If you have been looking for a good coding program for your child, you might be wondering what to look for.
Here are the most important things to look for if your child is to learn meaningful coding skills over time, while enjoying the whole process.
1. Instructor-Led
Coding is a hard subject to learn by themselves, unless your child is exceptionally motivated and disciplined. All the self-paced video courses help with the initial few steps, but as soon as your child gets stuck, there is no one to help. And that is when most students get frustrated and give up. If the classes are taught by an experienced instructor, they can help answer your child’s question, get them unstuck and keep them moving forward.
2. Structured Program
When it comes to children’s coding education, there are lots of loose collection of courses available. As a parent, it is hard to know which courses are right for your child and what comes first and what comes second. What your child needs is a structured program that is organized appropriately. Completion of the program should provide them with a full suite of skills and a certification. Having several intermediate milestones help the student celebrate the wins along the way.
3. Project-Based, Hands-On Learning
Kids learn best when they are learning to accomplish an end-goal that they are excited about. This is true in any subject, but more so in coding. Instead of being taught coding concepts (e.g. Image tags), children learn best when they are building things (e.g. Travel webpage). Wrapping coding concepts in fun engaging projects is the proven way to keep your child motivated.
4. Progress Updates
One of the big downsides of school clubs or volunteer programs is the lack of accountability. You need a coding program that keeps you updated on what your child is learning and how they are doing. Through interesting quizzes and practice projects, the program needs to measure comprehension of the core concepts so the you know that your child is mastering the concepts and not just attending classes.
5. Year-Round
Many students have attended summer coding camp for kids only to forget everything within a few weeks of starting school. To learn meaningful coding skills that stick, you need continuous exposure provided by a year round program. With a commitment as little as 3 hours a week, your child can be learning to code year around. Within a year or two, they have learnt practical skills that they can take with them to college and career.
We encourage you to review our coding program and see if that fits your needs.
