Hannah Hagon

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Hannah Hagon is a pioneering researcher in early childhood education and computational thinking, with a focus on how very young children can develop foundational programming skills through play. Her most-cited work, “Can Pre-school Children Learn Programming and Coding Through Guided Play Activities? A Case Study in Computational Thinking” (2021, 80 citations), demonstrates that children as young as two to four years old—including those with communication difficulties—can engage meaningfully with coding concepts when activities are designed as guided play. This research challenges assumptions about the cognitive prerequisites for computational thinking and offers practical frameworks for inclusive early childhood STEM education. Hagon’s work bridges developmental psychology and computer science education, providing evidence that playful, scaffolded interventions can build problem-solving and sequencing skills long before formal schooling. Her contributions are particularly notable for their emphasis on accessibility, showing that children with diverse communication needs can participate in and benefit from coding clubs. With growing global interest in early digital literacy, Hagon’s findings are increasingly influential among educators, curriculum designers, and researchers seeking to integrate computational thinking into preschool settings. Her work continues to shape how we understand the developmental trajectory of logical reasoning in early childhood.