Parents ask CuriousJr

If you are a parent with young children who wants to assist them learn computer programming, you probably have a lot of questions about how to go about it. Even how to get started with this for your children. CuriousJr is an online coding platform that delivers a fully free, portable, and gamified quality learning experience, aligned with the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and with the purpose of making coding for kids entertaining, interactive, and engaging. CuriousJr is an ideal platform for youngsters who want to learn to code at their own speed, thanks to its doubt sessions and highly interactive UI. CuriousJr, founded in 2020 by Amit Shekhar, Janishar Ali, and Mridul Ranjan, is a mobile-first, vernacular-based internet platform aimed at pupils aged 8 to 17. The Gurugram-based business teaches students how to code using bite-sized information, tests their skills in a practise arena, and publishes their creations on its app store, where they can then share them with friends, family, and the greater community. The portal provides learning content, gamified learning solutions, and doubt clearing sessions, among other things.

Why is it critical for our children to understand programming? Isn't it enough that my kids are studying word processing, making presentations, using spreadsheets, and surfing the internet?

Our children are always surrounded by technology, and their future will be much more so. Instead of simply being passive consumers of modern technology, it is critical that they become active players - to direct, contribute, create, and influence their own destiny. And this is true not only for children who will grow up to become 'programmers,' but for almost every profession — surgeons, architects, and artists will all use computing to make decisions. Programming is the set of instructions from humans that computers obey; hence, programming is a basic literacy in today's and tomorrow's high-tech worlds.

What exactly is STEM learning, particularly in the context of elementary or middle school students, and how does programming fit in?

STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Recognizing the relevance of these disciplines in today's high-tech economy, educators and parents are attempting to focus more and more on STEM education for students from elementary school onwards. Programming enables youngsters to develop STEM abilities. Math, physics, and other science courses are inextricably tied to programming and logical thinking. As a result, children may put their math and scientific knowledge to use while also reinforcing their learning.

Isn't programming too difficult for children? I've heard of C and Java, but how can young children learn them?

Historically, programming needed understanding of syntax — that is, the usage of text sequences containing words, numbers, and punctuation. You are correct — this is a level of complexity that youngsters cannot handle. However, visual programming, which employs Lego(R) bricks as pre-created code, guarantees that children may focus on essential programming principles rather than grammar. We offer a visual programming platform with pre-created code blocks that children can easily drag and drop to 'write' a working programme (that is, build a game or a storey). Children are not irritated by the phrase "software not operating" because of a missing semi-colon!

What exactly do children learn when they learn to code? Do they just learn to utilise a tool? Or make a couple of games?

Kids will, of course, become acquainted with the programming tool, but they will also learn how to write a compelling tale, logically sequence events, and simulate real-world scenarios, according to CuriousJr. They will improve their technical knowledge. Most importantly, they will improve their algorithmic and design thinking skills – in programming, the child's mind is trained to identify and break down a problem into smaller parts, as well as design a solution. That's what youngsters will learn without even recognising it!

Will my child's attention be captured by programming? My youngster is more interested in learning when it is hands-on. He doesn't like learning from books.

Programming is the most hands-on topic your youngster will ever study! Programming is all about implementation - you write code, run it to check whether it works, and keep correcting and improving as you go. And if the programme they get to make is enjoyable and engaging (what's not to like about generating animations and games! - see below for some fun projects made by youngsters), they'll be hooked right away – no pushing required. CuriousJr was built on the notion that if you give kids the opportunity to be creative and become Makers, learning will happen naturally.

What ages are best suited for learning programming? Shouldn't they be in high school before they start?

Visual-based programming can begin at an early age. CuriousJr is best suited for students in Grade 4. By that age, children are competent logical thinkers, and they are comfortable communicating and comprehending instructions. We do have some younger kids tinkering with gusto — each child is unique, so make a decision depending on your child's interest and abilities. If you decide to begin with CuriousJr, bear in mind that it never expires, so you may return to it as your child's preparedness dictates.

What happens if we sign up for CuriousJr? Do kids start learning on their own and figure out how to get around?

Once you sign up and establish your child's account, they can log in and follow the structured and pre-set path through the chapters – they will not get lost or have to wonder "what next" while doing this Introduction to Programming course.

What do the kids need to know about binary in order for programming to make sense to them? What should they know about operating systems?

Nothing! Knowing what a binary system or operating system is has almost little to do with programming logic, especially at their age. Without having to worry about those irrelevant notions, students will be able to focus on computational thinking - how can I make my score increase by ten points every time the alien is clicked – which is what we should be aiming for! In that way, CuriousJr is experimental – do-it-yourself and learn via exploration. We purposefully left ideas like binary out of the graphic since they offer little to the learning and would simply confuse the youngster.

I know nothing about computers or programming. Even if we utilise a programming learning tool, what if they need me to educate them or aid them when they get stuck - I don't think I could do that.

This might be a problem for some of the programming platforms now available. We attempted to circumvent this problem by developing a solution that requires 'no programming abilities', either in the parents or the youngster! We provide youngsters with a totally self-paced 16-chapter course that they may drive themselves. The course includes guided lectures, puzzles, and training videos. It's almost as if they had a virtual tutor guiding them through more complicated programming ideas. As a result, a parent's assistance is not necessary. It's always wonderful to do things with our children, so you may go ahead and learn part of it with them!