Programming is a popular profession today that many adults have devoted themselves to studying. They take various courses and end up becoming developers. Is it possible to learn how to program a child? And is it worth doing this or is it better to wait until the age when children go to college and decide on their future profession themselves? In this article, we'll look at these issues, as well as how to choose the right programming courses for your child.
At what age can you start learning to develop?
The opinions of not only teachers but also pundits differ here. Some people think it's worth starting in high school. There are opinions that it is possible to teach children development from the first days of school. However, this is not the limit either. It is possible to learn programming even from an earlier age. For example, Kodable co-founder Grechen Huebner believes that you can start at the age of two. However, not every child at this age can be interested in a computer game. Therefore, it is worth taking the first steps at the age of 4-5.
Naturally, no one will start teaching a child at this age Python programming, Java or JavaScript. The main task is to instill interest. It is extremely difficult to do this by writing code. At this age, games are the best perceived, because they will allow you to:
- Get used to studying a computer or mobile device faster.
- To train logical thinking, which even adult programmers train.
- Learn the basics of programming at the level of creating a sequence of actions.
Many parents are extremely negative about computer games. But it is necessary to draw a clear line between the abundance of different shooters that really teach nothing but violence and games whose main goal is child development.
An example is a software product such as Bee-bot. This game is only available on iOS. Here the child will help the bee go through the maze. Naturally, by programming its actions. The game is designed for children from 4 years old.
In addition to Bee-bot, you can play Lightbot Jr. This game is also designed for young novice programmers. Here, the child will control the robot's actions and program its steps to achieve goals.
Is it possible to learn programming by yourself
If we are talking about an adult, yes, you can. Moreover, there are plenty of life examples when self-taught programmers quickly grew up the career ladder in IT companies. As for children, things are more complicated here. If parents are developers themselves, this makes things a little easier, but if not, learning programming on their own becomes almost impossible for children.
Yes, there are plenty of books and games out there. But the child, as well as his parent (especially if he is not involved in programming), will have numerous questions. And there will be no one to answer them. Therefore, the best option for the little ones is to start the courses, and only then the parents will be able to make their own decisions whether to continue learning from experienced masters or try to work with the child on their own.
What to look for when choosing courses for children
Now let's look at what to look for when choosing programming courses for children. In this service sector, the offer is quite extensive, so it will be difficult to decide. We offer several important criteria that you should pay attention to first.
Professionalism of teachers
Teachers in programming courses for children should not only be able to program, but also have pedagogical skills. No matter how great a developer is, if he doesn't find an approach to children, he won't be able to pass on knowledge to them. And this is the ultimate goal of education for a child — to gain skills and abilities.
Teaching methods
Before giving preference to one or the other programming courses for kids, it is necessary to pay attention to the program. The ideal option is to have several programs for different ages. At the same time, all courses must be updated from time to time to meet modern realities.
When it comes to young children, the program must correspond to their level of development. Usually, solutions such as Scratch are offered for babies. Learning the basics of programming is easiest in a playful way. To do this, some courses choose Minecraft. It is understandable and familiar to most children and allows the child to show imagination and find innovative solutions.
Organizational aspects
Before enrolling your child in certain courses, it is recommended to specify how classes will take place and how many children are studying on-stream. The ideal option is individual classes or in small groups. In this case, the teacher will be able to pay maximum attention to the child.
It is also recommended to inquire about the equipment of the rooms where classes will take place. If it's online courses, learn and try out the software that will host classes.
Course duration
High-quality training cannot last several weeks. These courses are usually designed for several months or even years. The programs are designed in such a way that the child can not only get acquainted with new material, but also consolidate it with the teacher.
testimonials
The children themselves are unlikely to leave feedback, but parents' opinions speak volumes about whether to sign up for certain courses or not. Moreover, in the comments you can learn about everything, including organizational issues.
In addition, some schools offer trial classes. Do not neglect this opportunity. You will be able to meet the teacher and evaluate the course environment “live”.
What do these courses give to children
Before concluding this article, let's look at what such educational programs give a child, in addition to the fact that he will begin to learn one of the most popular and highly paid professions of our time:
- Development of mathematical, logical and algorithmic thinking. The child will learn to plan actions, correctly determine their order, and perform simple mathematical calculations.
- Developing skills to find innovative solutions. This is a very useful skill in our world, where such approaches often lead to outstanding results.
- It will help increase concentration and perseverance.
- The child will learn to independently search for and analyze information.
