Kids and coding go together even better than peanut butter and jelly. And, if your kids are like many, they have participated, at least briefly, in activities at school that expose them to coding. Hour of Code events are being held in schools all over the world. But, is it enough? According to a Gallup research study, Searching for Computer Science: Access and Barriers in K-12 Education, 90 percent of parents want their kids to learn computer science, but only 25 percent of schools have programs to teach it. What is so important about learning to code at a young age?
- Young minds readily pick up simple coding languages. It’s another form of literacy.
- The problem-solving skills learned through coding can transfer to all other curriculum areas. Similar to music education, a coding education can help kids become better learners.
- Kids learn to think as inventors and innovators at an early age.
- Children who have fun learning to code are likely to develop a love for learning in general and be more creative.
- Kiddos show a natural curiosity in the computers and games that are most likely already a part of their lives. What better opportunity to help them understand and appreciate the tools they are already using!
According to Howard Tullman, CEO of 1871 in Chicago, an entrepreneurial hub for digital start-ups, “The real value of learning to code isn’t in the mastery of the tools; it’s in the internalization of the methods, the analysis, and the critical thought processes…” It’s important to note that coding also is likely to remain a sought-after skill for decades to come.
So, regardless of whether your kids learn a program in childhood that they’ll continue to use into a career (unlikely considering the ever-changing landscape of technology), it’s more about the problem-solving skills they acquire and how they’re able to apply them.