Programming is an essential skill for a developing child. Learning a programming language nowadays is as important as learning a second language at school. Your child will be expected to interact with computers a lot when he or she enters a profession. Programming skills can give your baby a lead over others in the higher education environment. The best way to learn a language is to start learning young. So moms should take the initiative to teach kids how to program.
Understandably, not all moms will know programming enough to teach kids. Some may know nothing at all. That’s perfectly fine. The aim is to teach your child programming, not you. Teaching your kid does not require programming skills on your part. So, to give your child a foundational knowledge of programming, do the following:
Buy a Programming Laptop
If you have a good computer at home, you can skip. Programming is a bit demanding. Computers need rather high-end specs to run scripts. So, if your computer is too old, it’s time to upgrade to a programming laptop. Laptops are best to teach kids because they are compact and very portable. The kid can stay at any place he or she likes and start learning.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money buying a programming laptop. You can buy a quality product for under $1,000. You can buy a budget programming laptop for around $500 to $600. This guide would be a good place to start.
Download Minecraft
Minecraft is not just a fun game. The most popular PC game in history also offers kids valuable lessons on how to program. Unlike other games, Minecraft allows kids to use their imagination and creativity to play. Gameplay also involves completing tasks that mimic actual programming. This is a very fun an unintimidating way to introduce your child to the subject of programming. Already, many educational aids use Minecraft to introduce children to programming. You can play with your child if you want to. But it’s very much a self-learning process that requires minimal supervision.
Use “Made With Code” Tutorials by Google
Google has made coding tutorials mainly to teach girls how to code. But these teaching aids can be used among any gender. The tutorials are completely free to use. They simplify coding and make programming look fun and not intimating for learners. They are suitable for kids with no background in coding. New tutorials are added occasionally so the learning process can continue without abrupt pauses.
Read Parental Resources MIT Media Lab’s Scratch Team
Scratch is a program made by MIT Media Lab that makes programming fun and easy for kids. Anyone can use it. The lab also has a set of resources for non-programmer parents to teach kids. The guide is web-based and has all the information beginners need. You can download a PDF version as well. It’s highly recommended to read this guide before getting your child to program.
There are also numerous other web resources you can use to teach your child programming from home without spending a lot of money on a class.
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