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Mike Pavlov

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8 min

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Coddyca

Coding for Kids & Teens | An Ultimate Guide for Parents

Does your child play video games all the time? 

Yes, it’s a little bit annoying. But what if your kid will not just play games all the time but will create them? You’ll probably say yes, that’s such a great idea, I don’t want my child to play games all day long. But how can a child learn to program?

You have only two options:

  1. You have such knowledge, skills and most importantly, time, and you are ready to teach your child how to code.
  2. If you don't have time or skills, it’s better to find the best coding school for kids.

If you decide to teach your child to code, be prepared for a million questions. For example, "Is coding really for me? Where to start learning to code? When will I be able to use my coding skills to complete a project?" Often, these questions stop many in their learning tracks. Don't give up. 

How does learning programming compare? With the study of a foreign language! It's complicated? Not really. Is it possible? Definitely!

Kids are like a blank slate. When it comes to coding, kids may ask many questions from parents. It's quite understandable. First, you have to make up your mind about coding to learn. 

Thus, you need to understand well because there is no way around it. No shortcuts; coding is quite challenging not only for kids but also for parents. We all know that any new task always seems difficult and impossible at the start, but if you take all of the necessary steps in the right order, you can thrive.

The same is the case with coding. The biggest advantage of coding is, it teaches children how to think out of the box. 

Steve Jobs rightly said, "Computers are like a bicycle for our minds." Start this bicycle for your kid's mind. 

1. What is coding for kids?

Coding is a creative way of communicating with computers. Programmers tell a computer or server how to perform a specific function. For example, coding helps us to create great things such as websites, computer apps, video games, and much more. 

2. Why should kids learn to code?

As we know, technology has become more prevalent in people's lives, so coding is becoming a valuable skill in the 21st century. It is revolutionizing every aspect of today's life – think robot-assisted surgery, self-driving cars, banking, social media, the environment, etc.

Coding enables your kid to bring advancement in technology by tapping their creative and imaginative ideas to life.

Mostly, Kids who love coding excel at school in Science and Math. So, if they only read coding while developing a skill. In that case, that will prepare them for better job opportunities in the future.

3. Is coding good for kids? | Benefits of learning to code.

If programming is taught in every school, children can develop their math skills without even realizing it. If you want to teach your child math through programming, it will improve calculation and logic skills, and at the same time, the child will create something of his or her own.

So, kids are going to have the following benefits, only if they learn to code:

  • Coders are in extensive demand
  • Coding provides a competitive advantage
  • Coders knowledge allows them better understand the world
  • Coding is fun, and it expands creativity & focus
  • Coding improves problem-solving, persistence, collaboration, and communication
  • Coders learn how to have fun with math
  • Coding improves logical & critical thinking
  • Coding encourages confidence & resilience

4. At what age your kids should learn coding?

Research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT shows that 5 years to 7 years is an ideal age for children to start learning visual coding languages such as ScratchJr. Parents often achieve this goal through different logical games that help in simulating the coding skill of kids. At CODDY.ca we teach ScratchJr programming on tablets.

After a while, move on to the next, more difficult exercise. So seven years is the best time to start. Because their fresh minds can understand programming concepts for beginners. They will now apply their programming knowledge in camps and classes. 

"But what if my child is more than 7 already?" - you might ask. At 9, 12 or even 16 your kid can start learning to code.  But remember - the sooner the better.

5. Best programming languages for Kids

At CODDY.ca school, we teach only those languages that are understandable to kids. No headaches. Some languages are too difficult for beginners. Don’t teach them to your beginner. Following are the best coding languages for your children:

  1. ScratchJr - https://coddy.ca/courses/scratchjr-coding/ 
  2. Scratch - https://coddy.ca/courses/scratch-coding/ 
  3. Roblox Lua - https://coddy.ca/courses/roblox-coding/ 
  4. Python - https://coddy.ca/courses/python-coding/ 
  5. JavaScript - https://coddy.ca/courses/javascript-coding/

6. FAQs

6.1. As parents, how to develop coding interests in kids?

You can combine it with your kids' current passion, so learn coding with them.

6.2. How can I explain programming to my kids?

In simple words, coding or programming gives instructions to a machine or computer using a language that they can understand. Children can learn basic coding by coding games and performing activities.

6.3. How does coding work?

Coding is the process of giving written instructions that tell a computer, tablet or server how to perform a certain task. For example, how to send a greeting card. Coders (or programmers) write these instructions using a specific computer language and application; this helps computers to run complex programs or games.

6.4. Why is it important for kids' programming?

Programming is essential because it enables your kids' important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity with fun. Children learning to program are more erudite.

6.5. What are the coding benefits for kids?

If your kids learn to code, it has many benefits. The most important is that coding is in high demand and most valued in jobs related to computer programming. It also develops logic.

7. Conclusion

Look at how the world is growing and developing. In that case, programming is an extremely useful skill for kids. Moreover, these days, an increasing number of businesses solely rely on computer code. So it's not only in demand in the technology sector but everywhere. 

When you teach your kid "how to code," they will have more benefits in life with extensive employment opportunities in the future. Coding is used in almost all industries, whether finance, technology, retail, food, or health. That's why schools should also teach coding.

But, with all our recommendations, is learning coding as easy as talking to someone, "learning something," or "doing something," as we said earlier? Of course not; coding is not that easy. But anything is possible.

So, we hope this guide will help you and your kids take a step in learning to code.

Good luck learning programming!