Where is our world heading? Yes, you got that right. It’s heading towards the technology sector – and, of course, technological evolution. If you’re making your kid learn coding from a young age, he/she might end up being the next Elon Musk. At least offer them this chance. Here are some of the most important strategies and books that will help you get the message across. Help your kid stand out of the crowd and develop tech skills. Here’s how.
Why Should Your Kid Learn How to Code?
- Learning how to code can boost your kid’s problem-solving abilities. Your kid will be focused on studying how things work. What that means (in real life) is that they’ll always look for the root of the problem, even when the symptoms seem to cover it up, no matter what the issue is. When they’ll be placed in a complicated or challenging situation, they’ll be able to see beyond the so-called facts and solve the problem at hand.
- Learning that failure is not permanent is another great skill. Coding teaches kids that failure is something to learn from; if you try again, you might succeed. Failing helps you learn from your mistakes – and this is exactly what coding teaches your kids. If you want them to learn this lesson anyways and cannot find a way, reach out to writers working for Gradesfixer. They write on any topic, with failure being one of them. Ask them to send you a free essay example on failure and have your kid read it. I’ve done it before, and it actually worked.
- Plus, coding teaches kids how to think and how to develop a structured mindset. This is especially important if your kid is everywhere all the time, if they cannot calm down, or if they simply cannot be organized. Learning how to code will help their minds develop differently. They will learn how to think, not what to think.
- Your kids’ creativity will develop with coding. Since they’ll be left alone to solve the problems that arise, they’ll have to use their imagination. This is how their creativity expands – with every coding problem they think they cannot solve.
The Most Effective Strategies to Teach Programming
If you’ve decided to teach programming at home, you’re on the right track. Kids spend most of their time learning from their parents anyway. Here are some important tips to be aware of when teaching coding for your kids.
- Choose the right time and divide the tasks. Overwhelming your kid with abundant, new information is not a good idea. It’ll make them hate coding. Start slowly, by dividing the content into smaller chunks. Once you’ve got that covered, it’s time to begin. Your lessons should not last longer than 30 minutes. After that, your kid’s attention span will lessen.
- Take breaks. Don’t talk about coding during a break. After every 30 minutes of work, they should have 10 minutes of resting. Make sure they’re not on their phone while they’re relaxing.
- Help them focus. It might be a good idea to start teaching meditation to your kid. The meditation sessions shouldn’t be too long – not more than five minutes for beginners. Have them relax and pay attention to every part of their body. Have them focus on their breathing. Then, have them get back to work. Amazing how concentrated they’ll be.
- Make your kid truly interested in learning how to code. If they do it for you, they won’t last long. They might like it at first but then they might let go of it. Talk openly about programming, have them read interesting articles, promote the idea, and then, let them make their choice.
The Best Kids’ Programming Books in 2021
- Coding games in scratch. Here, you can build a multiplayer platform online, practice memory and puzzle games, and race through animated mazes.
- Coding for kids. Kids get access to 50 mind exercises, engaging visual content, and quick-to-follow guides.
- Python for kids: a playful introduction to programming. Here, kids can create their own games and animations – how cool!
- Coding for kids for dummies. Help your kid learn the basics of coding with this one. They’ll be able to create apps and games in no time.
- Coding for kids ages 9-15. This is for passionate kids who want to write their first lines of code. Exciting!
Wrapping Up
Whatever you do, don’t force your kid to learn programming. They are their own people and can make their own choices, even from an early age. Promote the idea; if they refuse to do it, don’t force them to.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Turner is a programmer and freelance writer. He codes for a renowned company and helps students write essays in his free time. Michael likes to camp, hike, and sail.
