Tynker launches iPad app, extending programming skill development to young learners as early as 1st grade

South by Southwest (SXSW) Education, Music and Media Conference-Austin, Texas-March 6, 2014--Tynker (www.Tynker.com), a leading Silicon Valley ed-tech startup that helps kids develop programming skills, today announced the launch of the first Tynker iPad app- available immediately on Apple's App Store. The new app is designed to extend Tynker's visual programming platform to an even broader audience of young learners, with an immersive game-like experience that leverages the iPad's native touch-based capabilities. The Tynker learning platform is now used by over 8,000 schools and 5 million users, making it one of the largest ed-tech applications in the world.

The Tynker iPad app was developed in response to the pent up demand from parents and schools, who want to use tablets to teach children essential coding fundamentals. With the launch of the new Tynker iPad app, kids can now conveniently use Tynker on the go, on vacation, or in "airplane mode." The iPad's intuitive interface allows Tynker to be used by kids as young as in first grade, and with more iPads than computers available in the classroom, it is now even easier for schools and teachers to roll out Tynker across a broader range of students and grades.

"With 5 million users of Tynker on the web now, we've learned that a game-based approach is a highly effective and engaging way for kids to learn the basics of programming," said Srinivas Mandyam, co-founder and CTO of Tynker. "Our iPad app has many fun, story-based puzzles that progressively introduce programming concepts such as sequencing, repetition and conditional logic. The app leverages the touch-based capabilities and portability of the iPad - making it the perfect extension to our popular web-based tutorials."

Tynker's visual programming language makes it easy for children to get started with programming by simply dragging and dropping visual blocks to build a program. The Tynker iPad app contains puzzles that children solve by programming visual code blocks to achieve a goal. The initial release includes the following adventures to engage kids with appealing storylines:

• Puppy Adventure, where kids use logic and loop variations to help Pixel, the lost puppy, find his way home;
• Lost in Space, where kids learn more advanced programming concepts like conditional logic and apply spatial orientation skills to lead astronaut Biff to his moon base avoiding asteroids and black holes; and
• Sketch Racer, where Snap the Turtle can be programmed to draw complex geometric shapes using simple commands.

This initial release includes over 130 puzzles that teach children computational thinking and the basics of computer programming. By solving these puzzles, children learn to recognize patterns; break down a problem into smaller steps; engage in programming concepts like sequencing, loops and conditional logic; develop computer drawing and algorithmic thinking skills; and debug programs.

Tynker-Learn Programming with Visual Code Blocks-Available Now on the App Store

The Puppy Adventure, with 20 puzzle levels, is available for free. The Lost in Space and Sketch Racer adventures are being offered at the introductory price of $1.99 each or $2.99 for the set (offering an additional 120 levels, and additional programming concepts). Additional adventures will be available for purchase in the Tynker iPad app over time to introduce more advanced programming concepts. To learn more and start coding on the iPad go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tynker-learn-programming-visual/id805869467?ls=1&mt=8.

About Tynker

Tynker helps children develop computational thinking and programming skills in a fun, intuitive and imaginative way. The company's self-paced courses and curricula introduce programming fundamentals to students as young as first grade via puzzles, interactive videos, and hands-on projects. Using Tynker's simple visual paradigm, kids can build animations, games, stories, and even apps. Launched in April 2013, over eight thousand schools and millions of students are using Tynker to learn computer programming.

The company was founded by a seasoned team of technology entrepreneurs who share a passion for giving children the critical life skills needed to become leaders in the technologies of tomorrow. Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, Tynker is backed by leading venture capital firms, including 500 Startups, Cervin Ventures, Felicis Ventures, GSV Capital, NEA, New School Ventures, as well as prominent angel investors.