We’re
living in the Digital Age, and coding is slowly but
gradually becoming a new kind of literacy. Given that, I believe that learning
programming skills will be as necessary as learning the alphabet or counting
for children all over the world. I also think that introducing children to the
world of algorithms and sequences develops their problem-solving skills,
fosters collaboration, and encourages creativity.
But
what is the purpose of children learning such complicated things that early?
There is a general assumption that kids should learn to code because we need
more computer scientists. More programmers, they say, will help us shape our
digital world better, and, you know, it won’t be all that bad for the economy.
Coding
for kids is a totally creative process – it starts from scratch and ends with
something more significant. While it’s true that big tech companies such as
Google, Facebook, Apple, Tesla are snapping up future professionals, there are
far more interesting and compelling arguments. I mean, it goes much further
than just “because it’s great for GDP.” Let’s find out what these
reasons are.
Coding develops creative self-expression
Coding
for both adults and kids is a creative process. Just like painting or cooking,
with coding, the child benefits from pure satisfaction and joy. Just imagine:
something that starts from scratch ends with a tangible result.
The
opportunities are limitless. In the material world, creativity is often limited
by the tools we have at our disposal, like ingredients when we cook or canvas
when we paint. But with programming, where the virtual world is endless, the
only border is the child’s imagination.
Programming requires persistence and problem solving
Anyone
who has dealt with code will tell you that writing programs can be quite
tricky. Simply put: coding can be frustrating if not disappointing.
However,
as a computer scientist and educator Sheena Vaidyanathan says, in this case, this is
certainly good. Children learn that if something is not working, they can do it
again in a different way and fix it.
Having
plunged into programming and faced with the problem of coding, children learn
to look at things from the other side: “If A + B doesn’t work, maybe A + C will.” Through programming,
children learn to look at things from the other side when faced with a problem.
Children learn by thinking about what to do
The
grandfather of coding education, Seymour Papert, was a big proponent of
learning using programmable robots for children. He was also a huge advocate of
the new ways that learning is offering. He once stated that “you learn, but you learn better by thinking
about what you are doing. I think this is the most important thing.“
Basically,
thinking about what you want to do step by step before you do it improves the
learning process.
But kids also learn to think about thinking
Papert
also talked about the discovery and the feeling of a miracle that one
experiences when doing something right in programming. “By teaching the
computer how to think, children begin to learn how they think themselves”.
For
me, that’s the most compelling argument. What’s more, computational thinking is
a precious thinking tool – perhaps a purely 21st-century thinking tool. The one
that can be applied throughout our lives to incredible effects.
To Sum Up
Nowadays,
there are countless web applications that address specific business challenges
and needs. It seems like the demand for web development
services will only grow in the future. Even if your child chooses some other
career, the advantages of coding are evident. This way, it’s only advisable to
start as soon as possible.
Modern
children grow with technology at hand. It’s time for them to take a look at the
other side. Here’s Matt Lerner, VP Product & Design at Walkscore on the
matter: “I wanted to teach my kids
programming because it is a great skill and a powerful way of thinking. My kids
spent a lot of time playing Angry Birds on my iPhone, and I decided it was time
for them to look behind the curtain and learn how programming works”.
We are surrounded by technology, and this area will only grow thanks to the Internet of Things. The speed of innovation is incredible, and more and more children will take this career path. However, as a parent, you should make sure that there’s a balance between learning technology skills and be human.
