Coding is a term that has been around school and children circles for a while now, but I think the purpose of coding is greatly changing. It’s like, previously we knew that coding would be an important part of our children’s future, but there was a disconnect as to how to when to teach it to children and how to quantify progress. Now, we have enough tools and programs to not just teach children coding, but to allow them to create something with it.
This is what coding is about.
It’s not that language itself that is important (although necessary), it’s what you can do with that language that is now opening up to an endless supply of opportunities.
So, when should we start teaching our children to code?
If I’m going to be honest with you, there is definitely no set age. And besides, you know your kids better than I do! But what I can say, is that children’s minds are like sponges. They pick up new skills, habits, and even languages far more quickly than adults can. I mean, I’ve had 5 year olds teaching me tips and tricks that they’ve learnt on iPads. Their minds are open and hungry for knowledge!
Our aim at Launchpad is to one day be offering technology based courses for children five and up. That’s the age that we believe that children can be learning code that is beneficial. It’s not the official age, and some kids may start earlier, while other kids may start later. That’s fine.
We just know that at five, children are excited, adaptable, and ready to learn.
But why would I want to teach a five year old to code?
As we mentioned earlier, there are so many programs and tools now that are exciting and engaging for children – while also walking through how to code. And through exploring code, young children will be able to widen their creativity, grow in their problem-solving abilities, and in turn, enlarge their curiosity. Which are attributes that are beneficial through all areas of life.
There’s that saying that 65-70% of the jobs children will be doing in 20 years do not exist today. And it is projected that careers in computer science and data research will increase faster than any other occupation.
Ultimately the choice is yours as to when you immerse your child into the world of code. But one thing is for sure, it’ll definitely be a part of their future. So why not give them a head start in computer science so that they have a greater ability to adapt to a job market that will rapidly change.
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