Parents that make the sacrifices to stay at home and homeschool their children are always looking for ways to bring out the genius of their tiny humans. It is natural in a world that is dominated by technology to consider teaching them how to code or use programming languages. It’s good to know that coding with kids is now accessible for most of us. It’s a way for our kids to learn that programming is fun.
Teaching coding is not just an excellent educational opportunity for them. It is also a way to start teaching them about practical applications they can use in a future career.
Teaching children to code gives them just one more tool in the toolbox and more options when it comes to the better life that you want for them. Add programming languages to their daily agenda, such as coding for preschoolers, and see how you can unlock your child’s potential.
Learn more about the benefits of teaching children to code, and tools you can get started on with them right away.
Help Kids Understand What Coding Is
When you decide to show your kids programming languages and coding, they may first wrinkle their noses with a face that says, that sounds like too much work for me. Teaching kids to code may seem overwhelming at first, but they might not if you position it right.
With proper guidance, your kids will enjoy this new lesson. Help them understand what coding is by defining it in a way that illustrates how important it is to the world.
Show them that you can build and develop websites, manage the home network, and build fundamentals that help to change the world. You can get excited and inspired by this by taking some programming or coding courses for yourself.
Show them what you are learning and how you can use that in the real world to bring true benefits into your life. When kids understand what coding is and what it can do for them, they are more likely to be open to the idea of learning it for themselves. And they love being on the computer for learning, so don’t be afraid to get them on it to show them what it does and what it is for.
Show Them Programming Fields in Action
Most kids who will balk at learning coding are doing so because it feels boring or they don’t know what it means. Show them real-world applications of what coding and programming can do.
Fields like AI and machine learning are among the most exciting fields in the world today. Show them that.
You can take them on virtual tours to understand how AI and machine learning have brought Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant into the world. Teach a few lessons about Google Maps and how that has changed lives and even saved lives through AI.
You can also help them see how game development for kids works, and surely, they’ll be motivated.
Imagine, who is going to hate a lesson about Netflix and how Netflix recommendations came about? It is not difficult today to make learning about programming fun.
There’s something they would rather connect with right now that has a programming lesson in there somewhere. Platforms such as Create & Learn are exceptional STEM-based platforms that can win over the K-12 crowd.
Make Career Benefits Conversations Kid Friendly
So you want to take your kids further into the big picture with a programming language that goes beyond understanding Netflix recommendations? Who wouldn’t?
Learning how to teach programming to kids will take steps, and the next step after inspiring them with everyday technology is to inspire them to see the picture beyond Facebook friend suggestions.
Show them who Facebook, or any other big tech company, really is. What is the stock looking like? What do the job prospects look like? And what are base salaries and packages looking like?
Make it age and grade-appropriate and show them what coding can do in their lives today and tomorrow. These are big companies doing well because someone wanted to learn to code one day.
Coding With Kids: Platforms Kids Can Start On
When you are teaching kids to code and be inspired by the basics of a programming language, there are a number of tools online that you can get them started on. This allows them to see what coding and programming are about and how diverse the field is. Show them that programming goes beyond Netflix and Facebook and good careers, but that it can be something else entirely that they really enjoy doing.
There are so many platforms and programs available to get them started that will help them to learn they can do something else with their creativity beyond drawing or painting. Show them how to create stories, develop characters, and maybe even make their own film with coding by using tools that make their imagination productive. Here are a few to start with:
- Code.org: Games! Adults can use it too.
- Code Academy: Teach them logic.
- Code Avengers: Match and logic and then Python and more.
Inspire Your Tiny Humans
When you are a stay-at-home parent homeschooling your children, finding ways to get them excited about learning can be a challenge. Take their dreams to the next level with some coding and programming games, logic, and lessons that show them they can do something with this to change their lives.
Coding with kids is another way for us, parents to cultivate our children’s intelligence and skills. Inspire them to create more, and see the bigger picture behind it. It’s a priceless tool they may never use in the real world but will always have in their skill set.