8 Mistakes to Avoid While Teaching Your Kids Coding
Machine Learning, AI, Big Data, and Computer Vision are emerging fields. Interestingly coding is the heart of these technologies and we can’t deny the importance of teaching coding to kids for a better future. Most parents are passionate to equip their children with this emerging skill for a bright and prosperous future. Coding is a new skill and most parents don’t know what the learning path looks like to fulfill their learning objective smoothly. There are a lot of websites and platforms that can guide you on the learning path of your child. You might be interested in the Coding Learning Path for your Kid. While teaching coding to your kids, try to avoid the below mistakes to get the desired results
“Book a Free Trail Coding Class for Kids”
1- Choose an Age-Appropriate Learning Program
Yes, kids can learn faster than an older brain. But every age group has a specific learning capacity and as a parent, we need to admit this and plan the learning path as per the child’s age –capacity. It is recommended to start from block-based or scratch programming if the child’s age is between 6 to 8 years, and for older kids to start from Python Language. Scratch is a block-based programming software easily accessible online especially meant for kids. It can be used to program a simple game, an animated story, or some complex games. Scratch is user-friendly with drag and drops programming. If you avoid this mistake it will smooth your whole learning process and kids will feel comfortable and motivated.
2- Not Making Process Interactive and Engaging
Kids learn more quickly when we give them interactive and engaging activities. Game development is the best approach to start coding, the majority of the kids love games such as ping pong, catch the mouse, and maze games. Here are the easy steps to make these games from scratch to enhance curiosity and motivation to learn to code. Coding is not about getting high grades in a class, it’s a process that develops critical thinking, creativity, imagination, and decision-making skills, and it’s a never-ending process and most importantly there is no hard and fast rule in coding to write code, just focus on objectives.
3- Practice is the Key
Practice makes a man perfect. And this quote super fits in coding. Just paste this quote to your kids’ computer for motivation. I am not kidding, I mean it. As a matter of fact, Coding is not about memorizing the scripts or writing lots of concepts in a workbook rather than practically implementing it. It’s all about practicing and solving problems that come on your way to complete the task. Coding skills will be improved or enhanced if you make a habit of writing lines of code every day.
Here are the few things kids can do to improve coding skills
- Start teaching coding to classmates
- Participating in a coding competition
- Make a habit to write code regularly
- Challenge yourself
- Learn new tricks from coding tutorials
4- Not providing Study Resources
Hmm! As adults, we still need study materials or tutorials to learn new concepts. The same approach applies for children. By providing them all study materials like computers for practice, tutorials, and your guidance in case they needed will bring the required results. Don’t forget to supervise your children while they are using the internet. After all, they are still kids.
Here is the list of 30 best coding websites you can visit to get learning resources.
“Book a Free Trail Coding Class for Kids”
5- Don’t Compare with others
All humans are different in every aspect such as color, weight, height, personal traits, and capacity to learn. So all kids have different levels of capacity to learn, don’t embarrass them by comparing them with others who have performed extraordinarily in coding. Everyone has their own learning pace. Just give them the right learning path and motivate and cherish them when they succeed.
6- Never-Ending Research:
It is a good habit to research before diving into any task. But excessive research will waste your time. There are a lot of websites that can guide you from where to start. After doing nominal research you will find valuable coding guides. As recommended earlier, you can start from scratch programming to develop a child’s interest in coding.
Here is the comprehensive guide for parents
Coding for Kids in 2021: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents
7- Shy to Ask for Help
Encourage your child to take help from elders or other classmates if they are stuck in completing the task. There is no shame in asking for help from others after putting all your effort into resolving the problems. I have seen many excellent coders take help from others to debug the error, and it is part of the learning process. It will increase confidence and communication skills, which is a crucial part of the business world. There are a lot of platforms where coders share their life hacks and discuss each other’s queries such as Stack overflow, etc.
8- Not Testing the Code Constantly
Make a habit to check the code frequently to avoid the chances of errors in coding. It will be easier to find bugs in small scripts. This habit will save a lot of time and kids will easily fix the bugs and rewrite the code and lastly, If you are still unclear and confused about where to start check out EDVON Coding Learning Path for Kids or email us at info@theedvolution.com.
