Michelle started First Code Academy, a coding school for children aged six years and up, to prepare them for a world dominated by computer technology. She believes that as digital natives, kids need to be fluent in the language of code in order to succeed in life. She shares her tips on how to help children pick up this increasingly relevant skill.
Michelle started First Code Academy, a coding school for children aged six years and up, to prepare them for a world dominated by computer technology. She believes that as digital natives, kids need to be fluent in the language of code in order to succeed in life. She shares her tips on how to help children pick up this increasingly relevant skill.
Get your kids excited about coding early.
Children are born to explore and coding simply presents a way for them to play. Think of how kids use their imagination to make things out of Play-doh or with Lego bricks. They can do the same thing with code, whether a child is a “science brain” or an “art brain”.
Starting early helps integrate the thinking process into everyday life and allows for computer science to make an impression, so they can gain a sense of competence early on, rather than being intimidated by it.
Teach them to code without a computer.
You don’t need sophisticated software to learn computational thinking. Code.org is a non-profit organisation that provides a wide range of free resources that parents can download to teach kids computer science, including a list of unplugged activities that require only writing materials.
Attempt the lesson plans on the site with your child. For example, one lesson teaches your child what an algorithm is: a list of steps needed to reach a target. The worksheet provided shows a grid of squares. One square is marked as the starting point and a few other squares are shaded black. On a blank grid, your child must replicate the pattern, by drawing a series of arrows and commands to direct you from the starting point to the correct squares to shade.
Keep an open mind.
Coding is an essential life skill for your kids. Whether your child wants to be a fashion designer or a chef, technology is set to permeate all industries – think smart fabric and molecular gastronomy. So keep an open mind and make an effort to understand your child’s world.
FOUR BENEFITS OF CODING
1 Self-expression A vital tool, especially as kids’ social interactions take place mostly on a digital platform.
2 Logic Kids need to dissect and analyse complex problems and come up with elegant solutions.
3 Creativity Once a child has learnt the basics of coding, they can use it to build innovative solutions. For example, a student at First Code Academy designed an app to curate memorabilia that his family members had collected over the years.
4 Teamwork Working on programming projects with other kids provides many opportunities for nurturing social skills, sharing knowledge and cooperation.
