Before this class, I never thought I’d enjoy programming. But building a project with Scratch completely changed that. For my first assignment, I created a little game where the Scratch Cat chases a balloon. When the cat catches it, it makes a sound, says something fun in a speech bubble, and the score goes up. I even added a hen chasing a ball and a bat that randomly flies across the screen. Watching all these characters move and interact was not only fun, but it also helped me understand how different parts of a program can run at the same time.
Learning the Hard Way (At First)
Honestly, I was lost when I first started. I had no idea how to use the blocks or how to make them do what I wanted. But after watching some of Scratch’s built-in tutorials and reading online guides, things started to click. I began to understand how the blocks were organized and how to use loops, conditionals, variables, and events. I went from confused to actually enjoying the process.
Scratch let me focus on how things work, instead of stressing over writing perfect code.
How It Compares to Other Programming Languages
After reading about different programming languages in our textbook, I realized Scratch is kind of like an interpreted language (like Python). You don’t need to compile anything — just click the green flag and see your project in action. That made it easy to test and fix things right away.
Here's how Scratch compares:
Compiled languages like C++ or Java are great for big, powerful applications but require more setup.
Assembly language talks directly to the hardware, definitely not beginner-friendly.
Query languages like SQL are great for working with databases but don’t have the same visual, creative feel as Scratch.
So, What’s the Easiest to Use?
Without a doubt, Scratch. The visual, drag-and-drop setup removes the stress of learning syntax. You get to focus on logic, creativity, and how things work behind the scenes. It made learning feel less like work and more like playing with digital building blocks (Create & Learn, 2025).
Final Thoughts
Scratch might not be a tool professionals use every day, but for someone just starting out like me, it was perfect. It taught me how to think like a programmer and gave me a solid foundation to build on. I’m now more confident about exploring real programming languages in the future.
🎮 Want to try out my project? Check it out here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1182484961
References
Create & Learn. (2025, January 19). How to Use Scratch: Learn to Code with Scratch, Plus Examples. https://www.create-learn.us/blog/how-do-i-learn-scratch-coding-with-scratch-for-kids-explained/
GeeksforGeeks. (2025, April 22). Scratch Tutorial. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/scratch-tutorial/
Scratch. (n.d.). https://scratch.mit.edu
TestOut Corp. (2024). CertMaster Learn Tech+. http://www.testout.com
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