As someone who works in the digital industry, I come across coding every day. So do you. Code is every website's and application's foundation. If you use any type of electronic device daily, you too come across coding every day.

In countries like Estonia, children have been learning coding as part of their national curriculum for several years. In 2014, the UK started making significant progress towards promoting the importance of coding. You might remember The Year of Code Campaign, which included:

  • teacher training: teaching teachers how to code
  • establishing a partnership with the British Computer Society
  • designing a suitable curriculum to teach coding
  • equipping schools with the necessary hardware and facilities
  • a series of planned events such as coding competitions
  • making funds available for these and other learning initiatives

As of September 2014, a brand new computing curriculum debuted in all schools. It focused on teaching kids how to design programmes and the inner workings of a computer. And, of course, how to code. This programme is in stark contrast to the old Information and Communication Technology (ICT) curriculum, which focussed on networking and computer literacy.

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Learning How to Code

UK Engineering Director at Google, Mike Warriner, told the press: “The UK has a proud computing history. But with more and more industries needing computer scientists, coders have never been in more demand. It’s great that teachers will be trained to teach these vital skills. Even children of a young age can start learning how to code and, hopefully, become the next generation of developers and programmers”.

You might think that learners in their first years in school are far too young to grasp the principles and purposes of coding. You only need a brief internet search - type in 'youngest coders' to read about kids coding at the tender age of five. In the US, 12-year-old Samaira Mehta has so wowed the Silicon Valley tech giants that she will practically write her own ticket. As soon as she's old enough to be legally employed, that is.

Meanwhile, Northampton student Kautilya Katariya entered the Guinness Book of Records for being the youngest programmer ever. At just six years old, he completed four IBM certification programs. He clearly made the most productive use of his COVID lockdown time.

By some accounts, the United Kingdom is home to the world's youngest coders. That claim seems a little premature; it neglects young coders like Arham Om Talsania, the six-year-old coding marvel of Gujarat. He's by no means the only gifted young programmer in India.

These isolated examples of coding excellence - from three different continents, underscore young kids' obvious potential for a coding education. Their renown is less of a marvel and more of an expression of the urgent need for fresh talent. Britain aims to spearhead new technological developments. Our economy demands us to be the ideal setting for new tech companies. Training our youths to meet those standards of coding excellence is the only possible way forward.

A dark coloured laptop computer displaying several lines of multicoloured code.
Coding is a series of instructions given to a computer. Photo by Luca Bravo on Unsplash

What is Coding?

Coding can be defined as fluency in reading and writing machine language. Also, coding represents the ability to think a computational manner. Coding can be useful in a host of sectors, including mechanical engineering, biology, physics, archaeology and music. Coding is sometimes referred to as ‘computer programming’. It uses many different languages, each created for different purposes.

In 2012, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Mitch Resnick gave an enlightening speech. He explained why coding is such a valuable skill for kids to learn. He started by saying we shouldn't be fooled by the term 'digital native'. That's a moniker often accorded to younger generations of electronic device users. Just because kids have never known a world without such devices doesn't mean they understand anything about how they work.

Rather, he emphasises, we should aim to make kids truly fluent in the language of computers. We need to teach them how to code. “Children have lots of experience and familiarity in interacting with technology. But they are a lot less capable of creating new technology and expressing themselves using new technology.”

We pause his revealing speech to inform you that he created a website specifically to introduce kids to coding. Scratch is loaded with animated tutorials, design ideas to explore and a 'create' function. That tab allows kids to get started with their designs as soon as they're ready. Scratch also features a guidebook for parents and a downloadable Scratch app for parents who limit their kids' online time. More on Scratch later; for now, back to that speech.

Mr Resnik went on to draw a parallel between using devices with no understanding of their function to traditional education. "It is almost as though children are taught how to read but not to write. However, to survive and excel in the modern world, we all need to write as well as read. When it comes to future generations, they will all need to code."

Coding helps us live life to the fullest in many ways. It enables us, for instance, to make our own computer games and build websites. We can tell animated stories or create interactive artwork. In short, Mitch Resnik contends that parents should help their (probably) talented coder kids reach their full potential.

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Skills Learned Through Coding

Some parents shiver at the thought of their kids sitting in front of a computer all day. They can't abide the idea of no exercise, no friends no... Oh, if only they knew about coding communities! Kids who code have lots of friends, just not the kind that kicks a ball around or ride bikes through the neighbourhood. And they get plenty of exercises, only it's a cerebral type of workout.

The fact is, coding teaches desperately needed skills. And not just in these times, either. Employers have long been clamouring for exactly the personal qualities kids develop while coding. And, of course, the professional skills, also called transferable skills. Just check out all of the traits learned in computer programming courses for beginners.

Design

Coding allows children to dream up a project and break it up into smaller components. It inspires creativity and deep thought, since children have to work out one or more ways (the best way) to give life to their project. It also fuels their imagination. They may have had ideas impossible to realise before. But the binary world makes all visionary things possible.

New Languages

We don't mean languages in the sense of those that people in other nations speak, of course. But the principle is the same. Kids learning languages helps them understand the concept of language better. Specifically, aspects like syntaxes and protocols. Your kids might not be able to put this into words but... Learning how different languages work helps them master their native language's idiosyncrasies.

Systematic Thinking

Coding encourages children to follow a system to get from Point A to Point B. Even if they use Python code blocks to design their latest creation, they have to know which sequence to place those blocks in. This type of thinking helps them hone their organisational skills.

Problem-Solving Skills

For programmers, nothing is more frustrating than writing a program only for it not to work. They have to go back over every line of code, trying to find a misplaced bracket, comma or command. Debugging takes skill and a keen eye. Most of all, solving a programming problem takes patience. It's not uncommon for programmers to get their community involved in their debugging efforts, which leads us to...

Social Interaction

Coding can be a complex undertaking, even with those aforementioned Python blocks. Children benefit from working together to solve an issue or improve the quality of the programme they have designed. This process enables children’s multiple intelligences to shine through. One child may produce a unique solution others had not thought of, owing to his particular means of processing information.

Confidence

Coding is very simple, at first. When the subject is presented in engagingly, as it is on sites such as Scratch, coding kids grow increasingly confident in their own abilities. And, by extension, in themselves. Moreover, when they design a programme that can be useful to others, it can be a fabulous feeling. Indeed, thanks to coding, children are never too young to change the world.

Personal Fulfilment

Coding enriches our personal and professional lives. Not that we all sit down to code but because we all enjoy the benefits of those who code. Where kids are concerned, just imagine how they would feel after creating a programme for a loved one. They may spread joy by creating original interactive artworks as gifts. Or how would you like some personalised cards to send on important occasions?

Teaching your kids how to code is not hard, particularly if you homeschool. You're already in mentor mode, so why not add computer programming to your homeschool curriculum? If you're not a homeschool parent, you can surely find coding camps and hackathons in your area. For the hackathons, you should probably teach your kids a bit of code, first.

A young boy standing in front of a classic arcade game playing Donkey Kong
If your child is obsessed with video games, use that passion to springboard into learning how to code. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Teaching Kids How to Code

You might not know the first thing about coding and that's perfectly fine. You don't have to be a master programmer, you only need to set your sights on learning how to code together. By far, the most important factor in teaching your kids how to code is their desire to learn to code. If they have no interest, this learning experience will be short-lived. So, your first step is to generate interest.

Do they like robots? Introduce the idea that those devices merely execute the series of commands they're encoded with. C++, the lightning-fast programming language that usually drives robotic activity will probably be too complex a language to start off with. But you could always tell them that Python probably drives the graphical user interface (GUI). Python is a great starter language!

What about Minecraft? Do they like to play this Java-run game? Do you? Are they fascinated with artificial intelligence? Here again, Python rules the day. You've likely caught our point by now. Find out if your kids are interested in connecting their favourite things to the code that runs them. Of course, if they express a desire to learn, you won't have to entice them.

Once they're keen on the idea, don't waste a minute getting started! You may present a few instructional videos or, if your kids learn well by reading, you can shop for coding manuals together. They have to gain fundamental knowledge about coding principles before they can write their first line of code.

Here, we have to warn you that sustained enthusiasm is quite different from the initial variety. Nobody absorbs a few instructional videos and walks away a master. The lack of instant results may cause your child to lose interest in learning how to code. So keep the conversation going. Try to build things up to the point where they brag to their friends that they're learning how to build a robot. Or whichever project they have their eye on.

That gives you the time to find programming courses. Depending on where you are, you may have a bevvy of programmers who offer parent-kid programming lessons. Or you may have better luck finding courses online. You might choose a massive online open course (MOOC) or go for private instruction with a coding tutor on a platform like Superprof.

Within your first hour of instruction, you and your coding kid could already write a simple programme. For instance, my first taste of Java was a colourful, animated smiley face. If the awe and thrill I felt at my first successful programme is any indication, you can count on your young coders to supercharge their desire to learn more.

That being the case, those first few lines of code will inevitably lead to much larger projects. Once they have the basics down - and a firm commitment to learning more, you may avail yourself of further resources for them to expand their flair for coding.

Useful Resources

One of the best things about being a parent or teacher is the opportunity the role offers. As a parent (or teacher!), you may look back on how you learnt a host of skills you would never have needed in your daily life. For me, coding is one such experience.

Now, years on, I never even feel like I have to assign my computer programming kids homework. In fact, I think doing so would rather drag them down. And anyway, their enthusiasm always leads them to learn on their own. So, whichever role you fulfil, if you’d like to give a child a head start with coding, try one or more of these top resources.

A child with a Switch in their lap fingering the device's screen.
No need to keep your child from gaming, just direct them to instructional platforms that feature games. Photo by Alvaro Reyes on Unsplash

Scratch

We just cannot say enough about Scratch. This platform makes learning how to code easy; it's a fun and enjoyable experience. Kids think they are just having fun doodling around on it. But they learn programming basics while they complete any of the over five million projects the site lists.

Such coding projects include animations, games, music and dance projects. They may further dabble with, stories, video sensing and more. Scratch is designed for those aged eight to 16. However, younger children may get busy on the Scratch Jr platform. Depending on how advanced your under-eights are, they may use the version intended for older kids if you work alongside them. An older sibling knowledgeable in coding would work, too.

Move the Turtle

This App, made for use with an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, is meant for children aged around 10 and upwards. It introduces them to the basics of coding with the help of an adorable little turtle. Don’t let the cute graphics fool you, though. This game can be quite complex and children need to be very confident with their reading and comprehension. Otherwise, they won't be able to complete each activity.

Mozilla Thimble

This online application, ideal for kids aged around 12, invites children to make their own webpage and modify existing webpage projects. Kids need a Mozilla account to log in, though the latter is free and all that is required is an email. Kids can publish their completed projects online and see what other budding coders are up to as well.

Kodable Pro

This iPad App is ideal for children as young as six since it introduces them to the basics of logic and coding in an easy, fun way. The App provides a ‘Guided Access’ option for parents, so they can make sure that children complete one task before jumping on to the next one. Written lesson plans are also provided.

I hope that you have found this blog post useful. We realise that, with this article, we're promoting a Montessori-type approach to learning. But hands-on is often kids' ideal way to learn. And, quite frankly, coding is nothing but an intellectual workout with hands involved. Still, if you have any tips on how to teach children to learn to code, please feel free to share them with us below.

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Imogen

I'm an active energetic person. I enjoy long-distance running and have taken part in many organised events including the 2016 Prague Marathon. I'm a keen skier and love open-water swimming, when the weather is right!