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What's in a Name? (Smart Letter Frequency & Micro:bit Text Analyzer)

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Type student names into a micro:bit MakeCode program. The micro:bit analyzes letter counts, calculates name lengths, displays letter frequency histograms on the LED matrix, and wirelessly transmits text to a partner's micro:bit via radio.

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Props & Materials Required

  • •2x BBC micro:bit V2 controllers
  • •USB cable + Laptop/Tablet (Microsoft MakeCode editor)
  • •Printed name cards
  • •Graph paper for frequency bar charts

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Block Code the Name Analyzer

In MakeCode, drag 'on button A pressed' → set string variable 'Name' = 'ANANYA'. Use 'length of string' block to calculate total letters (6).

2

Wireless Radio Transmission

Program radio group 1. Press button A to wirelessly transmit the name 'ANANYA' to a classmate's receiving micro:bit across the room!

3

Vowel & Consonant Histogram

Program button B to count vowels (A=3). The 5x5 LED matrix displays a bar graph of Vowels vs. Consonants.

4

Classroom Name Data Challenge

Analyze 10 classmate names. Find the longest name, shortest name, and most common starting letter using your micro:bit counter.

Why It Works & Notes

Counting letters in names bridges literacy with math data handling. Writing a simple MakeCode string length algorithm lets children explore computer science text processing firsthand while building frequency tables.