New York school district launches LEGO robotics program for grades 4-6

The Floral Park-Bellerose School District has launched a new LEGO robotics curriculum in its Discovery Lab sessions, introducing students in grades 4-6 to hands-on coding and engineering experiences. The program represents a growing trend of elementary schools integrating robotics education to develop critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills among younger students.

What you should know: Sixth graders at John Lewis Childs School participated in their inaugural LEGO robotics lesson on October 6, working in pairs to build and program robotic creations.

• Students used LEGO Education SPIKE Essential app and kits to construct and code an arctic ride featuring a programmable snowmobile.
• The curriculum employs beginner-friendly block coding, making programming concepts accessible to elementary-age learners.
• Each lesson cycle includes building, programming, and disassembling LEGO creations, reinforcing the complete engineering process.

Why this matters: Elementary robotics education helps develop foundational STEM skills at a critical learning age, when students are most receptive to hands-on problem-solving approaches.

• The program targets grades 4-6, introducing coding concepts before students typically encounter formal computer science instruction.
• Working in pairs emphasizes collaborative learning and communication skills alongside technical competencies.

How it works: Students follow structured lessons that combine physical construction with digital programming through the LEGO Education platform.

• The block-based coding interface allows students to program robot movements and behaviors without needing text-based programming knowledge.
• Projects like the arctic ride provide engaging, theme-based contexts that make abstract coding concepts more concrete and memorable.