What are the benefits of coding courses?
We live in a digital world. The importance of coding for children is beyond our imagination! Children today will become creators of technology tomorrow. Other than just coding literacy, children will develop skills such as critical thinking, cognitive thinking and many other life skills which will help them in their future careers. Coding builds a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Coding for school children is important because it is one of the most in-demand skills in the current generation. The increasingly digitalized world makes it necessary for children to have coding literacy to join the future workforce. Children learn relevant and competitive skills whilst developing a problem-solving mindset from an early age.
Technology awaits invention. The enriching learning experiences and knowledge shall empower the next generation of computer coders and makers of the future.
When once it was a skill that only the highly technical could accomplish, today it is a competency that can be learnt by all and brings with it a wealth of personal and academic benefits.
1: Confidence building
Most of us don’t know the first thing about what makes our laptops, smartphone or video games tick. But by giving our children a technological based education we can give them the confidence to head out into the workplace feeling well equipped.
Simply by learning the basics of coding can fundamentally change the way in which our children interact with technology. Coding empowers children to not only consume digital media and technology, but to create it.
2: Logical rationalization
Most children, when equipped with the knowledge and know-how, have the abilities to master computer coding.
Computer coding involves using the more rational (left-hand) side of your brain, which is used for linear thinking, sequencing and applying logic to most situations. Children, however, predominantly use the right-hand side of their brain in order to solve problems through imagination, visualization and intuition.
In order to program a computer, you need to be able to relay a structured set of instructions and break down problems in a methodical way. Therefore, coding teaches and inspires children to view the world differently.
3: Exploring creativity
Although computer coding sounds technical, it does require creativity, and is a lot of fun.
If children know how to code, then they can develop apps, video games, websites and more, as they watch their coding come to life.
At the end of Boot camps or online live courses your child will be able to bring their own game home that they have developed.
4: Storytelling skills
Coding always has a set beginning, progressive middle and definitive end – just like telling a story. It has its own language where every letter in the alphabet has a special formula.
This thought process has been known to also help children in other aspects of their learning, such as creative writing and oral communication.
5: The art of persistence
By experimenting, children can foster their talents and learn through their mistakes.
Coding is complex, challenging and can be incredibly frustrating but it can also teach us from a young age, how to solve problems and look for solutions.
6: Career opportunities
Most jobs require computer literacy, whether it is office administration, marketing or technical, they all require computing competencies.
Competition in the job market is high and in order to stand out from the crowd your child needs to possess skills over and above those of their fellow peers. Coding is now becoming a vital skillset as the world continues to evolve based on a digital future.
7: Robots will rule the world
Today the world is changing faster than we can keep up. Websites, applications and tools are being built to make our lives simpler and perform the most mundane of tasks.
From switching on lights to answering the door and even driving our cars we communicate with machines on a daily basis.
Machines rely on code in order to perform and therefore in order to prepare our kids for a highly automated future, it is imperative that they understand the basics of code. Give it a few years, and coding will become as essential to our daily lives as human language is today.
Putting computer coding back on the curriculum
Computing is a compulsory subject on the national curriculum, but it is often only taught in its most basic form.
This is mainly due to the lack of skilled staff who are simply unable to keep up with technological advancements or budgetary restraints placed on schools in terms of equipment.
Our children have never known a world without digital devices in it. Surrounded by smart technology it makes sense that our children should be taught how to manipulate code alongside mandatory subjects such as English and Mathematics in their early years and not have to wait until it becomes an option to learn.
You child could be a potential keyboard wizard, robotics engineer, 3D video game designer or an python coding master, just waiting to be discovered!