Kids Can Learn to Code as Early as First Grade

programming for kids

You wouldn’t be the first parent who got your kids to quiet down by handing them a tablet or a mobile game when they were growing up. If you’re now trying desperately to curtail their video game consumption, maybe you should consider embracing their interest in digital entertainment instead.

There are coding classes for kids that can start as early as age 7, around the same time that they’re in first grade or starting second. From the very early stages of their elementary school years, they can start learning the basics of coding, and there are some great reasons why you should.

Kids Learn the Language of Coding

Coding languages are a lot like spoken languages. They have a logic, vocabulary, and grammar that children’s minds are adept at picking up. Their brains are better at acquiring structures, and when they’re introduced to the basic problem solving tasks of coding, they gain an advantage for life.

Afterschool programming courses like Real Programming for Kids offer courses for ages ranging from 7 to 17. Beginner courses for young kids start with simple teaching tools that use blocks of code as puzzles. Students are given a problem and can solve it by drag-and-dropping blocks into place. It’s a great introduction to the logic of coding.

As kids get older and learn these basics, they can get into real coding, learning the languages professional video game developers use today, such as Java, JavaScript, C#, and C++. When you send your kids to Real Programming 4 Kids, they learn skills they can take to make their own games, and so much more.

Why Your Kids Should Learn to Code Early

 

#1 Problem Solving

 

Coding is all about problem solving. From the beginner level onward, it’s about developing an appreciation for how things work and using math creatively to solve problems.

 

#2 Learning Resilience

 

When the answer to a problem isn’t immediately obvious, children can feel challenged, frustrated, and may even give up. But getting through those moments are exactly how we learn. Learning how to code is all about staying resilient in the face of a challenge – and appreciating the satisfaction the comes with figuring out the problem.

 

#3 Collaboration

 

Coding classes for kids are also a collaborative environment where kids share their breakthroughs, brainstorm how to solve tricky problems, and get creative with their solutions.

 

#4 Learning How Technology Works

 

Computers, smartphones, tablets, games, apps – they take up more and more of our time every day, but how many people actually understand how they work? Coding courses for kids will give them an early appreciation for how technology actually works. The interface you see on your screen all comes from code.

 

#5 They Learn Math

 

Math is at the heart of code and it’s at the heart of video games. Coding helps kids learn how math problems directly relate to what they see on screen. Every coding lesson is a math lesson in disguise.

Kids can start coding earlier than you think. Give them an edge and sign up today!