8 REASONS WHY EVERY CHILD SHOULD LEARN TO CODE

If we want to set our children up for success, every child should learn to code. Computer programming for kids has many benefits that stretch far beyond the computer screen. From critical thinking, creativity, and persistence, find out how to get your kids on the path to coding success. What is coding? Put simply, Coding is the a method of communicating with a computer. It is using a language that a computer understands to give a computer instructions in order to perform specific functions. Coding allows us to create things such as computer software, websites, apps and video games. There are various types of different code, depending on what you want to develop. And different “programming languages” that each have their own set of rules. But basically, coding is giving instructions to a computer in order to produce a desired outcome. Help your kids learn to code Before we get to talking about why every child should learn to code, you may have come here looking to find out HOW you can teach your child to code. It’s easy to get started teaching children to code, even if you don’t have any coding experience yourself! In fact, we’ve compiled a list of coding concepts even 5 year olds can understand here. There are so many ways to get started with teaching kids to code. Here are a few suggestions from our site: Start Out Unplugged You can get started coding with your kids today! It’s easy, and all you need are items you likely already have around your house. To first start learning the basics of coding, you don’t even need a computer! One of our most popular unplugged coding activities involves learning to code with a deck of cards! You can find out how to learn to code with a deck of cards here, or you can find our whole list of unplugged coding activities here. There’s an App for That! If you’re like me, you struggle with appropriate screen time for your kids. I know that I got to the point where one more YouTube video of kids opening and reviewing toys was going to send me over the edge. We try to make our screen time as educational as possible. I even taught my son to play the piano using this app! There are lots of amazing coding apps that can get your kids learning to code without even realizing it. Even popular games like Minecraft have an education edition that helps kids to learn to code. Our favorite coding app is this one. We have a whole list of the best coding apps for kids here. Start with an Hour of Code One of the easiest ways to get a taste of programming basics for kids is with the fun and FREE hour of code activities available online. These activities are designed to take only an hour and can give kids and parents a chance to understand the importance of learning to code. We have an entire list of our favorite hour of code activities here. Coding Worksheets Our coding worksheets will help to reinforce the basic coding concepts learned in the activities above. These worksheets are perfect for the classroom or home. Our worksheets cover the concepts of algorithms, sequencing, loops, variables, decomposition, branching and debugging. But why is it important to learn how to code? Why should kids learn coding? There are so many reasons to learn coding, it was hard to pick just 8 benefits of learning to code. From problem-solving skills, job opportunities, critical thinking, and creativity, there are so many reasons to learn programming. Let’s review why kids should learn to code. Here are 8 reasons why coding is important to learn for kids: Programming helps children learn to problem-solve Computer programming gives kids a challenge and helps them develop resilience Coding teaches children how to think A child expands their creativity when they learn how to code Computer programming is the future There is a lack of skills in the software industry Coding helps children learn how to have fun with math Coding is learning while having fun When should my kid learn to code? In our opinion, teaching kids code is something that can be done as early as preschool. In fact, we have an entire post dedicated to ideas for getting preschoolers started with coding. You can read this here. As early as age 5, kids can learn the basic concepts of coding. Here are 5 coding concepts that 5 year old can understand. Even kids who can’t read can learn to code with block-based coding. Check out these coding apps that can help kids as your as 4 or 5 learn to code. Link : https://teachyourkidscode.com/why-coding-is-important-to-learn/