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The best way to teach kids how to code is through an online coding for kids program that is self directed.  When you combine these teaching tools with games, kids don’t even realize how much they are learning.  The educational benefits expound to boost their confidence, creativity, problem solving and logical thinking skills.

There will continued to be a demand worldwide for students who are educated in IT (Information Technology).  This need is expected to only increase in coming years. That doesn’t mean that kids need to be thinking about a career in tech to truly benefit from an online coding class. You may have a child who is simply interested how computers work. You may have a family member that spends a lot of time playing video games and you want ensure some of that screen time is educational.

Coding for Kids – Online Learning

Whether or not a child is gifted in science or STEM subjects in school, coding courses are designed for children of any skill level to discover whether learning to code is a path they want to explore.

Coding is also a great introduction for children to other educational focuses regarding computational thinking, which explores many aspects of problem solving and how both boys and girls can use these skills to understand how everything works in the world, not just computers and math.

How Kids can Learn Coding Easily while Having Fun

Whether teaching is live or a course where kids learn at their own pace, everything is designed to ensure any age group can grasp basic coding concepts. Any knowledge gained can only help kids succeed in school regardless of their chosen profession when they graduate.  There are also a variety of AP computer science books and courses online that guide a child through the basics of coding without a live teacher. Both experiences instruct kids how to code as they move through games they may already be playing normally.

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, there are coding activities that you can get your students or kids excited about.

Educators, learn how you to teach computer science and the foundations of computational thinking: codeSpark Ignite is an online professional development course designed to help preK-5 educators teach young students the basics of Computer Science and the foundations of computational thinking.

Why parents are encouraging their kids to learn coding.

• Coding through fun games is a great opportunity to see if your younger child is interested in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
• Classes and courses provide an educational process that can be enjoyed while kids are playing games online.
• Parents may want their kids to learn coding skills to supplement what they may not being getting in school.
• Coding lessons can be an excellent program addition for home schoolers or kids taking virtual classes.

Parents may have kids who enjoy playing a lot of video games. The challenge for any parent is limiting screen time when a child is only asking for more hours of play per day. Giving your son or daughter an extra hour of online play devoted to a coding game is the perfect compromise for many.

• Children doing very well in school may not be challenged enough with their current studies.
• Kids may have a keen interest in STEM already and are open to expanding their learning.

Something for Every Age: Self paced coding courses are provided for kids as early as 5 years old. Online coding classes can be taken as early as kindergarten.

Types of Coding Languages for Beginners

Block-based coding is an excellent ways for kids to get started.  It consists of dragging and dropping colorful components. This engaging method is fun for kids and helps them learn the basics without writing text.  After they are comfortable with blocks, instructors can introduce text-based coding.  This includes the basics of writing lines of code.

Together, block-based programming and text-based coding is more easily grasped as kids begin to understand how everything ties together to create something new.  With proper set-by step instruction, it’s possible for kids to learn more complex coding languages, such as;

• Python – the programming language that reads like normal speech.
• Ruby – the most readable syntax for beginner programmers.
• Scratch – when introduced to kids who have a proper foundation of the basics, Scratch is fairly easy for children to learn.  It’s important because it’s they will be more than likely be using this type of coding in some capacity for the rest of their lives.
• Java – while more difficult, teaching Java to beginners will make learning any language easier for kids.
• C++ – this language make turn off some beginners to the world of coding because it’s very similar to math.  While it can expand a new coders world, instruction on this type of coding might turn of some beginners off.  However, once the basic fundamentals of programming are understood, C++ is very beneficial to those who decide to progress in their programming knowledge.

There are many different coding languages. Equipping a young children and teens with multiple options as they expand their expertise and knowledge can only serve to help them find what they enjoy best.  Other languages include Blockly, Alice, Lua, Go,Twine, Swift Playgrounds and Ruby.

The Benefits of Online Coding for Kids

Learning how to code has many benefits.  You can sign you child up for small online classes or choose one on one training.  Both of these class options involve live teaching. Kids will learn creative coding, game design, Minecraft modelling, Javascript and Python. All classes begin by kids learning the basics of easy block-based coding.

There are plenty of things that kids can do when they learn to code.  Some of these avenues can be explored while they are young and still in school.  Other areas may be developed in adulthood.  In either case, learning how to coding now is an excellent building block for any career choice, especially if their chosen path involved computers.

Here are 5 few things kids can do with coding knowledge;

1. Create an Online Game or Website

If you’re looking for something more than just a website, consider creating an online game or app. There are lots of free tools available to help with this process.

2. Build Apps for Android and iOS Devices

If you’d rather build an app instead of a website, there are plenty of options out there. One popular option is Appy Pie, which allows users to build mobile apps using drag and drop technology. Another option is PhoneGap, which lets developers use HTML5 and other web technologies to develop native mobile applications.

3. Learn Programming Languages

There are lots of different programming languages available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. A good place to start would be to learn one language well enough so that you can understand how others work. Once you feel comfortable with one language, you can move onto another.

4.  Start a Blog

If you’re looking for ways to earn money online, starting a blog might be a good option. In fact, there are tons of free blogging platforms out there where you can set up an account and start writing right away.

5 Design Websites

There’s no shortage of things you can do with coding. Whether you’re interested in building websites, creating mobile apps, or developing games, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to learn how to code. And once you’ve mastered one language, you can move onto another.

Is Coding Right for Your Kids?

No one can argue that any type of computer skill will offer a valuable educational benefit as kids advance through their grades. If your child loves spending time online, whether gaming or on social media, coding for kids education is an easy way to transition from online play time towards online learning time. The latter of which can be equality as fun as kids learn.

If your child is a book warm and doesn’t like computers much, it will be more of a challenge to engage them in the subjects associated with technology. Whether it’s part of a school curriculum or home schooling, live coding classes or monthly subscription based courses offer a way for educators and parents to make a child’s introduction to coding fun.

Create your account with a Free Trial of codeSpark Academy –  the online game kids can learn to code while playing.  It’s screen time you can feel good about.

For 60% of Americans, the traditional education system is not up to snuff.  When asked why, students and parents alike couple grim statistics with their own personal experiences.  More than 6 million students are “chronically absent” from school in the US each year. Teenagers are 5 times more likely to suffer from a mental illness now than in prior generations.

Furthermore, a whopping 86% of high school students believe their schools value grades more than learning, as they say most students end up cheating at some point.  Radical change needs to happen in the school system.  And it has, just not for the reasons reformers expected.

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, millions of students tried out online learning for the first time in 2020.  As as pandemic progressed, schools of all types were going in and out of the virtual format in an ad hoc manner.  Despite the frustration caused by switching around, 57% of students feel more positively about online learning than they did prior to the pandemic.  Imagine what a planned, professionally designed virtual school environment can do for children.

Could virtual schools be the future of education?  For some students, yes.  Families all over the nation are turning to online education because it offers more flexible schedules, a safer environment, and more chances for family involvement in their child’s education.  Flexibility is a great thing for students because it allows them to be treated like individuals, something large school districts struggle to do.  Online school has lower incidences of bullying than in-person school does.  Furthermore, online school is time effective.  Online learning can cover the same material in 40% to 60% less time than traditional school formats.  A virtual student in school for the same amount of time could potentially learn twice as much.

Moreover, virtual school is a chance to design education for the 21st century.  Traditional school settings value compliance and uniformity while the modern workforce wants to see people exhibit innovation, creativity, and initiative.  Individuals who take more initiative in their own learning are more successful in our rapidly changing technological world.  Online school is a chance to create better learning formats, such as a project based curriculum with greater focus on the student’s goals and needs.  Traditional grading scales can be replaced with self-evaluation and more descriptive forms of teacher feedback.  New options arise thanks to online schooling.

What will life be like in the future?  Read about technology of the future.

For kids, games come in all shapes and sizes; from video games to board games, it’s easy to get lost in the world of play. And who can blame them? Kids are born with an innate sense of curiosity that makes them eager for new experiences and learning opportunities.

The younger generation is already ahead when it comes to technology; they’re familiar with smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc., because these devices are now part of their daily lives. Smartphones make access to information possible at any moment or place, but this also means kids (and adults) spend more time indoors than ever before.

Storytelling and Technology

Technology is meant to be used as a tool for work and entertainment, but too much screen time has the opposite effect – one becomes less motivated and less willing to explore the great outdoors. Besides, the internet is a massive source of information, so why even leave the house when you have Google at your fingertips?

There are lots of articles out there about how technology is ruining our kids’ creativity, but here’s an important aside: it’s not just the internet’s fault. The world needs creative individuals who are motivated to create and share their ideas with others. Perhaps one of the most important contributions you can make is ensure internet safety for your young one.

It’s for the concerns surrounding technology that makes storytelling so powerful; it activates imagination, helps children make sense of the world, and encourages them to seek out new experiences. Storytelling can never be fully replaced by technology because words can capture the most profound imaginations through sensory immersion. According to the reviews of profs, who know how to motivate students during distance learning, the younger generation may not be playing board games with actual cards or chess pieces to learn, but they’re still able to become engaged in interactive storytelling through apps.

Structured Play and Online Games

Since storytelling has an influence on social development, kids who play online games tend to have greater cognitive skills than those who don’t – gamers excel at strategic thinking, problem-solving, imagining alternative endings and other creative abilities that build after a child begins to construct a more thorough understanding of the world around them.

Unstructured play allows children to learn by exploring, and storytelling which is an effective window into this type of self-expression. It encourages kids to investigate their surroundings from a different perspective, often becoming motivated by the desire to live vicariously through their favorite characters. However, it’s important not to underestimate the value of educational content in online games for younger audiences; it provides information on subjects like having greater cognitive skills and math skills, science facts while promoting logical thinking and creative problem-solving.

While parents may cringe at some mobile games that don’t offer much educational value, there are many apps that provide a balance between fun and fundamental learning principles that help young children grow into well-rounded adults. Kids are born with a desire to explore the world, so it’s up to us as parents and educators to encourage this tendency through storytelling produced by professional content creators.

What Parents Should Know about Telling Stories

Kids love to be entertained, which is why they go crazy for TV shows and video games. They want their eyes and ears to be stimulated, and it’s up to parents and educators to choose content that matches with educational goals and fosters healthy habits. Kids shouldn’t spend all their time with technology; it needs to be used as a tool for learning, just like books or any other form of storytelling. There are many benefits of telling stories instead of simply reading to them, such as:

• Interactive dialogue encourages kids not only to listen but also to respond in some way: Words have the ability to capture imaginations, but kids also need a voice to make sense of their thoughts and emotions.

• Interactive dialogue encourages problem-solving: When characters come across an obstacle in a story, kids are motivated by the desire to help them succeed. This is how a child begins to learn problem-solving skills at a young age.

• Interactive dialogue motivates kids to explore worlds beyond this one: Being able to explore new environments through stories allows children’s imaginations to run wild. Their physical surroundings no longer limit them; they become more willing to leave the comfort of home because it means learning about something special or discovering something hidden from plain view.

Storytelling about the child’s ancestors can also be a great way to engage connect them with their own past as they learn where they came from.

How to Use Online Games with Kids for Storytelling

Making up stories allows kids to explore their own creativity while learning about the world around them. On top of that, creating content themselves helps children find better ways to express themselves; this is why apps which provide interactive platforms for young writers are so popular. There are many benefits to collaborative storytelling, such as:

• Kids get a chance to publicly show off their work. This motivates them to write and share their stories with others in a safe and encouraging environment.

• Kids learn the importance of sharing ideas while building relationships with peers who have similar interests. Collaborative storytelling can be an excellent way for children to learn social skills at a young age, especially if they’re struggling with understanding how interacting with other people works.

• Collaborative storytelling is less intimidating since it provides more of an opportunity for kids to express themselves creatively without pressure from outside sources. In this case, parents shouldn’t feel the need to step in every so often because there’s no expectation of high standards or serious criticism.

• Kids learn about story arcs and character development while encouraging one another’s work. They help each other grow, which is why collaborative storytelling has the power to transform little writers into powerful communicators as they mature.

When it comes to choosing storytelling devices that encourage young children to use their imaginations and follow their creative impulses, parents should focus more on building a safe environment. The environments should allow the kids to thrive instead of analyzing every single detail of what their child creates with the app.

Parents Can Be Kid Content Creators Too

Since storytelling is an important part of childhood development, parents should feel encouraged to create content that helps cultivate life skills and develop ideas about science and math. This isn’t just for entertainment; stories come with valuable lessons that teach children how the world works, like:

• The idea is that everything they do has an impact on others (and vice versa). Stories help kids understand how their actions affect other people’s lives; this is why young children are encouraged to share their work with each other instead of keeping it all to themselves.

• Every single person has their own perspective on the world around them. Every story teaches kids there are multiple ways of seeing things depending on who’s looking at the situation. This helps them establish empathy for others by understanding where they’re coming from and what they experience on a daily basis.

• Being able to think critically about what they see in stories builds problem-solving skills as well as analytical thinking. Kids can consider alternate scenarios and explore the many ways of seeing a story from unique angles.

Final Thoughts

Parents should encourage their children to be creative, but it’s also important for parents not to stifle their kids’ imaginations by constantly questioning them about what they’re writing or drawing. For example, don’t ask why a child drew a certain picture because you might get an answer that triggers more questions until the original purpose has been completely forgotten. Never criticize or give your opinion unless it’s absolutely necessary; simply say something like, “I’m happy to help if you need any ideas,” and let your child do all the thinking while guiding conversation where necessary.

Are your kids finding it hard to concentrate? Not just on homework, but on virtually anything? Welcome to planet distraction, where every age group is affected by 24/7 connectedness… where a device is always pinging, dinging or blaring content. Are there any solutions to help us focus in such an environment? –Actually, there are!

Should Kids Be Using Smartphones?

If So, From What Age?

Ask a group of parents what the appropriate age is for a child to begin using a cell phone and you will get a variety of impassioned responses. For some, it’s not until high school, whereas others see merit in having their child develop a relationship with technology earlier on. In any case, it’s not our job to tell you what devices to give your kids, but as soon as that Pandora’s box is opened, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle… to mix metaphors.

When kids – hopefully at least teens at the youngest – begin engaging with social media, a phone or iPad or laptop can become an addictive problem. Have you ever tried taking away a 14-year-old’s phone for even a brief period such as dinner? For many parents, it’s a battle royale. Digital distractions are – for a great number of kids, especially teenagers – clearly affecting the quality and productivity of their lives – and that definitely includes the quality of their homework.

How to Use Tech Tools

Blocking Apps to Teach Focus:  For starters, eliminating digital distractions is key to help kids focus and build good study habits. Easier said than done as for one, the device may be needed for homework, and two, many young people say they’d rather go without food than without their phone and a Wi-Fi connection. We joke, but there is a solution to having a device, but not being distracted by it. Parents can quite easily learn how to block certain websites with a tech tool known as a blocking app. Now quite popular with office and home workers as well as college students, a blocking app syncs across all your devices and enables you to choose which sites to block at which specific times.

For example, a 14-year-old coming home from school at say 4:00 p.m. could have their phone and laptop set up so that social media sites are only available from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All of these blocking choices would be up to you – and hopefully made in consultation with your child. A child who is persuaded of the logic of blocking digital distractions during designated times for schoolwork is getting a great life lesson on self-control. Obviously, a blocking app also serves as a sentinel against adult sites or sites with violent content and other unwanted material. And… perhaps mom and dad might also want to use a blocking app to reduce notifications and set an example of not being addicted to smartphones during homework, dinner, and other family times.

Understanding How Brains Works Can Lead to Better Cooperation with Limits   

For kids old enough to understand, you might try explaining the science. Massachusetts Institute of Technology neuroscientist Professor Earl Miller told The Guardian, “Your brain can only produce one or two thoughts [at a time]. We’re very, very single-minded.” In other words, our conscious minds are only capable of holding very limited amounts of information. Our cognitive capacity is tiny. We think we can do two or more things at a time but this is false.

Instead, as neuroscientist Miller explains, “They’re switching back and forth. They don’t notice the switching because their brain sort of papers it over to give a seamless experience of consciousness, but what they’re actually doing is switching and reconfiguring their brain moment-to-moment, task-to-task – [and] that comes with a cost.” That cost is the ability to focus on a single task and as a result, a huge fall in productivity.

In addition to a blocking app, which works as a digital distraction filter, any expert will tell you that children need a routine; they actually appreciate you setting one for them, even though they often vehemently claim they do not. Setting up a specific time that is “homework time” and is always “homework time” creates a routine that stops any debates over when homework should be done. Homework is done during homework time. Period.

Tidy Workspace Equals a Clear Mind

While not feasible for all families because not everyone lives in a large house, having a designated workspace for your child is, of course, ideal. Even if your house is too small for a separate room, clearing off the kitchen table and making it as tidy as possible along with setting up homework equipment is a good idea, as designated homework spaces contribute to a feeling of order and routine. Tidiness is also essential. A clean working area helps create a clean working mind.

Taking Breaks is Essential:   Don’t forget breaks. The adage of ‘all work and no play’ being bad for students isn’t just a frivolous rhyme. The breaks don’t have to be lengthy and depending on the age of the child, perhaps even involve some sort of exercise. Brainpower is boosted by exercise so even a quick 5-minute “dance break” could be helpful.

Remind yourself that when kids are in school, they take their cues from classmates and perhaps sometimes teachers, but when doing homework at home you are the primary role model. You can demonstrate to them that you also do homework in your daily life. Explaining things such as a grocery list or some discussion at dinner on how you plan to organize a workday can instill the idea that everyone does ‘homework’ in their own way.

And finally, remember to tell your children that you’re proud of them whenever honestly possible. They need to know that their effort is appreciated and the simple phrase “I’m proud of you!” is a proven effective motivator.

Did you know that studies have shown that chewing gum improves focus and memory retention?  (of course, make sure it’s sugar free).  Read More