Teaching your child to code is a rewarding adventure that not only serves as a valuable bonding experience, but instills your child with numerous skills and critical thinking abilities. As we all know, coding is not simply writing the code itself, but also thinking of creative solutions to problems, and proofreading your code for errors.
In this parent’s guide on teaching your kids to code, we’ll be going over how to simplify programming concepts for your child to understand, as well as coding resources developed specifically for children.
Coding is like learning a new language
At first glance, especially to a child, lines of code will seem like indecipherable gibberish. I mean obviously, who could make sense of this without knowing JavaScript?
- var args = []; // Empty array, at first.
- for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++) {
- args.push(arguments[i])
But it’s important to remember that learning code syntax is a lot like learning a new language. All you’re doing is teaching your brain a new way of writing and reading information, in this case, what you want the code to do.
One major thing that intimidates people new to coding is the formatting itself. It looks like a big calculus formula, with various characters and symbols. Some beginner-friendly languages actually attempt to address this, like Scratch.
Scratch programming for kids vastly simplifies the “scary equation” problem by breaking down the code, step-by-step, using fun interactive games that your child will theoretically “code” themselves. Scratch is for children ages 8 and up, but children 5 – 7 can also start with ScratchJr.
Establish a routine and gauge your child’s enthusiasm
Children respond well to structure and routine, but that also means establishing a routine. While children likely do not want to disappoint their parents, you also have to remember a child’s attention span.
No matter how “fun” a children’s coding program may seem, a child will instinctively know that it’s “work”. It’s like trying to pass off mashed peas as french fries to your child – they know.
Not all children will take to coding, and it’s unreasonable to expect them to enjoy something they don’t have interest in. So establishing a routine and lesson structure for your child also means finding their comfort level, and giving them freedom in whether they want to pursue it further after a certain level.
You can start with something simple like Hour of Code. Just a simple, one-hour introduction to coding, designed for all ages, will give you a baseline of your child’s interest in the subject.
Explore the different languages
Just as we said earlier that coding is like learning a new language, there are several different languages you can learn! Some languages are more complex than others, and each language will have ideal scenarios for usage.
For children who often dream of video game or app development, some of the child-friendly languages are already well equipped for those roles. Those languages include:
- Scratch, a block-based language which offers drag-and-drop interface to construct code.
- JavaScript is used in websites and interactive client-side applications. Most websites use JavaScript because of its dynamic versatility for web development.
- Java is not to be confused with JavaScript, as Java is used in many more complex situations than web development. But Minecraft is one of the big reasons children learn Java.
- Lua is another popular language for programming games. The popular online game Roblox, for example, allows coders to create in-game content with Lua.
Here’s a helpful list of some of the most kid-friendly programming languages and their uses.
Use child-friendly programming resources
Lessons for children need to be structured for their sensibilities and attention span. Young children especially will not respond well to resources intended for learning how to code as an adult.
You can check out CommonSense’s list of programming and coding resources, which includes many child-friendly apps and courses.
Conclusion
Learning to code requires repetition and problem-solving, so your child will need your guidance. If they enjoy it as an activity though, it’s likely they’ll pursue their own further learning, as many coders are self-taught DIY experts.
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