With the advancement in technology and smart gadgets, coding has become a valuable skill that many want to master. While mastering coding can take time, learning the basics of programming languages can be quick and easy, even for children.
Curiosity can be the biggest teacher, and as we know, children are the most curious. They always ask questions, make new connections, and try new things to satisfy their insatiable curiosity. Similarly, coding can become a fun pastime for them if approached correctly. It can be as easy for children as painting or building Legos because they naturally enjoy making things.
Through coding, your child can create games, websites, applications, and other web products. Moreover, learning other soft skills required in life, like critical thinking, logical reasoning, etc., also becomes easy. In addition, coding principles can naturally encourage them to experiment and express themselves creatively. Thus, your children can reap a lot of benefits from learning this new-age skill if you encourage them to do so.
Learning to code can be effortless; all that is needed is a natural aptitude for solving problems and a strong will to succeed. Besides, several educational gadgets can also make learning coding fun and creative for your children. This article will discuss a few simple techniques to help your young programmer learn a coding language.
Activities to Help Your Children Code Better
Children have excellent long-term memory, and their minds are malleable. Training them to code at an early age can therefore prove advantageous.
Learning to code is an ongoing process through which your child can learn how to analyze issues critically, consider other viewpoints, and develop innovative solutions. But while they are at it, a few activities and experiments on your part can help them get better.
- Exposing your child to smart technology is a simple way to teach them to code better. With every new software or video game that they try out, they have the potential to draw inspiration for their work. The use of digital media can also teach them how codes work, which they can then implement on their own.
- A study by LiveScience1 found that children who played with toys showed improvements in reasoning, resiliency, and perseverance. In this generation of technology, they can be encouraged to experiment with video games. For example, they can try to turn an adventure game into a fighting game with their coding skills.
- Similarly, you may ask your child to write instructions on “how to reach home from school” using programming codes. Giving them ideas to build sites for talking to their friends or discussing homework can also help.
Children can express themselves through coding. While some children have a natural talent for drawing, playing an instrument, or singing, coding can be your child’s natural talent.
How Video Games Can Help Children Code Better
Codes play a massive role in the development of video games. Explaining to your child how video games run via programming and indulging them in making one can improve their coding ability. Take, for example, a game in which the characters can only move forward and backward. Then ask your child to write codes that will allow the characters to jump and dodge. Help them by providing clues to think about, such as the relationship between the character and its environment, and then ask them to write codes that cover all possible outcomes.
Continuously second-guessing makes it challenging to write successful programs. But children who learn to code early are more confident in their decisions than those who do not. Young coders can develop confidence in their judgments. Developing programs that necessitate a significant amount of rework allows them to bounce back and gain confidence, inspiring them in various aspects of life.
How Does Coding Work?
The coding process includes a variety of steps, such as brainstorming, jotting down ideas, editing for clarity and consistency, and proofreading for errors and typos. When a coder codes, reviews, and revises their content, a flawless program does not suddenly appear in one go. Instead, it is the result of a back and forth process.
Codes on a computer allow children to make several attempts at writing down their ideas before they find the perfect idea and correct phrasing. Then they must reorganize long writing codes. These can be done efficiently with word processors, allowing information to flow smoothly while also teaching your child patience.
Let Your Children Learn Coding on Their Own
For children to learn to code, they must do it themselves. It’s okay to help them finish the first draft, especially if the work calls for you to share personal opinions and experiences. But, when they proceed with their work, let them understand and explore the process on their own. It is also critical for you to see the early developments of their coding projects to help them improve.
Suggest better coding platforms or help your child explain what they’re trying to convey through discussion. This makes putting their thoughts on paper a lot easier.
When children learn to code well, it’s not only a matter of developing academic skills; they’re also opening up a new avenue for self-expression. When they are given creative assignments to do in the classroom, coding becomes more than just a means of storing and relaying information. This can also help them focus on the structure and meaning of academic lessons.
Children learn and take ideas from any source they can get their hands on. Thus, parents can easily use the experiments mentioned above to help their children improve their coding skills.
If this blog piqued your child’s interest in coding, please let us know in the comments section below. You can also sign up your child for a FREE trial class in coding. And, to read more articles like this, visit the BYJU’S FutureSchool blog.
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References
1Best coding toys for kids 2022 | Live Science. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.livescience.com/53957-best-coding-apps-and-toys.html
Papadakis, S. (2021). The Impact of Coding Apps to Support Young Children in Computational Thinking and Computational Fluency. A Literature Review. Frontiers in Education, 6, 183. https://doi.org/10.3389/FEDUC.2021.657895/BIBTEX
Coding for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.science-sparks.com/coding-kids/
Ss Cyril, U. (2017). Improving Teaching and Learning Computer Programming in Schools through Educational Software Metodija JANCHESKI. Olympiads in Informatics, 11, 55–75. https://doi.org/10.15388/ioi.2017.05
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