Coding has been a part of the curriculum for some while now. Children are introduced to code from as early as key stage one in their computing lessons where they are taught the basics. It allows them to understand technology and how the world around them works much better and provides them with the digital skills that are becoming increasingly important in industry. Aside from the benefit of actually being able to code, children can take away valuable transferable skills from their lessons such as problem-solving and creative thinking skills. This post is in collaboration with a junior school in Leicestershire and shares more on these benefits for children.
The Benefits of Coding Lessons for Children:
- Problem Solving: Coding lessons allow children to have early encounters with technology and experience the problems that can arise. It encourages them to think of solutions that can help them to become more creative and strategic in their thinking.
- Patience and Resilience: Running into these sorts of obstacles can also be a good thing as it trains children to have patience and resilience as opposed to giving up.
- Skills for The Future: The future is AI and more of our everyday lives are becoming programmable. Learning how to code can set your child up for success as they will be able to understand the technology and know how to make it work for them. Skills are also high in demand, and it is believed that by the year 2030, 75% of jobs will require advanced digital skills.
- Coding Can Be Fun: Coding lessons give children the chance to learn something new, experiment and create something of their own.
- Self Esteem: Like with anything, coding will take time and practice for your child to master. As they do, they will see themselves improve which will boost their confidence and self-esteem.
- Exploring Their Passions: Coding can be a great way for your child to explore their true passions and interests. They can use what they’ve learned in class to work on projects outside of school, e.g., they can create their own website or app.
- Understanding Abstract Principles: Coding isn’t easy by any means. It requires children to think differently from how they’re used to and visualise abstract ideas, similar to how they do in maths. This can strengthen their thinking skills and help them excel in similar subjects involving maths and logic.
How to Support Your Child with Their Learning:
As it’s a new part of the curriculum, it’s understandable for parents to be unsure on how to support their children with coding. There are plenty of great materials available online, such as interactive coding games for children that introduce the themes and give them the chance to implement what they’ve learned.
This post complies with my Disclosure Policy
Found this useful wondering how you can show me your appreciation? Well, there are some ways you can say thanks and support my website: ➡