Why Parents Are Signing Their Kids up for Online Coding Classes
Every parent obviously wants the best for their children, and also wants to make sure that they have the tools they need to be successful in the future. As technology becomes more prevalent in our modern world, more and more parents are beginning to enroll their children in online coding classes in the hopes that it’ll offer them better job opportunities when they’re older.
Lately, there has been a massive push by educators and world leaders to promote STEM in the classroom. This is because it’s beneficial to the economy to have highly skilled and educated workers who can meet the growing demand for STEM-educated experts. There’s also the realization that these experts will be useful for the future of humanity – they are the ones who will make new discoveries, inspire innovation, and develop the latest technology that could change the world.
As part of the “t” for “technology” in STEM, coding is seen as a skill that will be highly valued in the future. Computers are an important part of how we innovate, so it’s no surprise then that those who know how to program them would be in high demand in the job market.
Develops Important Skills
Online coding for kids is not only great because it gets more kids into STEM, but also for the benefits it has to a child’s personal development. For example, students that attend summer coding camps are shown to perform better during their regular school year and see improved grades.
This is because learning how to code engages with and develops a number of core skills that are important to childhood development. As they overcome challenges and learn from their mistakes, kids learn essential problem solving and critical thinking skills. They also learn that persistence pays off and achieve a sense of accomplishment every time they work hard to troubleshoot and solve an issue.
Coding builds confidence and creativity, and also helps kids to understand how the world around them works. It gives them the knowledge necessary to break down the mystery that is computer technology, and helps them appreciate all of the work that has gone into our digital world.
Can Coding for Kids Be Fun?
Of course, many parents don’t want to sign their kids up for online coding classes just because it will be a benefit to them. If a child is forced to learn something, they’ll be less likely to absorb the information and will likely not want anything to do with the subject in the future.
The good news is that coding can be extremely fun to learn, especially when done in an environment where video game programming is involved. Kids can learn how to code by creating video games from scratch, which is extremely fun for creative kids who also love to game. The other fun part is that by coding games kids get to directly see the work that they do in code come to life.
So if you’re considering getting your kids into code, don’t be afraid to try it out. It may just end up being something they learn a lot from but also extremely enjoy.