The fast-paced world of technology changes so rapidly that nobody can predict what it’ll look like tomorrow. However, enrolling your kids in an online coding program is the surest way to prepare them for whatever tomorrow holds. Let’s check out what the best online coding courses for kids have in common, so you can better identify the right program for your child.
Video Games is the Backbone
I’ve you’ve ever had to forcefully remove your child from their video games, you know that gaming has a strong hold on kids. With the level of technical sophistication and story writing, millions of adults today love video games too!
Look for a program that uses video games to frame the coding lessons in two important ways. First, the lessons should teach them how to create a game they can play afterwards with friends and family. But the lessons themselves should have gamification concepts built-in, so the same forces that keep children drawn to playing video games help keep them focused on learning.
Coding Languages That Count
Learning STEM skills is crucial, but the benefits of coding for kids are really felt when they learn the coding languages used to power Apps like Netflix or games like Minecraft. Avoid programs that rely on drag-and-drop programs like Scratch, which professionals don’t use.
Instead, enroll your child in a program that teaches one of these coding languages:
- Python
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#
- C++
Children will learn crucial indirect STEM skills that will set them up for careers in various industries. Still, it’s even better when they also focus directly on the coding languages that power today’s most popular apps, websites, and video games.
Small Classrooms Work Best
Kids need to be in a supportive environment when they’re learning, especially when the subject matter is new and complicated, like computer programming. The best online coding courses have a maximum of four students per teacher, so your child won’t have to compete with their peers for their teacher’s attention.
When sessions are calm and free of disruptions, your child will have the best chance possible to learn.
Young Teachers
Preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s technology is like a baton pass. Ideally, your child’s teacher should be someone with recent experience learning coding in school and applying and working in STEM-related jobs. It’s difficult for a teacher who grew up in an era before cell phones to relate to kids today. Your child will be able to pick their brain about what coding is like in high school and beyond and what the job market is like.
Young teachers also tend to be more fun and relatable, and joy is something all kids can surely use right now.
Kids today need to learn fundamental computer skills if technology is going to keep evolving into the future. Look for a program with all the above features to ensure your child has fun absorbing the skills they’ll need to build tomorrow’s technology.
