Coding is a skill that’s increasingly in demand in today’s digital world and that looks set to continue, with tech leaders calling for computer science to be taught in every school. Even younger children can learn basic programming, in fact, a 2020 survey of developers found that on average, over half of them had written their first line of code by the age of 16. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of coding for kids and ways you can encourage children to learn to code.
What are the benefits of coding for children?
Coding has lots of benefits for children. Here are just some of the reasons kids should learn to code.
Coding fosters creativity
When a child learns to code, they can begin to create digital content rather than passively consume it. So instead of playing games on their phone or tablet, they can actually create one! Coding by its very nature encourages children to create worlds and experiment with different approaches, getting results in real-time. Through coding, kids can build worlds, tell stories, and create characters, all of which use and improve their creative skills.
Coding improves problem-solving skills
Problem-solving is a skill we all need in life, regardless of our career choice. During programming, young coders will constantly face challenges that require them to develop and hone their problem-solving skills to come up with solutions for the issues. So even if your child isn’t planning a career in coding, they’ll still pick up useful life skills along the way.
Coding improves maths skills
Coding can help children to visualise more abstract maths concepts and also gives them a real-world application for maths, which is often more fun and engaging way for kids to learn.
Coding improves future prospects
There is currently a skills shortage, with fewer computer science graduates than there are job opportunities. Learning code could not only benefit your child now but may prove useful to their prospects, later on, helping them secure a place at university and forming the foundations for a successful career.
How can you inspire children to get into coding?
Here are some of the ways you can encourage children to learn coding.
Coding projects at home
There are many fun coding projects for beginners and easy coding projects at home can be a great way to inspire a love for coding. A BBC micro: bit is a great way to get started and there are lots of simple projects kids can try.
Coding camps, clubs and workshops
Coding camps, clubs and weekend lessons are all great ways to get your child feeling inspired and excited about code. Not only will they learn coding skills through these but it also gives them the opportunity to meet new people, boost their social skills and make new friends who they have something in common with – a love of code!
Online resources
There are loads of great online resources to help children learn coding, including sites such as Scratch or Hopscotch and apps like Kodable, which can be downloaded onto your child’s iPad, tablet or phone.
Leave a Reply