237096 TEKS header image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Computational thinking--foundations. The student explores the core concepts of computational thinking, a set of problem-solving processes that involve decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.

The further explanation is designed to be a resource for educators that helps them better understand the topic their students are learning. Further explanations may be written at a more complex level than would be expected for students at the grade level.

The computational thinking process begins with the decomposition of the problem: breaking down the process into a set of smaller subprocesses that allow us to describe, understand, or better execute the process. Decomposition can include dividing a task into a sequence of subtasks or identifying elements or parts of a complex system. For example, when one gives someone directions to their house, they are decomposing the process of getting from one place to another.

Glossary terms and definitions are consistent across kindergarten through high school in the TEKS Guide. The definitions are intended to give educators a common understanding of the terms regardless of what grade level they teach. Glossary definitions are not intended for use with students.

the principle of ignoring those aspects of a subject that are not relevant to the current purpose in order to concentrate solely on those that are
 

factual information (such as observations, measurements, or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation; often includes both useful and irrelevant or redundant information and must be processed to be meaningful
 

breaking a problem into smaller pieces, or subprocesses, to describe, understand, or better solve the problem