How to get your child start coding?

Technology has taken over kids from head to toe. It has become an integral part of our lives. From academics to co-curricular, kids are surrounded by gadgets Therefore, it becomes essential for parents to channelize kids’ online time into something productive which contributes to their academic and interpersonal. But the question is 'what is the best way to utilize the time kids spend online? The answer to this dilemma is ‘Coding’. Coding is the language of the modern world. Whether it is a kid’s smartboard for academics or their games everything requires programming. Therefore, it is important to introduce kids to the machine language to make the most out of these gadgets.

Often parents struggle to find the best possible ways to introduce coding to their kids as it may sound alien to a kid at an early age. With the growing popularity and demand for coding, it became essential for the programmers to make coding platforms for kids that introduce them to the realm of coding in the simplest and most fun-loving manner. Here, we are highlighting few ways parents can make their kids start to code.

  1. Online courses- It is the easiest way to make your kid learn the language of the future. There are various online courses available for kids to teach coding through interactive games, graphics, live-teacher interactions, and projects. These courses are prepared keeping in mind the child psychology and are well trusted by parents for young learners.

  2. Choosing the right language for your kid- There are various programming languages. Parents need to choose the language which is easy to learn and execute while introducing programming to a newbie to gather their interest and give them hands-on experience. For pre-teens and teens, it is recommended to start with Python. It is an excellent way to introduce coding owing to its simple syntax, readable codes, and user-friendly operations.

  3. Do not just talk concepts to them- Programming is more about practice more than reading books. If you are tutoring your kids, writing codes, and executing them is a better approach compared to just talking concepts. Sit with them and show them the code output which gives a better idea about the concept and generates interest in kids to get involved in coding.

  4. Look for the source code- If you are using online resources for tutoring your child, look for the source code for small games. The programs having less than a hundred lines of code work best.

  5. Games- Online programming games available at various coding teaching platforms is one of the most common and fun ways to get your child to start coding. These demonstrate the concept of coding with source codes and enable learning through puzzles and blocks.

  6. Provide resources to the kids- The primary requirement for coding is a laptop. It is recommended for each child to have their laptop while starting with coding. Learning in groups becomes a hustle for the child and makes the learning process slow and ineffective. There are various online classes available that provide all the resources for learning including laptops.

  7. Do not jump to higher languages- It is also recommended to start with easier languages like HTML, python. It is important to learn the ABC of coding before going on to programming.

‘Clay moulds the best when it is tender.’ Likewise, ‘kids can be moulded the best when they are young and tender’. Starting with coding at an early age gives the best learning experience to kids as they can their hands-on STEM education.