Coding is, without a doubt, one of the most straightforward ways for children to boost their problem-solving skills.
In a programming context, coders are constantly challenged and asked to problem-solve. The practice all but requires them to break issues down into more manageable sub-problems, then progress through an iterative process of identifying, prioritizing, and implementing solutions. Thus, children start honing their problem-solving skills as soon as they take on their first coding challenge.
2. Coding Improves Confidence and Communication Skills
It’s time to debunk a popular misconception; coding is far from a solo activity. Excepting freelancers and one-person operations, most software programmers work in teams and collectively strive to achieve development goals.
Sure; coding doesn’t need to be a group endeavor, but it provides an excellent context for collaboration. Enrolling your child in a programming class could be a great way to develop their team-building and communication skills — and having well-tuned communication skills empowers children to navigate social environments, collaborate with others, perform well academically, and achieve their goals.
Most importantly, kids learn to develop confidence and a healthy self-image. A coding project teaches your child that any problem is solvable, that any obstacle can be overcome with repeated creative effort and teamwork. Could there be a better reason for why coding is high in demand? Probably not.
3. Coding Teaches Creativity
Creativity, creativity, creativity; it’s something every early educator and parent is wholly concerned with, and yet it’s not a quality prized by most working adults.
Creativity tends to decrease as we age. The adage is true — adults tend to be less creative than children. By the time we reach our sunset years, we have effectively “unlearned” one of the most important skills in life.
So, how do we preserve a child’s creative skills as they age?
Experts suggest that kids should learn to code. As a practice, coding positions developers as “creators” or “world-builders” within a programming environment — by definition, the discipline requires creative thinking and an experimental mindset.
With programming, kid
s are constantly prompted to experiment. Once they understand basic functionalities, they can continually ask themselves, What if I tried this? Would that work?
Computers provide live feedback, which further encourages young coders to find workable solutions to whatever challenges they face. Age-appropriate coding projects prompt children to tell stories, animate characters, and develop unique programs, which empower them to combine their logical and systematic thinking with creative, artistic, and intuitive learning.
The result? Access to lifelong creativity skills!
4. Coding Encourages Persistence
Computer science is one of the few professional disciplines where it’s entirely acceptable to be near-constantly failing. Not only is failure immediately recognizable — i.e., a program “breaks,” and doesn’t work as intended — but success literally cannot be achieved until all errors are handled. Even the most straightforward programs require a coder to understand a set of problems and solve them; otherwise, the code won’t run as intended.
But with all this frustration and failure comes a real, lifelong character benefit: persistence.
Coding can help your child develop a growth mindset: a philosophy wherein one’s ability to learn can be improved upon, adjusted as needed, and stand firm against demoralizing failures. What better mentality could a child adopt early in life?
5. Coding Is A Career-Building Skill
The importance of programming cannot be understated in our economy, which is now overwhelmingly driven by technology.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job openings for software developers are slated to grow 21 percent between 2018 and 2028 — that’s more than four times the average rate for all careers. Moreover, not all employers require their developers to obtain a four-year degree; many are so strapped for talent that they welcome anyone with the necessary skills and working potential.
But here’s why kids should code even if they aren’t interested in becoming full-time developers: they can still benefit professionally from learning a coding language or two. Programming savvy is valuable, regardless of your child’s educational background or job interest. In some cases, it may even be the capability that ultimately boosts them above their job market competitors!
The biggest hurdle is just mastering that first programming language — but once they do, they will be well-positioned to learn different languages, frameworks, and technologies later on in life.
H/T: Techbootcamps
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