As parents and teachers, it’s important for us to always try to provide the best resources possible for our children. We want to make sure that our kids grow up with the essential skills and knowledge they need to be successful in an ever-changing work environment. Recent research has shown that coding is a skill that will be in high demand by the time your child hits the workplace. So what makes coding so important and more importantly, how can we teach our children this invaluable skill.
Five Reasons Why Learning Code is Important
The rationale behind teaching your kids how to code extends beyond its obvious benefits in the workplace. Coding can help children develop problem-solving skills quicker than other methods of learning. Here are five of the many reasons why learning code is important for children:
1. Computer Programing is the Future
If you take a look at how the world is developing and changing, it’s easy to see why coding will inevitably become an invaluable skillset. There is an increasing number of businesses that rely on computer code. These businesses extend beyond the obvious businesses in the technology sector.
A child who learns how to code will enter the workplace with a leg-up on their peers. No matter the industry they choose to enter, whether it be the technology sector, finance, retail, health services or other, they will be able to put their coding knowledge to good use.
2. There is a Lack of Skills in the Software Industry
With the advancement of technology, there are increasing career opportunities popping up every day. Employees who can code are becoming more and more sought after in any industry. That means there is always a demand for people who can code.
Since qualified computer programmers are tough to come by, their salaries can be high even at a starting level. Teaching your child code can put them in the best position possible to succeed down the line.
3. Coding Helps Develop Critical Thinking
Learning how to code helps children develop their critical thinking skills. Coding isn’t just about learning how to type lines of code, it’s about seeing a large problem and breaking it down to solve it in an effective manner. This is called decomposition and it’s one of the key attributes of a critical thinker.
When coding, children will use their creativity to turn a vague idea into something effective. If one solution doesn’t work, try the next one. If that solution doesn’t work, try the next one and so on and so forth until you find a solution.
4. Coding Helps Children Expand on their Creativity
Coding can help teach children how to experiment with their creativity. More importantly, it helps children feel confident in their ability to be creative. They will have a chance to design something that is entirely their own.
Much like learning how to play a new sport, a new instrument or a new language, children need motivation. As the phrase goes, progress can be the biggest motivator. Seeing the results as they go along is the way to cultivate more motivation.
5. Coding Can Help Children Have Fun With Math
Coding is the language of maths. Learning code and programming requires skills such as organization and data analyzing. This means that children can grow their math skills while coding without even realizing it.
This is great news for parents and teachers because we know how cumbersome it can be trying to get children motivated for math. They use their logic and calculation skills while creating something of their own. This is almost like killing two birds with one stone as your child develops two valuable skill sets at once.
How to Help Your Kids Learn Coding
There are several ways you can help your child learn how to code. It can be as simple as downloading an app on your child’s tablet or you can enroll them in a summer program. Here are some effective ways to help your child learn how to code:
Download an App
Your child is going to spend hours in front of a screen regardless, this is part of our reality. You can choose to make that screen time as educational as possible. There are plenty of amazing coding apps available that will teach code without your child even realizing it.
Even super popular games such as Minecraft have an education edition that helps kids learn how to code. It can be difficult to try and get children in the learning mood especially outside of the classroom. That’s why apps like these go a long way in helping your kid stay motivated when learning code.
Start Slowly
There’s no reason to rush your kid into learning code. Thrusting something as big as basically learning another language on them quickly can overwhelm them. They will burn out quickly and struggle to find the motivation to continue.
Ease them into coding. Start with something as small as 10-30 minutes a day. This will help make sure that they are attentive during the whole process. As they continue to grow more confident in their abilities, they will want to start coding more and more.
Enroll in a Summer Course
Summer camps can help teach your child invaluable skills from teachers and professors who are experts in their field. A summer at Education Unlimited’s Computer Programming Summer Camp can help teach kids the tools they need to become a great programmer.
The camps are located throughout the west coast and help your children learn Python and Java Programming, two popular and indispensable languages for any programmer. There is a wide range of dates for you to choose from.
Coding Helps Your Child Prepare for the Future
Coding may just be the language of the future. With computer programming becoming a more and more valuable skill set to have, teaching your child coding from an early age can help set them up for the future. Education Unlimited Summer Camps are a great way to help your child get ahead of the curve. Please apply for the program you want to be apart of here.