Skip to main content

How to Get Kids Started with Coding

By Berit Thorkelson from 

Your child may already be learning the basics of coding in school or an after-school program, but here's how to help her hone her skills at home.
Learning the language that computers speak can seem like a steep technical challenge for an adult, let alone an elementary-school kid. But learning to code is the kind of parent-approved “gaming” kids need more of: It builds problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and it’s creative too. “Computers are changing every field. Having a basic understanding of how this stuff works is just as important as learning math,” says Hadi Partovi, the tech entrepreneur behind Hour of Code and code.org.

The Basics

Many experts recommend that kids begin with visual block-based coding, in which they use a mouse or a finger to “drag and drop” blocks of language on a computer or a tablet screen. Following commands that appear in each block, such as “move 10 steps” and “repeat 4 times,” programs the computer to create basic game components, animations, and more. The nonprofit website code.org is a great place to start, says Lindsey Handley, Ph.D., cofounder of ThoughtSTEM, a San Diego–based EdTech startup. Its free Code Studio program has hundreds of block-based courses and activities to choose from. For instance, kids can make their own Star Wars game and program Elsa from Frozen to design snowflake art. The website also has information for parents on the importance of computer programming and a search function to find local in- and out- of-school coding programs. 

More Creative

If your child likes options, two of the most popular block-based coding websites, Scratch (free) and Tynker ($8 monthly), offer hundreds of activities. Scratch’s huge user  library lets you browse for games that match your child’s interests. “If  he’s really into dogs, for example, he can create a game where the dog collects bones or an app designed to teach people how to care for dogs,” Dr. Handley says. Tynker offers daily missions and 18 self-guided programming courses. Your child can even move on to programming drones or robots.

Graduating to Text

You’ve probably heard of JavaScript or Python, which are coding languages that programmers use to instruct computers what to do. Rather than dragging and dropping blocks, they use commands with typed text. If you have a Minecraft-obsessed kid at home, try leveraging her passion to help her transition to text-based coding. Dr. Handley’s LearnToMod ($30 annually) hosts hundreds of self-paced coding tutorials, which start with drag-anddrop and transition to text-based coding “modding.” Kids enter a set of commands to create elements such as custom monsters and armor that gives them jumping power. CodaKid ($25 monthly per course) offers text-based coding from the start through mobile-app design and Minecraft modding  with Java. “Minecrafters are willing to learn code because they know  the payout is going to be this awesome way to play in a game they already love,” says David Dodge, CEO of CodaKid, game designer, and software architect.

Tech Subscription

You can also motivate your  child to continue coding with Bitsbox ($30 monthly). This service delivers monthly text-coding boxes via old-school mail. Kids choose one of many cards outlining an app, build that app on the Bitsbox website, and then move it to a tablet or smartphone with a QR code. “Coding is inherently fun, but, like anything, it can be hard to get kids to stick with it,” Dodge says. “Receiving a present in the mail helps."
 Hope this helps!
~Miss Elena



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Children's Book Award Winners!

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: “Last Stop on Market Street ,” written by Matt de la Peña, is the 2016 Newbery Medal winner. Three Newbery Honor Books also were named:   “The War that Saved My Life ,” written by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley  “ Roller Girl,” written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson Readers  “ Echo,” written by Pam Muñoz Ryan Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: “Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear,” illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner. Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named:  “ Trombone Shorty,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Troy Andrews “ Waiting,” illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes  “ Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement ,” illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Carole Boston Weatherford  “ Last Stop on Marke...

What is Kiddle? A safe search engine for kids!

How is Kiddle designed specifically for kids? 1) Safe search: sites appearing in Kiddle search results satisfy family friendly requirements, as they filter sites with explicit or deceptive content. 2) Kids-oriented results: the boxes below illustrate how Kiddle returns results for each query (in the order shown): Safe sites and pages written specifically for kids. Handpicked and checked by Kiddle editors. Typically, results 1-3.   Safe, trusted sites that are not written specifically for kids, but have content written in a simple way, easy for kids to understand. Handpicked and checked by Kiddle editors. Typically, results 4-7.   Safe, famous sites that are written for adults, providing expert content, but are harder for kids to understand. Filtered by Google safe search. Typically, results 8 onwards. 2) Big thumbnails: most Kiddle search results are illustrated with big thumbnails, which makes it easier to scan the results, differentiate between them...

Poll Reveals All-Time Best Board Books

An online poll of readers produced the 100 best board books according to School Library Journal. You can find them all at the following address: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2018/03/28/announcing-the-top-100-board-books-poll/ Here are the very best of the best, a Top 10 of titles that are likely very familiar to every parent, educator, and child. 10. Moo, baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton 9.    The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton 8.    The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats 7.    Freight Train by Donald Crews 6.    Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann 5.    Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell 4.    Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See ? by Bill Martin, Jr. 3.    Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton 2.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 1.  Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown We have copies of all these titles, located in the Children's Playroom. My favorite is Good Night ...