And how we make it easier.
It's more important than ever for kids to learn about computer science and coding. Let's Start Coding kits are a fun and easy way for kids 8 and up to do just that.
But we sometimes hear parents and educators say that coding is just too hard or that they have tried getting their kids coding, but given up in frustration. Just look at Google's suggested searches to complete the phrase "Why is coding…"
In this post, we'll address some of the things that make coding so hard to start learning, plus how we solve those challenges with Let's Start Coding kits.
Reasons Coding is So Hard
It’s Broad!
It's broad! Coding is the tool used to build websites, space shuttles, music recording studios, cars, college courses, and even microwaves. It's important to narrow down the topic of coding to start to learn it one step at a time. Giving kids a clear path to learning is key to their success. Otherwise, trying to learn code is like wandering in a giant fog of information.
It’s Irrelevant
Well, most of it is for kids, anyway. Even if your child is interested in coding, they probably aren't interested in customer databases, chemical reaction simulations, or healthcare data analysis. Kids like to play and experiment with games and gadgets, so they need a coding activity that aligns with their interests, and feels like play, not work.
It’s Abstract
Much of coding is impossible to see in action. Especially at the outset, invisibility makes it really hard to grasp basic coding concepts. Kids are forced to imagine what's happening (or what's going wrong) and they have few or no concrete outcomes to observe. A better path is to provide them clear, observable outcomes from their code.
Progress is Unclear
When kids learn to read, there are books for each step of the process - picture books, a few simple words, more words, and so on. Their page count and reading complexity grow with them. When kids learn a sport, they have a coach who starts with basic skills and adds on layers as the kids progress. With coding, there isn't a defined path forward - what comes first? How big a step can a kid handle? What are the possible routes to take? Kids need a map to guide them.
How a Let's Start Coding Kit Makes Learning to Code Fun
Focus
With our kits, kids don't need to worry about which language to learn, how to update their programming software, or if a forum answer is outdated. By providing kids with kits, examples, walkthroughs, and challenges all designed for the coding beginner, we can help them build momentum and excitement about computer programming the fun way: hands-on!
Put Kids First
We don't design our kits for kids' future careers as engineers, movie directors, or coders - we design the kits that kids want now. Our kits offer kids a fun and positive coding experience from the moment they open their kit. What tween doesn't want to make a light and sound dance party or a music visualizer? When kids are interested in the outcome, they'll put forth the effort to get there.
Concrete
Forget imagining how an algorithm works. Because Let's Start Coding offers physical kits, kids take their coding beyond the screen and into their hands - for real! Lights flash, buzzers beep, and buttons click as kids interact with the programs they've written. Want to test if your automatic night light code works? Easy, just turn out the light! Physical kits help kids transition from purely concrete thinking to the more complex abstract concepts they'll use in more complicated code.
Guided
Kids need more than a blank screen or a toy in a box to learn computer coding. Our kits are fully supported with easy-to-use software, walkthrough videos, example code, challenges, and numbered projects for kids to follow. Each project builds on the previous ones, so kids gradually add coding skills without any gaps. Before they know it, boys and girls are making their own custom programs with complete code literacy.
Ready to try a Let's Start Coding kit? Visit our shop!
Not sure which kit is right for your child? Take our Code Kit Quiz and we'll recommend one for you!
Read More from the blog:
- Is Coding Right For My Child?
- Is A Let's Start Coding Kit the Right Christmas Gift?
- Why A Coding Kit is the Perfect Teen Girl Gift
- Coding for Kids Vs. Adults: What's the Difference?
- 4 Tips to Get Kids Coding in the Summer
- Beyond Blocks: Text-Based Coding in Middle School
- Choosing a First Coding Language (Or Not!)
- Is Coding Really a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Topic?
- Why is Coding So Hard?
- Why Use Hardware to Learn Coding for Kids?
- What is Coding?
About Let’s Start Coding
Let’s Start Coding builds hands-on kits that teach typed coding for kids. Learners download free desktop software that includes step-by-step projects, code walkthroughs, and challenges. As kids complete challenges, they learn about fundamentals of typed code, like variables, functions, and loops. Most importantly, they're having fun building tangible electronic projects. Kids and parents can use the kits at home with an internet-connected Windows, Mac, or Chromebook computer.
