5 Reasons Why Kids Should Learn To Code
As the competition in students for everything from college seats to job interviews consistently keeps increasing, parents and guardians have begun the quest of educating and equipping their children with the required skills from a young age. However, when it is time to think of activities outside school, parents often stick to the essential mix: sports, music, etc. While it is predictable and understandable, the kind of impact they’d hope these activities to have in their child’s holistic development is not the case nowadays. It is also time to adapt and change this ‘mix.’ As one can rightly imagine, along with music and sports, which hugely shape one’s personality, more activities, and skills that boost critical thinking, develop analytical mindsets and equip young minds for the fast-paced careers of the future are required. Let us tell you why Coding is an excellent skill of the future.
From smart TVs to technologically improved kitchen equipment to online games, puzzles, and over-the-top (OTT) services, technological disruption is evident practically everywhere. Much more is happening now, and much more is predicted in the coming years. As a result, many new jobs are being created, and a large number of existing jobs are re-defined. This is where computer programming, or coding, becomes a critical skill for those looking for the best job opportunities or improving their current skills. Coding is a game-changer, and those who can code have a competitive advantage in the workplace. True, computer programming was initially being considered a skill confined for computer nerds and geeks. Still, it is now widely recognized as a necessary skill and a competitive advantage for a wide range of employment roles. It isn't just for those who want to pursue a career in computer programming. Technological advancements do not appear to be slowing down, and the world is evolving rapidly. A code is used to operate every smartphone app, website, computer application, and even a microwave and calculator. Naturally, there is a high demand for digital talents. Many young people, though, continue to be digital consumers rather than creators. As coding becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, digital abilities are becoming increasingly crucial for aspiring minds to advance in their careers. Young people must take advantage of opportunities to expand their digital expertise to succeed in their careers.
While coding is not new to the industry, it has been widely used to introduce a hybrid strategy in the placement sector due to quick technology improvements. It's time to reassess your professional path and consider the dynamism that the industry currently offers. Coding has evolved into not only a necessity of the hour but also a life skill. As a developer, engineer, or programmer, you have several options. Before you begin your journey, determine which area you want to work in, which languages will be most helpful, and, of course, start learning. People working in information technology (IT), data analytics, design, marketing, and business, among other fields, may find coding abilities functional.
Coding is undoubtedly one of the most important talents to learn for current and future generations. Programming helps young students develop problem-solving skills, such as the ability to solve an issue in a rational and creative manner. In addition, coding improves one's cognitive abilities by thinking logically, tactically, and analytically. Most significantly, coding is the way of the future, making it a beneficial talent to have. Students who learn to code at an early age will have a plethora of career options available to them in the future. Many other professional roles, in addition to software and application programmers, require coding knowledge.
The topic of why children should learn to code has swept through parental groups and educational institutions like wildfire in recent years. As a result, software engineering is in high demand these days; according to the 2019 State of Computer Science Education Equity and Diversity Report, 45 percent of secondary schools now offer software engineering, up from the 25 percent reported by Gallup in 2014.
For unknown reasons, most professional engineers began studying their exchange in everyday life from the beginning. According to Stack Overflow's 2020 Developers research, more than 54% of professional designers wrote their first line of code when they were 16 years old. While it may appear logical to incorporate a child's first coding example into their secondary school educational curriculum, children can begin coding at a much younger age, as soon as four years old. While a young initiation may seem strange at first, school-aged coders are far more common than you may think. Nearly 9% of the programmers polled by Stack Overflow started coding when they were ten years old. Guardians need their children to become computer literate in our relentlessly evolved society, and why wouldn't they? Learning to code prepares students for future job opportunities and provides a slew of other skills and advantages. Furthermore, as digital literacy becomes a more important aspect of modern education, more reasons for children to code are predicted to emerge. There are a variety of reasons why children should learn to code at an early age.
As it becomes more and more obvious that programming is going to play a vital role not only in the professionals but also in the personal lives of future generations, let us see in detail why it could help more if children start learning coding at a young age.
1. Confidence and Communication Skills
As they learn to code and give guidance, students discover that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to problem-solving. They don't have to be afraid of failing since they can build on what they've previously accomplished. Coding is a basic literacy in today's digital society, and youngsters must be able to comprehend, work with, and use the technology that surrounds them. Children who learn to code at a young age are better prepared for the future. Children benefit from coding in terms of communication, creativity, numeracy, writing, and confidence. Although coding does not have to be done in a group, it does provide an excellent environment for collaboration. Enrolling your child in a programming class will help them build cooperation and communication skills, which can help them navigate social situations, collaborate with other programmers, achieve academic success, and achieve their objectives.
2. Digital Literacy
The term "digital literacy" encompasses a wide range of skills. In general, it refers to a person's ability to perceive and engage with technology in a deliberate, meaningful way. Technology is all around us, assisting us in our daily tasks, facilitating communication, interacting with people, and supporting virtually every industry in the economy. In today's environment, understanding and interacting with technology isn't just a nice to have; it's a need for navigating an increasingly digitized culture. Children must be digitally literate, which means they must have a fundamental understanding of technology. It's also true that many youngsters, especially teenagers, are already more adept at digital life and better equipped to deal with the onslaught of information that comes with constant internet access than earlier generations. While coding is not a daily requirement for online users, it will most certainly become one in the future. Written programs already help all internet conversation, and certain games, such as Minecraft, allow users to develop their own features. Programming appears to be on the cusp of becoming a necessary literacy in its own right, much like navigating a social networking platform or conducting internet research.
3. Creativity
According to studies, as we become older, our inventiveness decreases. Adults aren't as inventive as youngsters, which is somewhat true. By the time we reach our golden years, we've effectively "unlearned" one of life's most important skills. So, as a youngster gets older, how can we retain their creative abilities? Children should learn to code, according to experts. Coding puts developers as "creators" or "world-builders" in the programming context; the discipline, by definition, involves creative thinking and an experimental approach. Experimenting allows children to learn and build their minds. They, too, learn from their errors. Children may be creative, and this is something that they are encouraged to do. Creativity is both a process and a finished product. Children are constantly encouraged to attempt new things when they are programming. They can keep asking themselves, "What if I tried this?" once they've mastered the foundations. Is it something you could do? Young coders are motivated to discover practical answers to their challenges because computers provide real-time feedback. Through age-appropriate coding projects, children are encouraged to write stories, animate characters, and construct unique programs, allowing them to combine logical and systematic thinking with creative, artistic, and intuitive learning.
4. Coding Improves Computational Thinking
As students learn to code and give guidance, they discover that there is no one right way to accomplish things, even if their method doesn't work. They don't have to be afraid of failing since they can build on what they've previously completed. Coding is a basic literacy in the digital age, and youngsters must be able to understand, work with, and understand the technology that surrounds them. Children who learn to code at a young age are better prepared for the future. Children benefit from coding in terms of communication, creativity, numeracy, writing, and confidence. To finish their task, children can begin by completing puzzles on paper, then move on to game boards, and lastly to computers. Using this strategy, learners can be steered through increasingly complex algorithmic thinking tasks depending on their tacit knowledge and excitement for gameplay. According to this study, students who participated in computational thinking exercises had a better understanding of algorithmic thinking processes. This knowledge could aid a child's problem-solving ability and translate well into mathematical endeavors. These advancements have the potential to improve their academic achievement significantly — and, in the long term, their career performance.
5. Coding is a Career-Building Skill
The importance of programming in today's economy, which is dominated by technology, cannot be emphasized. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software engineer job openings are predicted to grow by 21% between 2018 and 2028, which is more than four times the national average. Furthermore, not every company requires its developers to have a four-year degree; many are so short on talent that anyone with the necessary skills and career potential is welcome. Learning to code gives children a better knowledge of how to organize and plan their thoughts. This can help you enhance your writing skills, which you can build on as your coding skills develop.
Computer science is one of the fastest developing fields. While it is evident that learning to code can broaden one's job prospects in the future, it has far-reaching implications. The same coding languages that are currently in use may or may not be used in the future. Still, we know that coding teaches us skills like abstraction, problem analysis, and organization, which will always be needed and highly sought after. In addition, of course, the area of computer programming offers a plethora of lucrative prospects. Young folks founded many of today's technology behemoths. Facebook was founded by a twenty-year-old, Reddit by a twenty-two-year-old, and Google by a twenty-five-year-old. While some of the topics may appear to be above the capabilities of a child, it's important to remember that youngsters learn at a far faster rate than adults.
It's similar to learning a language to learn to code. Children are better at absorbing and remembering information for long periods. If they start when they are younger, it will be easier for them to learn. Because computers are ubiquitous in some way or another, living in a computer-driven culture needs all humans on this planet to communicate with computers to move forward with their daily lives. It's even more exciting if the computer can be given specific instructions to execute a task. The process of giving instructions to a computer is known as coding. And, now that technology has become so pervasive in our lives, it is even more critical to have a more excellent grasp of it and put it to better use.
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Happy coding!