Increasingly gaining popularity, you have already wondered if you need to learn to code or enable your kids to explore coding. Read on to find out all that you need to know about coding for kids and get rid of all your confusion as you learn about the benefits of learning to code. Make your kids learn to code which is an immensely appreciated ability to have in the 21st century.

As Christian Lous Lange  stated, “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”

Importance of Coding

What is coding and why is everybody talking about it?

Coding has intricately blended with our everyday lives – sending text, messages, and emojis, sharing memes and jokes on smartphones, watching videos, booking movie tickets, traveling, ordering food online while sitting in your comfy pajamas, watching Netflix; almost everything is now possible with a few taps and swipes all by coding.\

One major benefit is the chance to make a secure career. According to a report, 26 million job postings by job market analytics firm Burning Glass, about half of the jobs paying $57,000 or more per year are in occupations that commonly require applicants to have at least some computer coding knowledge. In fact, on average, jobs requiring coding skills pay $22,000 more per year than jobs that don’t. They also rank among the top ten highest paying jobs. Besides, coding for kids becomes rewarding when it makes them a desirable pick for recruiters, as it adds versatility to their skill set.

Moreover, looking at the direction in which technology is advancing and how it’s transforming everything around us, it can be safely said that almost every job right now requires some form of computer literacy. And the possibility that jobs coming up in the near future might even require at least basic level coding, explains the importance of coding for kids. We will have a deeper look at the benefits of learning to code.

Today’s generation is growing up in this technological era, including computers and the internet. Kids these days know how to unlock cell phones, play games, and watch videos before they can even speak properly. As they grow, their proficiency in using technology further increases. But most of them don’t know what goes on at the back-end that allows them all of this with such ease. Being unaware of how a certain thing happens tends to make you its slave with use and you gradually become so dependent on it that you lose your ability to think and to function without it. If kids learn to code, they can save themselves from this trap.

Coding for kids’ personal growth:

The benefits of learning to code are plenty. You teach kids to code and it brings along a boost to their creativity and cognitive skills, improves memory, adds to their brainpower, and fuels present-mindedness. Children who learn to code achieve problem-solving skills and relate to the world around them better. How? Coding essentially involves taking bigger problems and breaking them down into smaller and simpler problems. Once they get used to it, children approach problems in every other domain of their life in a similar fashion. It thus helps them deal with those seemingly daunting problems more easily and efficiently.

As Bill Gates  states, “Learning to write programs stretches your minds, and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains.”

Moreover, learning to code can be an exciting opportunity for a family to bond and have fun together. When kids learn to code at home, parents can accompany them in this productive and fun-filled activity, and get to know them better. Another benefit of learning to code is that it is a confidence booster. Learning a new skill, something which is looked up to fosters greater confidence in children. Apart from these, coding helps with math skills and improves overall academic performance too.

Teaching Kids to Code

Now that you know why coding is important. The next question that arises is how does one teach kids to code?

Here is a platform to explore: ‘Scratch’ is a programming language especially designed for kids ages 8-16 but can be used by anyone who wishes to learn to code. It is important to look for a course that takes your kids through step-by-step guidance on coding, just like the process of coding itself. Good online coding courses don’t only teach kids to code, but let them realize all the above-mentioned benefits also.

Learning to Code

You can teach kids to code from the comfort of your home with this engaging course where they’ll enjoy learning by doing, attend live tutoring sessions, keep a check on their progress with fun quizzes and assignments, all of which will provide them a better understanding of the concepts. Introduction to Programming is STEMpedia’s newly launched programming course with Scratch coding for kids at its core. It has been designed keeping in mind the current time, to make your kid’s time at home worthwhile. Besides, the course also makes kids realize their responsibility towards the pandemic crisis through a COVID-19 themed challenge at the end. The course works on PictoBlox, an easy and fun programming language based on Scratch. All in all, Introduction to Programming proves to be one of the best online coding courses for kids.

Conclusion

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