Nowadays, there are a lot of different resources and Coding programs for kids available. It is hard for parents to choose the right program for their children or if they are homeschooling then they have no clue where to start. I have been a teacher for a long time and teaching children and adults. Following are a few techniques that I use to teach which can help parents to make a decision or provide the starting point. First of all, parents need to understand the basics.
What is Coding?
To communicate with each other we use a language like English etc. In the same way, there are computer languages which we use to communicate with computers. Coding is a process to send instructions to a computer to perform certain tasks. These instructions are written in a language that the computer understands. Writing these instructions is called coding. There are a lot of different languages available which you can use to program a computer.
What are the resources/options available to start to introduce kids to Coding?
There are two different approaches you can adopt. The first one is looking for free or cheap resources and start using them to teach the kids (Following are some websites which are available free or there is a minimum cost). The second option is to do research and enroll your child in a good coding for kids program.
Where should I start?
For young kids, block base software or website is a good start with simple games. Teach them basics using block-based software. Each lesson should have some fun activity and give them homework to reinforce concepts that are based on the lesson which you thought them in the class.
For the bit elder kids, again if they are new to programming then you can start with block-based coding and then slowly move to text-based coding languages. Their learning pace will be faster than the younger age group so you will need to challenge them more and needs to create more challenging exercises.
For the high school kids, I suggest starting with block-based programming and build the concepts very quickly so they become familiar with fundamental programming concepts and then you can switch to text-based programming very fast as block-based coding will be very easy for them.
Website and Resources
One of my favorite websites is code.org. This is completely free and you can create your child account on this website. Once it is created then you can start with course A. It teaches a fundamental of computer science. This course is based on different spirits that they have to move and then learn the programming and coding concepts. Once it is done then do course B etc. They have different tracks available so don’t get confused and start with basics.
This is one of the popular coding software and designed by MIT students. It is a block-based visual programming language. The recommended age group is between 8 to 16 years of age. If you have a younger child than 8, there is a Scratch Jr website available and you can use this to introduce your child to coding. Children can create online projects in Scratch and share them with the world. It is easier to learn with block-based language as they do not need to remember any syntax and they can see the output of their code right away. Usually, as a teacher, we introduce our students to coding and it’s concepts using scratch also.
Google Blockly
It is a google block-based programming language. It is a bit advancer than Scratch but you can still use it to teach kids. There are different resources available when you search on google.
Khan Academy
Yes, I know that is it popular for math lessons however there are coding lessons available too. These lessons teach the basics of coding, graphics, and animation, etc.
Affordable Subscription-Based Coding Programs for Kids.
Codecademy
This is a block-based website and their lessons teach kids the basics of coding concepts through fun and simple exercises. The basic course is free and there are monthly subscription fees which are around $20 per month and you can access their advanced lessons.
Code Avengers
It is also a block base software and offers a free trial class. You can access their premium lesson after sign up. The monthly cost is between $20-$29 per month.
Tynker
It works with snapping the block of code which is easy to learn for beginners. Classes are designed as per age and have easy entry points. The monthly cost start from $20 per month
Finally, there are a lot of different programs and resources available. I have mentioned some of the above. If you are teaching your kids yourself then the above websites should be more than enough to start. If you would like to enroll your child in a good coding for kids program , then search in your neighborhood and see who is offering a coding program? What exactly is their course covers? Do they have a curriculum where kids learn and progress systematically? Call them and ask all the questions you have. Many of them offer free trial classes so if possible then ask for a free trial class.
I come across many different professional institutes that offer in-person and online coding classes. One of the perceptions is that online coding classes are not good which is not true in many cases. I came across Gems Learning Institute which offers both online and in-person coding classes and some of my friend's kids take their online coding classes and they are happy. After asking many questions, I found out that all their Coding and Robotics classes went online and now they are teaching globally so everyone can benefit from programs.
In last, please research finding a good coding program that will help your child to learn in the right way. It will build a proper foundation.
I have been teaching children and adults for a long time. I have also been working in IT field for over 25 years. I have decided to write some blogs to provide starting points to teachers and parents to introduce stem, coding, and robotics to children.