While your child’s future career may be uncertain right now, it never hurts to start early and prepare them for a variety of careers by introducing them to STEM topics, like coding.

As a parent, the idea of teaching your child coding may seem complicated and even intimidating at first. Still, as the world grows more digitally connected, it’s clear that coding for kids is becoming essential for their future. Let’s face it. The world has changed significantly in the last decade and shows no signs of slowing.

9 Reasons Why You Should Explore Coding for Kids

Coding used to be traditionally reserved for computer wizs and the technologically savvy, but recently it’s become more accessible for even our youngest family members. 

Kids today are ‘digital natives’ and have grown up playing video games, interacting with tablets and phones, and a variety of other digital devices. And since kids pick up quickly on new concepts, coding is a natural progression to take them from digital consumers to digital creators.

1. Coding: The Language of the 21st Century

Coding isn’t just for traditional computer programmers. As the world shifts to a more technologically driven society, coding is becoming an increasingly beneficial literacy.

Coding is essentially using specialized languages to communicate information to a computer to perform a specific task. Learning these coding languages will open up a variety of career opportunities in many industries.

2. Coding for Kids Stimulates Creativity

Coding allows children to think creatively as they learn to design websites, video games, or other interactive programs in a digital environment with code. Kids are encouraged to think big and stay curious as they see their ideas transform into reality.

3. Coding Helps Kids Understand the World Around Them

By learning how to code, kids begin to understand how the programs they’ve been using work and how real-world problems can be solved using technology. 

This is a true superpower! They understand how everything works around them, giving them the inspiration to build something big.

4. Coding Builds Problem-Solving Skills

Coding takes perseverance. In order to get the desired outcome, coders will often have to work out several ‘bugs’ in their code. Through the process of debugging, kids can learn the power of persistence as they work through issues.

Developing these skills helps children solve problems in life, whether at school or later in professional settings.

5. Coding for Kids Can Help Sharpen Math Skills

Coding encourages kids to visualize abstract concepts strengthening their arithmetic and algebraic skills. They get the opportunity to apply math to real-world situations in a practical and fun manner.

6. Coding Helps Improve Concentration and Focus

Coding for kids is challenging and requires focus. Working towards a goal for hours and debugging code ultimately helps to increase their abilities in concentration.

7. Coding for Kids Helps Build Resilience and Confidence

While it’s true that bugs and errors are part of the coding process, these aren’t necessarily bad things. Often, bugs can represent learning opportunities for children to try again and learn more about coding concepts. 

As they navigate through coding classes, children gain soft skills such as perseverance and resilience. And as they learn to overcome setbacks, they will gain confidence as they are able to complete various assignments.

8. Coding Prepares Children for the Jobs of Tomorrow

With technology-focused occupations growing consistently year after year, the demand for applicants with coding knowledge will only increase in the next 5, 10, or 20 years. Getting your child involved in coding classes at an early age can help them develop the abilities that businesses are looking for and provide the groundwork for their future success.

9. Coding Is Fun!

While it’s true that coding classes are an excellent way for children to develop both soft skills and practical knowledge that they can apply to other aspects of their lives, it can also be a fun activity that they look forward to. 

Coding Schools, like iCode, offer a variety of fun-packed, interactive classes that are engaging from start to finish. Their hands-on, project-based learning approach ensures that students stay on track and build a deeper understanding and love for coding and STEM activities.

Getting Started with Coding for Kids

iCode School offers coding for kids and is a leader in onsite STEM education classes.  Find a location near you and book your FREE trial class to get started!

What are you waiting for? Enroll your kid in iCode School today!