Learning how to code at an early age comes with a myriad of benefits that stretch beyond the obvious lucrative job opportunities. While the STEM field is growing at an astronomical rate, so is the appeal of learning how to code for interpersonal and collective development. If you’re considering enrolling your kid into a coding course or finding computer coding classes near me, rest assured the lessons learned can be applied beyond the screen and to the real world.
The 10 Benefits of Learning to Code As a Kid Go Beyond the Keyboard
You can never be too young to learn something new, and this steadily applies to Online Coding Classes For Kids. Kids as young as five are immersing themselves in summer courses and boot camps to learn how to code in a fun and interactive setting. Popular applications like Scratch, for example, offer young geniuses the ability to understand coding from a conceptual level before adding to their repertoire of skill sets later on. Whether your kid’s got their sights set on a career in coding or are in need of more educational fulfillment for their technological intake, finding computer coding classes near me at a young age covers skill sets that go beyond the computer while applying to real-world scenarios.
Get an inside look at how their favorite games and apps are created
With tablets and devices at the tip of our fingers, it’s only natural young minds gravitate to motion graphics and games online. From applications like Minecraft and Scratch, kids are investing valuable time into these segments while getting to create worlds of their own design. Learning how to code offers your child a behind-the-scenes look at how their favorite games are made while inspiring them to create their own.
Learn one of the fastest-growing languages worldwide
Language and communication are the invisible building blocks of a materialized creation, and without them, society wouldn’t be where it is today. Since our computers are an extension of a world we built, understanding this quickly growing language is akin to the importance of learning a spoken language in school. Developing fluency in coding terminology and commands at a young age, can open many doors of opportunity as each year progresses.
Form a healthy relationship with technology consumption and creation
Time flies when you’re having fun. Add a screen with an immersive world, and hours can pass without the blink of an eye. Learning how to code at a young age helps break up leisure and productivity through a constructive approach. Rather than being consumed by overstimulation, children can create through discipline and dedication. This is an important factor to consider as too much stimulation can lead to anxiety and behavioral disorders. As with anything in life, modesty is the key.
Enrich problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Kids learning to code also understand how to solve problems through critical thinking. In programming, take Python, for example, students get to create fun games while learning functions and variables to build on. These underlying benefits allow students to identify problems, develop supporting algorithms, and implement their approach to various programs. Since computers are inanimate objects that often require patience from the humanity behind them, learning how to code offers a skill set that applies to both virtual and physical forefronts
Boost creativity and story-telling techniques
Alongside the development of problem-solving and critical-thinking strengths, the input and output variation of coding instructions also allows your kid to hone their creative expression and story-telling techniques. Whether it appears like it or not, the basics of STEM are founded upon creativity and lies beneath every program and application. For example, learning through courses like Scratch offers a fun approach to storytelling through concepts like events, loops, and variables to bring a vision to fruition.
Develop overall STEM knowledge
STEM education covers all things science, technology, engineering and mathematics and is quickly being implemented in schools for educational integration as our world advances on the virtual forefront. The skills developed transfer to real-life application through a combination of these topics, and one of the most supportive ways to integrate STEM principles is through coding camp for kids. Coding touches on these facets while encouraging real-world application which is at the forefront of any opportunity in the STEM field.
Increase career development
The world needs skilled and proficient programmers now, more than ever, and this demand will only continue to grow. Whether your kid is interested in programming at the professional level or not, enrolling in computer coding classes near me offers an arsenal of coding literacy that is pivotal to advancing in any career where technology is utilized. Just as coding is another language, employers hold technological literacy to a high value which can be the difference between standing out in a sea of job applicants or starting at a higher salary, for example.
Build and nourish professional relationships
At the same time, as young coders position themselves at the front of the job market, they are also building relationships with STEM professionals, instructors, and future colleagues. The pool of a growing network can open internship opportunities down the road along with a diverse book of references no matter what field your child dreams to embark toward.
Succeed through failure
As the old adage goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try again.” This just so happens to be the rule in coding. Not every loop or command created will lead to the desired result in game design or programming, and that’s the whole point! In the physical world, we learn to walk by first crawling and falling a few times before standing up to try again. The more times a student fails in a coding assignment, the more quickly they can pick themselves up, look through the lens of STEM problem-solving and create a set of instructions that will take their creation to the next level.
Grow resilience and perseverance
At this point, after overcoming learning curves and succeeding through failure, your child will have developed an unbeatable amount of resilience through a perseverance mentality. If the sum of a function is set to equal a certain amount, then only through diligent practice will their coding muscle will grow. Everything they learn to apply in their programs becomes a reflection of how temperament and open-minded your child will grow to be in all facets of life.
The best part of learning to code is its benefits are universal.
Just with any extracurricular or hobby, the benefits of kids learning to code create a foundational ground that pours into their education, self-perspective and interpersonal relationships. While creating interactive games and finishing complex web designs are phenomenal feats on their own, here at Code Galaxy we value the after-hour investments that become evident as your kid applies these STEM skills to real-life applications.