How to Code for Beginners

Coding has become immensely popular in recent times. With the increased penetration of technology and easy availability of resources, now is an excellent time to start learning how to code for beginners for children and adults alike.

If you are a parent and looking for information on how to get your child started with coding or how to find the best online coding classes for kids, here are some tips for you:

• Find out why children should learn to code

Now, the first thing that you need to do – before you even think about enrolling your child for coding, is really to think about why you want to do so. Is it because every other parent is searching for coding for kids online or you really think that your child might be interested in it. Watch a few youtube videos where you can find the benefits of learning coding or testimonial videos of other parents to make an informed decision.

Think of the kind of career that you would want your child to have and what matches your child’s interests the most. Are they inclined towards STEM fields or are more artistic in nature? Ask these questions and include your child in discussions before deciding to enroll them in any classes.

• Choose the right curriculum and languages

Coding is vast like an ocean. There are so many coding for student classes, both free and paid out there that it can be very difficult to choose the right one for your child. So do some research on coding classes, the types of curriculums available and which language they should learn.

Different types of programming require different languages. For example, for coding websites, one should learn languages like HTML, CSS, Java, and JavaScript.

Mobile app development requires Java (for Android) or Swift (for iOS). Choosing the right language is extremely important to ensure the right skills are acquired. Spend some time talking to other parents and doing your own research. Having the right curriculum and languages to learn is crucial to avoid wasting time and to boost the confidence in coding for your child. Ensure the resources or classes you are utilizing are trustworthy. You don’t want to regret later making an ill-informed choice.

• Find a good online community or study group

Learning how to code for beginners can be extremely difficult. There will be times when your child needs support. So apart from getting the best online coding classes for kids, make sure your child finds the right online support communities and has friends with similar interests. This will give them access to people who will be able to answer their questions and help them past any problems they are having quickly.

Finally, inculcate a habit of learning one thing every single day. It could be a new piece of syntax, a new way to write a line of code, or simply a better way of debugging a program. Keep motivating your child to keep learning without getting under the pressure of getting it right.

How does LEAD’s Coding and Computational Skills program make your child future-ready?

After completing all levels of the program, students will be skilled in the 21st-century computer skills that include:

• Coding mobile apps and computer games,
• Designing websites and multimedia content,
• Analyzing data using visualisations & statistical tools

and much more.

How is Coding taught at LEAD Powered Schools?

• Connected to real life

Projects in the CCS curriculum integrate computers with concepts from real life. E.g a grade 3 student builds games such as maze games on Scratch Jr, a grade 6 student builds a visualisation that proves the Pythagoras theorem using Python.

• Use-Think-Build Methodology

In each unit, students learn to use applications, think logically using algorithms and build apps, games, websites, visualizations and animations.

• Project-Based

Students create 5-6 projects such as building a website that allows ebook or note sharing among classmates, building a tic-tac-toe game, building a snake and ladder game, etc.

• Accelerated learning path

Students start at their current skill level and accelerate to the respective grade level in one year