoning​

  • Explain why refining search keywords leads to better results
  • Look at a website and describe whether it seems trustworthy, with reasons
  • Identify the difference between an ad and a real search result
  • Recognize clickbait headlines and explain why they exist
  • Explain that Wikipedia is a starting point, not a final source
  • Notice that search results are chosen by an algorithm, not presented randomly

Creation & Communication​

  • Write a short document with a title, connected sentences, and at least one revision
  • Create a digital drawing that expresses a clear idea or tells a simple story
  • Record a search investigation: what they searched, what they found, and why they chose it
  • Save all creative work to the correct portfolio folder with clear file names

Digital Citizenship & Safety​

  • Explain that "just because it looks professional doesn't mean it is true"
  • Recognize when a website is asking for personal information and know to ask an adult
  • Describe what a popup or suspicious prompt looks like and what to do (close it, tell an adult)
  • Understand that different people create different websites with different purposes

Stage 3: Coding & Logic (Weeks 9–11)​

Practical Skills​

  • Navigate the Scratch interface: find the stage, sprite, block palette, and script area
  • Drag, connect, and rearrange code blocks in Scratch
  • Run a program, observe the result, and make changes
  • Save a Scratch project (to account or downloaded file)
  • Use keyboard shortcuts for common actions with growing independence

Thinking & Reasoning​

  • Explain that computers follow instructions exactly, step by step
  • Describe what a simple program does in plain language
  • Predict what a short sequence of blocks will do before running it
  • Identify a bug and explain the difference between what the program does and what it should do
  • Apply a debugging process: observe, hypothesize, change one thing, test again
  • Explain why the order of instructions matters

Creation & Communication​

  • Create a working Scratch project with at least one sequence and one interactive element
  • Write clear step-by-step instructions that another person could follow
  • Explain their own program to someone else, describing what each part does

Digital Citizenship & Safety​

  • Understand that Scratch community projects are created by real people
  • Know not to share personal information in online project descriptions or comments

Stage 4: Systems & AI (Weeks 12–14)​

Practical Skills​

  • Use an AI tool with adult supervision: type a prompt and read the response
  • Compare two AI responses or two search results side by side
  • Copy and paste AI-generated text into a document for review and editing
  • Navigate between multiple open tabs and applications to complete a task

Thinking & Reasoning​

  • Explain that a system is made of parts working together toward a purpose
  • Give an example of a physical system and a digital system
  • Explain that AI generates responses from patterns, not understanding
  • Identify at least one thing AI got wrong or one response that didn't make sense
  • Explain why AI outputs should be checked before being trusted
  • Describe how recommendation algorithms influence what people see online

Creation & Communication​

  • Use AI as a brainstorming partner while maintaining creative ownership
  • Write a clear AI prompt and refine it to improve the response
  • Create a drawing, story, or description that combines AI suggestions with their own ideas
  • Explain what the AI contributed versus what they chose or changed

Digital Citizenship & Safety​

  • Explain that AI tools should be used with adult supervision at this age
  • Understand not to enter personal or private information into AI tools
  • Recognize that AI can sound confident while being wrong

Stage 5: Final Project (Weeks 15–18)​

Practical Skills​

  • Plan, build, and revise a multi-session digital project independently (with support as needed)
  • Manage project files with clear names and version numbers
  • Use multiple tools together in a single project (e.g., writing + drawing + Scratch)
  • Export, download, or save finished work in a shareable format
  • Navigate their full portfolio to find earlier work

Thinking & Reasoning​

  • Break a large idea into smaller, buildable parts
  • Evaluate their own work: identify strengths, weaknesses, and next steps
  • Apply debugging and problem-solving strategies during the creative process
  • Explain why iteration (build, test, improve, repeat) leads to stronger work

Creation & Communication​

  • Complete a creative project that reflects personal ideas and choices
  • Present the project clearly to at least one audience member
  • Explain creative choices, tools used, and challenges overcome
  • Reflect on their learning journey across the full curriculum

Digital Citizenship & Safety​

  • Demonstrate good habits: saving work, naming files, asking for help when stuck
  • Show awareness that digital work can be shared and should be shared thoughtfully
  • Explain at least three safety or judgment principles from the curriculum

Optional Extension Competencies​

These apply to learners who complete optional or stretch activities.

CAD & 3D Design (Optional CAD Weeks)​

  • Navigate a 3D design workspace (rotate, zoom, pan)
  • Place, resize, and combine basic shapes to create a recognizable object
  • Export a design as an STL file
  • Describe the design → slice → print pipeline in their own words

Everyday Productivity (Optional Extensions)​

  • Create a simple slide presentation with a title, content slides, and images
  • Use a basic table or spreadsheet to organize information
  • Compose a short, clear digital message with appropriate tone
  • Organize files across multiple folders for a multi-part project

Advanced Web Literacy​

  • Compare the same search across two different search engines
  • Check the date and source of a search result
  • Explain how manipulated images or videos could mislead viewers
  • Explain why personal information shared online can be hard to take back

Tips for Using the Competency Map​

  • Not every learner will reach every competency. That's normal. Use the map to see where they are, not to measure where they "should" be.
  • Competencies build on each other. If a learner struggles with a Stage 3 skill, look back at Stage 2 to see if a foundation was missed.
  • The map is a guide, not a test. Use it for conversations: "I've noticed you can do X really well now — do you remember when that was hard?"
  • Celebrate growth. Even partial progress across multiple strands shows real learning.

For observation-based assessment guidance, see Assessment & Progress.
For the final project evaluation, see the Final Project Rubric.