Introducing your kids to modern technology at a very young age is a step in the right direction. The IT industry is growing at an enormous pace, and coding is the heart of many inventions and technology today. When you introduce your kids to coding from a tender age, you will help them grow into the system fully prepared, giving them an edge over many people out there and allowing them to tackle coding problems on their own, without asking for a programming assignment help later on.
While this process might not be easy, it will greatly benefit you and your children. The business of teaching your kids how to code can be a bit tricky but highly rewarding. There are many platforms, websites, and applications that you can use to teach your children coding. Nevertheless, many parents and teachers are getting it all wrong because they are missing one vital thing or the other. Here are some vital mistakes you need to avoid when teaching your kids coding.
1. Not Tailoring Your Teaching Style to Their Age
This is one common mistake many parents and teachers make when teaching their kids how to code. When teaching your kids how to code, you need to come down to their level. Many people are even confused about the optimal age for kids to start learning how to code. Children can start coding at a very tender age. They learn very fast and all they need to get started is how to use a keyboard and mouse, which is something they can learn very quickly.
The recommended age for learning real coding languages is 9 to 10 years. For children below the age of 9, you can start introducing them to electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, and more. Whatever language you are teaching the kid, it is important that you adapt your teaching style to suit the age of the child. You should use children-friendly terminologies and vocabularies.
2. Not Using the Right Tools
Another mistake many people make when teaching kids coding is choosing the wrong courses. You should always consider the age of the kid when picking a programming language for them. It is recommended that younger children between the age of 8 and 13 should use Scratch while older kids can start studying python.
Scratch is a free programming tool from MIT and you can run it on any modern web browser. For younger kids that have not developed typing skills yet, Scratch is the best place to start. Teenagers and pre-teenagers can handle languages such as Python. Python is a great first programming language and it is great for kids of this level.
3. Not Practicing
Many people are more focused on the theoretical aspect of coding when teaching children. Children tend to understand things better when they practice what they learn or see some graphical representations of it. Coding is one thing that requires a lot of practice, as that is the only way to get better at it. Hence, you want to make sure you practice whatever you teach them.
4. Not Making the Process Fun
One of the best ways to teach kids anything is to make it fun and exciting for them. To help them learn better, you need to make coding fun for them. Many people teach children coding in ways that they end up not having a passion for it. If you make the process fun for them, they will grow up loving it and becoming better at it.
5. Not Providing Them with Study Tools
No one can really learn how to code without the right study materials and tools. If you want the kids to learn faster, you need to provide them with their computer to continue learning and practicing even. However, you need to supervise them, as the internet is a very wide and wild place, especially for kids.
One Reply to “5 Mistakes to Avoid When Teaching Your Kid Coding”
IMHO, the biggest mistake is “not making the process fun” as you say. Parents tend to try and make their kids “smarter” by encouraging them to code. If you take the hidden agenda out of it, together you can have real fun while developing your kids’ abilities and attitude in the process.