Why Every Kid Should Learn How to Code
By: Fábio Neves
Tags: Data Science, Programming, Self Improvement, Education, Computer Science

Tools for the future

In fact, I believe everyone should learn how to code. But instead of trying to convince you to learn it, I will focus on how children — yours or someone else’s— can benefit tremendously from learning a programming language at a young age. I will also argue why it is the obvious thing to do, in a world where data will keep growing exponentially.

I wanted to write this article for some time. Programming was not part of my curriculum in high school, and I also did not graduate in Computer Science. I was not fully aware at the time, but it turned out that I really enjoy coding and the problem-solving mindset it requires.

There were a few signs I did not pick up then, like the ridiculous amount of time I spent programming text-based games for my Casio calculator, or the hours spent looking for VBA snippets online to add a crazy functionality to my dashboards at work!

From an unnecessary philosophical standpoint, we should want our children to be prepared for the future, right?!

If we can agree that computers are here to stay, why not give it a try and see what our kids can do with a few games and puzzles designed to teach them how to communicate in computer language? What’s the worst that can happen?

Spoiler alert: this article is not a moralist perspective on good parenting!

Even if you are not a computer person

It’s not just kids who benefit from learning how to code. Please put aside your “this computer gibberish isn’t for me” mentality for a minute — just in case it suddenly showed up! For a non-tech person, this understandable initial reaction is always the perfect excuse to immediately dismiss the subject.

And no, you don’t even need to be good at calculus or have a PhD in Computer Science if you want to try it and decide for yourself.

Just another Polish webmaster?

You don’t even need to know anything about coding. After all, I’ll be discussing the benefits of learning how to do it! And that is not exclusive to children. Enter the authoritative/boring but necessary scientific research to back me up:

A 1991 study found that students with computer programming experience scored higher on cognitive ability tests than students without.

on cognitive ability tests than students without. If you agree that coding stimulates the brain, a study in 2009 suggests that “people who engage in brain-stimulating activities in later years can reduce their risk [and even delay the onset of] Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia ”.

[and even delay the onset of] and other types of ”. In a very interesting 2014 study, researchers suggested that programmers mainly use their language processing regions of the brain when going through some code snippets. It was surprising that there was little activation in regions of the brain associated with mathematical thinking.

regions of the brain when going through some code snippets. It was surprising that there was little activation in regions of the brain associated with mathematical thinking. To further prove this last point, in March 2020 a study found that scores from language aptitude tests were the strongest predictors of participants’ learning rate in Python.

And then there are more practical reasons to learn how to code:

The demand for people with some degree of computer science knowledge, or even some hybrid profiles, will only increase in the next years.

Roles like software developers, data scientists, or even network engineers, are still paid well above the average.

In the end, even if your kids don’t go into a computer science field, it will give them an edge in virtually every modern industry.

What’s in a kid’s brain?

Now that we cleared that out of the way, and we all agree that learning how to code is great for anybody, let me show you why learning it at a young age is even better.

If we break it down, “coding” is simply assigning a computer a task to do, based on the logical guidelines you give beforehand. More complex tasks are essentially a set of smaller subtasks.

This logical approach to problem-solving is a great tool for figuring out problems beyond a simple coding challenge.

We all hear at some point that child’s brains are more plastic, in the sense that they adapt and assimilate things quickly. Ever wondered the reason why typically parents want their kids to learn a foreign language, or learn a musical instrument as soon as possible? Now you know!

If you remember the 2014 study mentioned above, one can even argue that coding and learning a foreign language stimulate similar areas of the brain. The point I am trying to make is simple: building those early circuits through coding challenges, improves the natural tendency for language and logic, and provides a larger platform for future knowledge to grow.

TLDR: It’s never too late to benefit from learning to code, much like learning another language, but those who start as young children have a massive advantage.

Different kids, different skills

Before I share with you some resources I found interesting, it is crucial to understand that not every kid will like coding. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Some are already reading and writing fluently well before others. For them, learning to program will likely be easier.

Some children have basic analytical skills earlier than others, so you have to remember that if it does not “take” when you first try. Just wait a few months and try again. Maybe use a different game or a new approach to it.

Once they understand the basics, there will be several paths to explore.

I wouldn’t bother too much looking at programming languages like Java or Python. At least not before understanding the logic behind programming first. Once you learn one language, you will be able to learn others faster, so that’s an advantage too.

“You win. Where can I start?”

Glad you asked.

I did some research and there are a lot of options out there for teaching children how to code. From simple web-based games to boxes full of toys and puzzles that teach kids the basics of logic and programming. It wasn’t easy but I selected some that I already knew, and a few others that looked so good I just had to try them!

Here’s a brief overview of each one, based on the kind of approach you may wish to explore:

The “blocks” approach

Tynker uses visual blocks of code, much like concepts of Scratch (see below), to teach kids the concepts of programming. In the courses, kids watch videos, work through programming tutorials, take quizzes to check for understanding and work on their own programs.

It’s usually on top of every recommended websites for kids programming classes!

Scratch is a free, downloadable application that lets users combine graphics, photos, music, and sound to create simple interactive animations, games, and slide shows.

To be fair, the reviews are mixed on this one, but it has been around for a while, and the fact that it was developed by MIT, played a part in me keeping it here. Users create scripts by dragging and dropping blocks that snap together like puzzle pieces. They can then post their creations on the Scratch site, where others can view and download them.

The hands-on approach

For those who need a hands-on approach, Bitsbox seems to do the trick. It requires absolutely no coding experience, works for 6 to 12 year olds, and has multiple pricing plans.

The best part about this platform is that every month you receive a set of coding projects with multiple levels of complexity. Each project teaches a different computer science concept, such as loops, conditionals, or operators. After picking a project, the code can be found on Bitsbox website. Then, they’re free to customize it and make it their own. I dare you not to have some fun while you’re at it.

When they finish the job, you can have their app downloaded to your phone.

Robot Turtles was released as a board game on Kickstarter in 2014 and is still the highest selling board game on the platform. It’s a game with a board, cards, and a few types of tiles that can be played by a group of up to five players.

It may seem weird that a board game can teach how to program, but there’s a catch here. The game was created by a professional software developer and a father of young twins. Robot Turtles aims to introduce programming concepts in a way that even a four-year-old can comprehend. If you don’t believe me, watch the video below!

The gamified approach

The examples above were quite simple and basic. But if you are thinking of getting serious about coding, you might enjoy playing some games. See what I did there?

CodeCombat was quite a surprise for me. It really felt like I was playing a game and building up my character while solving coding challenges and earning shining diamonds.

Some exercises are very basic, but going through all the levels and challenges of increasing difficulty, CodeCombat teaches programming languages for kids of all ages. Depending on the goal you choose, you can master HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and others. Since 2013, the game has had over five million players, almost half a thousand contributors, and been translated into fifty languages.

And from the same creators of CodeCombat, feel free to check Ozaria as well. I was really impressed with what I saw on their website, but it definitely feels similar to CodeCombat. I think it looks more oriented towards proper computer science training, but the visuals are quite impressive. Check their video below!

And one last game that also showed up regularly during my research. It’s a good option for kids over 8/9 years of ages. CodeMonkey received several awards, one of them for Best Educational Online/Digital Program for Kids. In the game, you help a little monkey collect bananas by completing various tasks. It sounds very simple, but there is no shortage of challenges here! CodeMonkey can be used to teach CoffeeScript and Python, which is definitely a plus.

The “certified” way

All of the options above are useful to jumpstart your motivation. But when the games start falling short of your kid’s expectations, it may be time to try a course from one of the best educational platforms I’ve used.

Khan Academy is quite good. It is used by students in the American education system and has a wide variety of courses for an equally broad age range. It covers not only Science and Maths courses, but also Art History, Economics, Personal Finance, and many more.

I have used it a while ago for HTML, some Calculus and Linear Algebra. I strongly recommend you give it a go if decide you want to have a certification for all your dedication to learning how to code.

For all this, I could not leave Khan Academy out of this list. Visit their website, or check out this video and decide for yourself if seem to know what they’re talking about!