Should you make your children learn to code!
I decided to write this post because I find that our children will need this skill in life, like they do need to learn swimming and other survival skills, and not because they will become professionals in the programming industry, but the links that coding creates in the mind of our little guys will pay back in so many areas. The skills learned through coding can be translated into many different areas, problem-solving, writing and reading, analytics of data. These make it in my opinion one of the most valuable skills they need to learn.
Early Coding is probably the best
I’m convinced that Coding in Childrens adds so much value that it would be a mistake not to involve the kids at early stages in coding. I’m talking from experience, my parents took the initiative to get me coding while I was a kid (10-11 years old). I remember I was the youngest among a group of 18-21 year old guys in a class of BASIC. I created a simple “hello world!” programs, to also develop a simple math calculator.
The value I got from it was not learning the BASIC language, it was the ability to learn to design code, to come up with creativity to solve problems, the ability to think in a different way when solving problems. I’m almost certain that Coding is like learning to ride a bike, or playing an instrument…. Correction to learn to write music, because coding teaches you to put pieces together to make something happen.
Once I learned BASIC, some other languages started to cross my path, I learned really quick that I had the simple concepts of coding and that all I needed was a reference sheet for the new language. So I was in no time coding in other languages in no time. I can only attribute that to early involvement in coding.
Why I wanted him to learn to code.
Well as I said before coding is a skill, once you learn one, you learn the logic of the flow of the program. It does not matter what coding language you learn, the Logic and systematic approach to code are what is important. Once you have the skill of coding switching between languages is a matter of grabbing a reference book on the instructions and syntax of the language and off you go. Ok, I’m over simplifying, but believe me the learning curve is much smaller if you have already some background.
In the process of coding there is a fundamental part, which is what I wanted him to grasp. Is called “Pseudo-Code”. These are basically the actions that you need to implement in your code, writing in basic human language. A bit of a work flow of words that defines the program.
But this technique can be applied in many different areas, problem-solving, event planning, Construction projects, anything you can think you can probably pseudo-code, it is no different than preparing a step-by-step plan of what you will do or need to do. Basically a workflow or flow chart of steps to accomplish the objective. Coding for children could be an essential skill in children in any situation that they might face in life.
How did I get my own kids involved in Coding
When COVID19 Lockdown started. I was immediately worried about the two kids, especially the young one (11 years old). I needed to get him busy and away from the video game console and the TV. That is when I started researching online courses for coding. I had to find something fun that did not feel like a classroom. Something that he would feel creative and had enough flexibility to allow him to have fun outside of the coding and still learn. Coding for children was the mission I needed to complete.
I also wanted it to be something relevant, languages like Javascripts, Python are quite popular today and I find that have the basic concepts of coding and object-oriented programming that would give him the skill I was looking for (the ones I got when I was a kid)
That is when I found CodeMonkey (I’m going to talk a bit more about it at the end of this post). Basically it provided an interesting platform with lessons based on game development, that rewarded him with a playtime after he completed the code. That keeps him interested and engaged. So much that he went for hours the first couple of days, to the point that I was worried he was going to finish the whole program in a week.
CodeMonkey! Eureka!!
CodeMonkey, I found this online platform through a search on google, after looking at several, I targeting around $10 a month. But Price was not the only driver. It is designed to teach Coding for Children. It is well organized in small lessons moving from step to step adding coding complexity every new lesson, and allowing my Son to play and even experiment with the code in a game scenario. Adding speed, adding jumping capabilities, adding elements to the game that made it fun and creative, while learning to code.
It is based on Python, something I was looking for (since I code a bit of Python). It provided great instructions and also tips to help the child navigate through more complex coding algorithms or instructions.
I started with the free version, it allows you to test the platform for a few days and few lessons. I set up the account for my Son and gave it to him, just to see what he thought. It was magic, loved it! He was engaged from the very beginning because it provided the game component as a reward. Through the lessons he moved up in complexity, defining variables, functions, properties, while also solving problems and playing a video game. I think the model works really well and the instructions are well setup. After I had him basically hooked into it I moved to the payed account and have been there for the past 3 months.
He has already completed all the levels available, coded his own game, and modified existing ones. I can testify that he learned lots of the principles of coding. The next step is to find him a way to start coding his own programs from scratch. Something that he can develop. This might take a bit longer and it might not be as easy as I think. But I will keep searching until I get him there.
Thanks for reading.
