How to Teach Kids To Code?
How to Teach Kids To Code: Step By Step Guide
If your child has an interest in coding, not only will it be an extremely rewarding career path, but it’s also one that is largely future-proofed. How do you introduce a child to the idea of coding? If they are already interested in the idea, how do you teach kids to code?
Step 1: Decide if your child should learn to code
The benefits of learning to code are numerous with some advantages more obvious and others less well known. These include:
- Future-proofing in-demand employment
- Practical and intellectual problem-solving skills
- High digital literacy
- Knowledge of internet safety
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Improved decision making
- Confidence and self-esteem
- Connecting with like-minded peers
- Numeracy, literacy, and creativity
- Increased resiliency in overcoming problems
- Enhanced ability to organise and focus
If your child is interested, programming is a terrific gateway to all of the above so you should jump at the chance. Whether their interest is in their phone, their gaming console, or even just how things work in general, you may have a future techie on your hands and you should definitely expose them to the world of coding.
Once they’ve had a chance to get their hands dirty with some programming, you’ll know pretty quickly if it holds long-term interest for them by how enthralled (or not) they become with making things happen on computers.
Step 2: Decide if your child is old enough to learn to code
When is the best time to start teaching them?
This is a great question and there is no one size fits all answer. The best rule of thumb to follow is that they are ready as soon as they have shown interest. Children are exposed to technology from an increasingly early age today. Most are fascinated by the games they play, but some also want to know how those games work.
If you’ve got an inquiring mind on your hands, it’s time to expose them to some age-appropriate learning materials. There are structured coding programmes out there with age ranges beginning from as early as 2 years old!
For many children, the interest will come far later. If it feels forced, your efforts to push your child into programming may well backfire, so be sensitive to their needs and be ready to act when the time is right.
Platforms
Scratch, Minecraft building and Roblox coding, and many more platforms all come with intro programs aimed at 5-year-olds or their precocious younger brothers and sisters. If your little one is already walking, talking, and fooling around with computer games and wants to know more, there’s no reason to hold them back. Many resources target preschool children, such as Daisy the Dinosaur, Code.org, and Code Karts, to name a few.
Step 3: Choose the best environment for them to learn in
Here are the 7 main ways to teach your kids to code:
- At school as part of the curriculum or in an extracurricular programme
This option is either there or it’s not unless you are willing to lobby the school board. If it does exist, it depends on the quality of the teacher, the other students in the class, and whether or not your child is ready.
If your school programme is working for you, then all you have to do is supplement what they are doing and support your child in their learning. If you don’t have this option or the class quality is low, don’t worry, because almost every other option is equally good or better. - From you or another family member
If you can already code, then all you need to do is learn how to teach and there are a tonne of options out there. Just check the resource list below. This is a great way to develop your relationship with your child, but only if you’re a patient teacher. Make sure you know what you’re doing so that things turn out as planned!
- Private tuition one-on-one
One-to-one tuition is great if your child works better this way. If they are the more extroverted type then it may not be optimal. It’s the most expensive route but your child will have the teacher’s undivided attention and potentially learn far quicker.
- Private group tuition
If your child has a group of peers they are comfortable with then this can be a great option. The kids can learn from each other as well as from the tutor. It also gives you more control over what happens in class than with an online course or an in-person classroom course.
- Self-directed with targeted guidance
Many coders are self-taught and there are excellent resources online, including many free options. If you are a coder yourself then you can be there to step in when the problem-solving gets particularly juicy. If you’re not a coder and your child isn’t that independent yet, then this may not work so well. - Online courses
These can be a terrific way for kids who like more structured content but who either can’t or don’t want to join an in-person class. These can be either at your child’s own pace or guided by an online tutor. - In-person courses
This is another potentially more expensive option but will give your child access to real-world support from an expert. This can be invaluable, especially if your child tends to respond better to this kind of environment.
A blended approach can also be a good option with your child perhaps attending a class but also following a free self-directed course at the same time.
Online or offline?
All teaching options can be broadly divided into online or offline and some can be a combination of both. Online is less personal but may be the only option if there isn’t a learning center in your area. It can also save you money.
On the other hand, you and your child will save on time getting to the classroom which can be used to work on projects, research, or playing around with coding problems.
The advantage of offline is that teacher-student interaction has the potential to be better and more suited to your child’s individual needs than the impersonal nature of a Zoom class or Skype session.
Depending on your child’s personality, classroom or online can be the better choice. If you have the opportunity to expose them to both, take it. See which works out better for everyone and continue with that one.
Private or group?
This depends completely on your child’s personality. If you don’t know yet which works better for them, try them out on the easiest, least expensive option. If it doesn’t work out, you can move them from a lower-cost group to higher-cost private tuition.
Choose your teaching language
Whether you signed them up for a course online or in person, all you need to do is provide background support, whether that is with encouragement or expert knowledge. On the other hand, if you are teaching them yourself, or if you are the course teacher, now you need to figure out how to teach coding to children!
It’s really not as hard as you think, especially when your students are all highly motivated to be there.
When choosing a language or environment, keep in mind the age group. Here are some recommendations by age:
- Lego Coding Express 2+
- Daisy the Dinosaur 4+
- Code Karts 4+
- org 5+
- ScratchJr 5 to 8
- CodeSpark 5 to 10
- Lego Education SPIKE Essential 6+
- Scratch 8 to 16
- Algorithm City 8+
When your child is older or if you teach kids to code more advanced concepts, you can start using real-world languages such as Javascript, Java, and of course our favourite, Python.
The advantages of Python are many and if you are making the transition from learning platforms to working languages, you need to check out this easy-to-learn, in-demand highly functional language. Here, our bonus app has to be Practity. Although technically for 18+ and university students it is a terrific option to practice Python with real-life projects.
Some things to keep in mind as you teach kids to code
Start with the basics
Ensure they know what a coding language is and what they can do with it. Make the core concepts ultra clear from the very start, including concepts like conditionals, variables, algorithms, and other fundamentals.
Make it fun and keep it light
The majority of Kids love games, puzzles, and competitions. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel because there are tonnes of resources out there. Use plenty of puzzles, games, competitions, and real-world gaming or social media scenarios.
Take it slow and steady
Everybody who has coded for a living knows that frustration and overcoming obstacles are a huge part of the game. For kids, especially younger learners, there is a risk that this overcomes their sense of enjoyment and deters them from seeing it through and finding huge satisfaction of solving a problem.
Slow and steady progress is better than overwhelming them with problems and waiting until they throw in the towel before offering a solution. Keep it light and make sure they have a building sense of achievement throughout the duration of your course.
Final thoughts
Consider it a blessing if your child is interested in coding. You won’t have to worry about their future career half as much as long as you encourage them along the path. The resources for coding kids are unparalleled compared to many other career paths and you may even get bitten by the coding bug yourself.
If you are an educator given the opportunity to work with kids in tech, the same applies. The resources available to you to create fun structured courses that afford incredible opportunities to your students are almost unequaled and all you need to do is take advantage of them.
However, when you begin teaching, whether it’s your own child or with a full class of students, we recommend you to keep the Python language in mind as a long-term goal. Once they have the principles of coding internalised the transition to this incredibly functional and marketable language is only a step away.
