5 Tips to Improve Online Code Learning for Kids
5 Tips to Improve Online Code Learning for Kids
Coding is not just for grown-ups. Kids are also encouraged to go and venture on coding. A lot of studies show the benefits of online coding with their future success not just in work but also in life.
A lot of parents have been concerned with having a valuable screen time for their kids instead of just consuming all the time in watching videos and playing games. Diverting that screen time into learning time for coding could benefit the kids more for their future successes in life. And online coding has been popular for the past few years because of the free available coding platforms. So it's actually a great opportunity to encourage your kids to take coding classes as early as now.
There are a lot of reasons why your child should learn how to code. And one of these is that coding helps your kids prepare for their future not just by improving their academic performance but also helping them learn important life skills. Coding helps empower kids to to excel and make things better in any field they want to take in the future.
And with the latest and advanced digital technology nowadays, our kids are not only exposed to videos and video games but other forms of technology and gadgets which uses computer or software run by coding. Just as cells are the building blocks of any living things including humans, it would be a great experience for children to become aware and to understand the building blocks of the technology that they are using. Having the first hand experience in building software programs through coding while their still young will eventually help them later on when they pursue they own endeavors and field of specialisations, including software development. It is also a way learning something new while having fun at the same time.
So how do we do it? How do we make these possible for your kids to learn online coding? Here are 5 tips to improve online code learning for your kids.
Tips to Improve Online Coding for Kids
1. Use Their Passion to Something Valuable.
Like any other subject, parents need to find a way to know where their kids are passionate about. In this way, you would be able to help nurture what they love while enticing them to try on something new. That's why some of the apps are designed with every features that can entice kids to use it, like designing a game.
Ultimately, your kids can build websites for the things that they love the most. For instance, if they love photography, they could build websites for a online photo gallery. If they love writing, then they could build websites for writing their own blogs and stories. If they are fond of robots then there are a lot of kits that are available for your kids so they can enjoy designing robots and creating programs like LEGO Boost, Nintendo Labo, and Tenergy Odev Tomo. Tap on what their passionate about and turn it into something valuable by learning codes.
2. Use Real Programming Languages.
When it comes to coding, online coding classes usually use visual block method to young kids below 7 years old instead of manually writing codes. It's a drag and drop method that trains children to learn the concept to prepare them for the real programming language when they get to 7 or 8 years old, depending on the readiness of the child. You can quite see drag and drop to other apps and websites to help users, young and old, to easily navigate features and certain programs.
When kids are ready to understand real programming languages, there are a lot of options that they can use to learn coding skills especially now with the advanced and latest technology. Some of the most commonly used programming languages include Ruby, Python, JavaScript, Scratch, and C++. Know what your child is interested in and is passionate about, and focus on that.
3. Use Real Coding Tools for a Hands-On Experience.
Most coding classes only allow kids to learn 'on rails' or they can only utilize closed platforms to learn coding the easiest way with minimal errors. This is what companies do to lessen the need to hire for teachers with engineering background.
But for kids to be able to grasp the concept and skills on building a website, it is best use real coding tools in the right environment. This will enable them to get a hands-on experience on what the big companies such as Google, Facebook, and Roblox use to create their own websites and apps. It will also give them the confidence to use these tools in the future when they decide to pursue courses that uses the same coding skills as they previously learned when they were young.
4. Learn from Engineering Experts.
While it is best to learn from hands-on experiences, sometimes people especially kids encounter difficulties in coding that will require a teacher or a mentor to help them. And while most coding classes utilize closed platforms to minimize errors, having a mentor would enhance the experience of real programming courses and would definitely help teach kids how to properly code.
The real scenario is, most coding classes have no live support from engineers and programmers. And with the growing need for online platforms not just for coding but to almost every aspect nowadays, there is no need for people to travel just to get to private homes or school to teach.
And it will be great if an expert and highly-skilled engineer would stand as an online tutor and be able to teach online code classes. Just like English, Science, Arts, and Math tutoring online, engineer and programmers can teach via live screen just like how the big companies hold webinars and online conferences for their clients and staff. This is what blended learning looks like, a type of learning that is beneficial for kids coding classes and in STEM education. Incorporating both teachers and several modes of teaching is definitely the future of all subject areas including computer science where people can learn online coding classes in a common place and in real time wherever you and your kids are in the work.
5. Encourage Your Children To Continue and Not Give Up
Having your children join programming classes is a huge step into a more brighter and successful future for them. But the main challenge that parents encounter is how to keep them interested to continue on. Sometimes, when kids encounter a curb or stuck at any point in learning, they tend to stop and give up altogether. So as parents, your ultimate goal is to encourage them to continue and not give up whenever they encounter something difficult. You can engage their creativity and imagination in having fun while coding at the same time. There are coding classes that teach children with the things that they would be interested in like video games and apps.
Conclusion
Online coding classes are somethings that not only adults would be interested in. Incorporating them in STEM Education and as part of extra-curricular activities would greatly benefit them now and their future's successes. Allowing children to learn coding at a young age would not only enhance their academic performance in several subject areas but also cultivate their life skills, preparing them for whatever lies ahead.
Coding should not be a privilege but an essential tool for kids to become more confident and ready to face anything in their professional and personal life, now and beyond.