Coding is no longer optional

Countries all over the world are putting a lot of effort into becoming technologically advanced. Countries like India and China have the advantage of having a huge young population. However, to benefit from this human capital, it is important to equip it with 21st-century skills such as coding. It is this reason why China earlier and India soon after, have started striving towards introducing Computer Coding classes from an early age to kids. Both ed-tech companies and schools are offering coding classes to fulfill this demand.

In many developed countries, coding is now getting introduced to students as early as grade 6. It is no surprise that last year National Education Policy (NEP) also proposed coding to be included in school curriculums all over India.

Let us understand why coding is no longer considered an optional subject:

1. Coding improves the thinking power of kids
While attempting to solve a problem through coding, a person needs to adopt a methodical approach. They need to start by first breaking down the problem into smaller easy-to-solve components. Only when the coder is proficient with the basics, can they apply the concepts to each of those smaller problems, and then connect them to find the final solution. A lot of problems also have multiple ways of solving them. Thus the coder needs to find the most optimal way of solving them. This is how coding helps in improving the thinking power of kids.

2. Coding expands creativity in kids
The majority of coding programs for kids are made in such a way that kids can enjoy while learning to code. For example, coding classes for young kids start with the block-based approach. In these classes, instead of learning a coding language, they learn the logic behind coding, using various blocks. These blocks represent the actions that the user wants the computer to take. Websites like Scratch by MIT offer a lot of free tutorials that can help your kid get started coding through fun projects like creating a story, making simple video games, or even recording sounds. The visuals in these projects can help enhance their creativity further. Refer to the screenshot below from a sample coding project for kids:

Source: Scratch by MIT

3. Coding helps build confidence in kids
Coding is nothing but a way of solving problems using a computer. Given a problem statement, no matter how basic it is, your child will have to devise a method to solve the problem. In their computer coding classes, they will start with smaller projects, and eventually move on to much larger and complex projects. All these projects will give them a visible result of their effort. There is no ambiguity in whether the solution they have created is workable or non-workable. The answer is either YES or NO. Thus, coding teaches one to be resilient while trying to find the solution that works! This approach will help young children become more confident of their abilities over a period of time. They will realize that a lot of times, success will not come instantly, but with dedication and constant improvements, good results will definitely come.

What is LEAD doing to promote coding skills among young kids?

At LEAD Powered Schools, Coding & Computational Skills (CCS) program is one of our key offerings. The computer coding classes offered through LEAD, apply the ‘USE, THINK, BUILD’ approach combined with an excellent curriculum and accessible technology. With this method, students make practical use of software programs, which helps them think and build websites, games, apps, and much more.

In the computer coding classes offered by LEAD, each student is provided with a CCS workbook and a developer login. Under the guidance of their teachers, students start with simple offline activities that build computational and algorithmic thinking. Soon they progress into more complex activities and projects such as building websites and games like the ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’, ‘Snakes & Ladders’, etc. They get a chance to work individually as well as in collaborative projects at school and at home through the LEAD Student App. Best projects are also showcased on the LEAD website. Additionally, LEAD assists the schools with both training and required infrastructural setups to ensure excellent coding education is delivered to their students.

Through CCS, LEAD has taken one more step towards propelling excellent education for 15 million students in India by 2025