Every parent seeks the best ways to give their child many opportunities for success in the future. They do this by aiding their educational development in their formative years. Learning to code is a significantly impactful way to enhance a child's current learning or support their intellectual development as they grow.
But that is not all that coding brings to the table. Research has shown that learning to code boosts intellectual capacity and automatically helps kids with other skills such as analytics, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Do you know that coding is not just for adults? The founder of Girls Will Code, Isabel Sieh, learned coding skills when she was ten years old. So coding is not too complicated for kids. They highly excel at it!
Before you start thinking about whether your child should learn to code or if it is right for kids, it would be best if you knew what coding is all about. This will help you determine if kids should learn this vital skill or not.
What is Coding?
Coding means writing a programming language (a series of codes that the computer understands), and this enables the computer to behave the way you want it. It's general knowledge that computers do not communicate as humans do. For this reason, human language must be translated into programming language before the computer can accept the instructions.
It may surprise you to know that coding for kids is not just intellectual; it is fun. Kids learn in various ways. Many platforms teach kids how to code from scratch. But this is done in a manner that prompts easy understanding and fun as well. This brings us to the next puzzle -
At What Age Can Kids Learn Coding Skills?
While most parents wonder what is the right age for kids to learn to code? Others think that kids should be ten years or older before learning anything that has to do with coding. But this is merely a misconception because coding itself is made of a variety of tasks with different levels of complexity.
Therefore, if you consider coding lessons for your child, there is no need to entertain fear because they are coding systems that even kids of five years old can grasp quickly. For example, Scratch with Ozobot is a coding system designed for kids and suitably run as a part of coding summer camp programs.
7 Tops Reasons Why Kids Should Learn Coding
There is more to kids learning to code than you think. At this stage, it’s pertinent to know that the benefits of kids learning computer programming are enormous, especially in our digitalized world. No doubt, this is the perfect time for kids to learn coding. Below are the seven top reasons why we think kids should learn this unique skill.
1. Thinking outside the box
Coding helps children to learn how to think creatively and develop problem-solving skills at a young age. As they learn to code, they realize they can use different approaches to solving everyday problems. They realize that they can only attain success in anything they do if they take action because coding helps them to be smarter than their equals.
2. Promotes soft skills
As children learn to code, they are exposed to more complex problems as they go through each stage of the learning process. As a result, they develop a more concise approach to learning, especially in the English language. Computer programming applies the basic knowledge of mathematics, it can be used to create a program that can perform various tasks.
3. It helps with writing skills
Since coding involves writing computer programs, it helps the child to develop or nurture writing skills. It also helps them to develop a more concise approach to writing. That way, they can grasp the basics more quickly than those that were not exposed to coding training at a young age.
Moreover, as they grow, they discover the best ways to apply their problem-solving and critical thinking skills in spoken and written language. As they experiment with computer codes at their level, they will learn how to use a different approach to solving tasks in creative ways.
4. Coding helps build confidence
Statistics have shown that parents who enrolled their child in a coding program for kids later reported that their child's communication and confidence levels had improved significantly. It is now an open secret that coding is a confidence booster for many kids. Expose them to the rudiments of coding at their level and watch their self-esteem rise.
5. Coding is fun
Kids learn faster when the method adopted by the teacher is fun and engaging. Coding is a logic-based activity that engages the senses and arouses a child's curiosity. A child feels a deep sense of satisfaction when he or she sees their code come to life!
6. The language of technology
Coding is just about computers. It encompasses every device we interact with, from smartphones to tablets and even the traffic light system. When a child learns coding at a young age, they will begin to appreciate technology and may even start nurturing the desire to explore it to solve some of humanity's problems.
7. Coding helps to develop storytelling skills
Coding enriches a child's imagination, and this makes it perfect for all types of storytelling. There are video games and other applications that allow kids to code their own stories. As they imagine different characters' roles, it takes their mind far off into wonderlands with strange characters in these stories. Such creative skills could help them deal with real-life situations as they grow.
Final Thoughts
We live in a competitively digital world. No doubts, learning how to code will help kids thrive and attain success faster. It's highly recommended to catch them young on this so you can easily nurture their passion for tech-related stuff. With coding, it is expected that kids will grow into adults who are fully prepared to face the future's programming demands.
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