Coding is the Foundation of Digital Education for Kids

Schools' curriculums and education systems are focusing on teaching kids the basics of computers at school. Many teachers are introducing their students to the world of coding and here’s how you can do it to your kids:

In Toronto, kids are learning the basics of programming with the help of the popular video game, Mario Kart. The kids are taught visual basic, which is a programming language developed by Microsoft. All of this is being organized and maintained by Real Programming 4 Kids.

Real Programming 4 Kids, co-founder, Elliot Bay had never thought he would be running an institute that teaches children coding through video games. In the 1990s, he was running a math tutoring institute in Winnipeg. His business partner who is a programmer said he can teach kids to program PacMan games.

And so, begin their endeavor towards making the world more digital by introducing the basics of computer science to kids. Real Programming 4 Kids came into existence before the U.S based Code.org came up with Hour of Code, an initiative to have students at least one hour of their day coding in December during Computer Science Awareness week.

2000 saw Real Programming 4 Kids expanding in Toronto. The institute now only operates in Ontario and has classes throughout the province. According to Bay, what children learn during is not restricted to computer science and can be applied to more subjects. In coding, multiple subjects come together to make it possible for kids to be able to program apps. For instance, programming games builds math skills, character movements require geometry and physics.

Learning computer coding is a serious skill. Computer languages are how users interact with computers and give them commands to carry out certain tasks. Now that most of the world is dependent on computers, learning coding classes for kids is as important as reading and writing.

“The importance of computer programming is literacy,” according to Kate Arthur, co-founder of Kids Code Jeunesse, an NGO that aids teachers in incorporating coding into their classes. Despite having a literature degree and communications background, she realized a few years ago that her inability to code limited her communication. “We’re not expecting everyone to be computer programmers,” she says of the organization’s goals. “It’s just making (students) aware of it. Not everyone’s going to become the next Bill Gates and the next James Joyce.”

Every kid needs to learn what a computer is and how the internet works. The upcoming age is the digital one and it requires one to have at least the basic knowledge about computers and other smart types of machinery.

“It’s important for them to know there’s the information behind what they’re seeing,” explains Debbie Adams, an elementary science and technology teacher in Montreal. “You don’t just press a button. There are ways where you can take control and create your own buttons.”

Coding can be applied to virtually any subject and is not necessarily a part of computer science. It helps students solve complex problems by breaking them down into simple steps. It comes handy in mathematics, science, as well as literature and social studies.

Coding can also help students who are not so interested in studying to gain an interest in programming apps, websites, games, and web apps. Moreover, students with disabilities who find it difficult to focus on their studies because of their condition might find coding easier.

With coding, high-achieving students learn to better handle failure, according to Seema Ali, high school math, and computer teacher in British Columbia. Students who are used to knowing all the answers can find it hard to deal with a subject that is entirely new to them. Since coding can be done without the supervision of a teacher, “It allows them to try something out, and if it doesn’t work, go back, and try it again,” explains Ali. “Nobody has to know (they made a mistake).” Students learn resilience by trying different solutions, she says.

Coding should be taught separately from computer science as that way it can be introduced as a stand-alone subject regardless of the discipline it is based on. It is also good for teachers as most of them have no expertise in computer science and that should not stop them from introducing coding classes for kids.

Teachers also need to be creative besides having an interest in teaching as well as learning coding. Younger kids should avoid spending most of their time on-screen and should also actively participate in physical exercises.

When it comes to coding, it should be introduced in a way that holds kids’ interest and does not throw them off guard. Gamified learning is one of the best options to teach kids about computer programming and various computer languages.