Best Python Coding for Kids Course Review
Python Coding for Kids: Introduction
Today I’ve decided to dive more into what makes a “Python coding for kids” course so unique and special. I’d like to start with a quote from Python.org: “Python is a programming language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more effectively.” Believe it or not, many applications use Python coding, including YouTube, Google Engineers, universities like Maryland, and websites such as realestateagent.com. As you can see, this programming language is essential for kids to learn.
What is Python Coding for Kids Used For?
Python Coding for Kids
Well… it is used mainly for website development, data analysis, and automation. It is often referred to as the “science computing language.”
Where Did Python Coding for Kids Even Come From?
The short version is that a guy named Guido van Rossum, in the early 1980s, was working on a project for the coding community called ABC. After working tirelessly on this, he became fascinated with the idea of creating his computer language. One of the main differences from other computer programming languages is that Guido decided to use “indentations.” Other coders thought he was crazy, but it’s actually what sets Python apart as it is “very readable.” It also doesn’t have any real error signals to alert you if code is wrong for variables and functions like Java, for example. Python’s syntax is like English.
Learning Python for Kids: Free and Paid Options
Online, I’ve seen everything from Python for kids FREE, to paperback Python books, to online courses, all ranging from $10 on Udemy up to $100 (usually coding boot camps). So hopefully, after you’re done reading this, you’ll know which is the best option for your child to learn the amazing language of Python. Just like anything else, there’s always a learning curve, but with patience, your child will be very well-versed in this coding skill when they are old enough to get a job.
Python Books for Beginners
Python books for beginners are mainly what I see on Amazon. Here’s a snapshot of a few along with one in there in Scratch. However, I’m still not sure if this is exactly what a child needs, as they’re just going to move over to the computer anyway to start learning there. I guess a book could be a good start, but most kids that I know would much rather read and go through tutorials on a computer instead of reading it in paperback.
Affordable and Free Python Courses for Kids
The next would be those lower-end courses that are either FREE or around $10 – $30 bucks. Usually, you can find these at Udemy’s Python Courses, LearnPython.org, Codecademy, YouTube channels such as NPSstation, Six Feet Up Corp, and KidsCanCode, and I believe Codakid has a less expensive option too. The hardest part about all of these free Python courses for kids is that they don’t come with any support. You kind of get what you pay for. If you’re going to go on Udemy for example to purchase $10, then just make sure you lower your expectations. Perhaps it is a good exposure starting point. But chances are that your child has already been exposed to JavaScript a little bit, so this could be just a step backward. And for $50 bucks more, you can get full online chat support, email, and live webinars to help the child along the way. I think there’s a place for those lower-end online education courses, but “coding,” and specifically Python, is not one of them. A hobby, sure, but computer science education for homeschooling is no way, Jose! I might add as well that a lot of the free Python courses for kids out there are just dragging and dropping to solve puzzles. They deal more with the logic and not the actual “writing of the code” itself. Something to watch out for.
Higher-End Courses and Boot Camps
Lastly, you have the higher-end courses and boot camps. Coding boot camps have proven to be successful if, and that is a big “IF,” you have the right instructor who can make it fun for the child. They’re nice for the child to get away for a week or a few days and code, usually in a college campus setting. However, in researching some of these, like even Tynker’s Python course or Black Rocket’s Python for Programmers course, there’s a hefty price to pay. Having to cover meals, instructors, and even lodging or travel can prove to be very expensive. I’ve seen anywhere from $500 to $1,500. With the COVID-19 pandemic, these camps weren’t even really able to fully run, and a lot of them had to switch to online interaction, which they were unprepared for. It’s hard to all of a sudden switch your business model like that.
Why Choose Simply Coding for Python?
Here at Simply Coding, we’ve seen these challenges of all different types of Python learning and have adapted to take the best of all 3. With the annual membership fee of around $100 per year, a student can do the coding right from their home. Lessons are structured with text, video, and interactive graphic animation tutorials to prevent boredom and cater to each style of learning. There are also fun little activities and quizzes to go along with each lesson. With live weekly webinars and live chat support every step of the way, this has proven to be helpful for our students. Now, if you think your child would do better learning in a Python coding camp, we also offer that, usually in the summer months. We also started offering a 10-day free trial to test the waters, which takes the nerves off the parents who don’t want to go all in if their kid doesn’t like it. And because Simply Coding is a small business, we can give attention to a student and don’t have any corporate rules or time cards to punch out. Specifically, the Python coding for kids course can be seen by clicking on this link so you can see how we teach it and what is included.
FAQ – Python Coding for Kids Courses
- What is Simply Coding’s Python course for kids? Simply Coding offers beginner-friendly Python courses for kids, focusing on interactive lessons and hands-on projects that make learning coding fun and engaging.
- How long does the Python course take? The duration varies depending on the child’s pace, but the courses are designed to be completed in a few weeks to a couple of months.
- Is this course suitable for beginners? Yes, the courses are ideal for beginners, with step-by-step tutorials and easy-to-follow instructions.
- Do I need any prior coding experience? No prior coding experience is required. The courses start with basic concepts and gradually progress.
- What age group is the course for? The courses are designed for kids aged 8 to 14, but younger or older students with an interest in coding can also benefit.
- Can my child learn at their own pace? Yes, Simply Coding allows children to learn at their own pace, offering flexibility for different learning speeds.
- Are there any interactive elements in the courses? Yes, the courses include interactive lessons, coding challenges, and project-based activities to keep kids engaged.
- How can I track my child’s progress? You can monitor your child’s progress through the Simply Coding platform, which offers progress tracking and milestone reports.
- Is there a free trial available? Simply Coding offers a free trial so you can explore the course content before committing to a subscription.
- How much does the course cost? The course pricing varies, and there are different subscription options available. Visit the Simply Coding website for current pricing details.
For more information, you can visit Simply Coding’s official site.
Powerful Ways Homeschool Math & Typing Boost Coding Skills
We often get the question at Homeschool Math shows across the country as to why we start kids at age 11. Or why can’t my kid start when he’s 8 years old as he’s smart? If my child has done Khan Academy or Scratch or Code.org or any of those free programs online why would we pay for homeschool coding curriculum? So in today’s post, we will be addressing these two specific types of questions and bring in the important connection between homeschool math and homeschool coding (computer science programming). When I was searching “math and coding” on Google I was amazed at the few options and articles that even address this, which inspired me to write this post. From Stem blogs to even a site I found called http://www.mathandcoding.org/ started by librarians. So if you’ve visited any sites mentioned below I hope this information will help.
Let’s begin by talking about the age as that is probably the easiest to cover. Why start at age 11?
TYPING SKILLS
The first issue which is pretty easy to solve is “typing” skills. When doing computer science as a homeschool curriculum it is probably the most critical skill needed when doing homeschool math or coding is keyboarding. This was usually taught back in 7th and 8th grade when I went to school but seems to be taught earlier now. And in homeschooling classrooms or at-home learning, it is being taught as early as 8 years old. My daughter just started Simply Coding’s typing course and is learning currently the ASDF and JKL; keys. She loves it! Being able to type 15 wpm (words per minute) or faster with minimal errors is NECESSARY! Why? Because finger typing or very slow typing is going to cause frustration in your child’s coding (computer programming). This in turn will make it a bad experience. Of course, if we were a dishonest company we would just take everyone in regardless of their computer skills to make money, but that’s not us. We seriously want every child to have a great experience. When being exposed to coding, like anything else, that first impression is the most important!
If you are not sure if your child has the typing skills necessary or perhaps he/she taught themselves how to type, it is a good idea to have them go through the “Homeschool Math typing course” first and just test it out. It’s included in the membership anyway. REMEMBER: It’s easier to fix bad habits when they’re younger and the same goes with typing for homeschoolers. You can also try out a fun test like NitroType.
Homeschool Math SKILLS & FREE CODING COURSES vs PAID ONES
So just like the first requirement of “typing” for your homeschool student, the good ole’ homeschool math is also necessary. Now I’m not talking huge math skills, but some basic concepts need to be understood and integrated into your homeschool curriculum if the child or student is to be successful in computer programming. We have found that at age 11 the child usually knows the necessary math, however, within the homeschoolers, this can be a younger age. So if you feel that your child is fairly advanced, just hit us up on chat and we can ask a few questions to find out. That’s what the 10-day trial is for too. So your child will need to know addition, subtraction, a little bit about slopes and angles, and some arrays. There are great homeschool math courses out there, but as I saw my wife weed through all of them online, she settled on Singapore Math. So far it has been a great experience for my 11 yr old daughter. She says it is very different from what she was learning in school, but likes it.
NOW…. where does it benefit to start paying for homeschool coding classes? We love the free programs out there like Khan Academy Learning, Code.org, and MIT’s program Scratch Coding for kids. I’m sure there’s more too out there, but these seem to be the main ones we are asked about over and over. So here’s a list that will help you homeschool moms out there decide whether it’s time to move on from the free homeschooling coding classes to the paid ones.
- Real Coding – Most of these mentioned above along with others are not exactly what you would call “real coding”. This means the student is not writing the actual code on their computer and uploading it to create a website or game online. But just moving objects or written code that is just copied/pasted into boxes and an image appears on the screen. Now once again this free coding material for kids is a GREAT PLACE TO START and can help with what we like to call, “computer logic”. This is just a fancy way of saying your child will understand basic concepts of how the coding works and can make something appear on the screen but doesn’t learn how to write it. Also, most free homeschool coding lessons will have their libraries where they host the kids’ material or projects. Meaning you can’t take it with you or show others easily. If the child is ready to write real code and upload their fun gaming projects or websites to the web on a neutral website like GitHub and start building a nice portfolio of their ideas, then it’s time to move on from free to paid.
- Support – Free homeschooling programs come with no chat support, or very limited email or phone support. Why is this? Because there is not enough funding and non-profits cannot handle the millions of kids. It’s free to give kids exposure to how fun coding can be and that is its purpose.
- Boredom – Once a child has done so much of Scratch or Khan or any others, they usually get bored and end up doing the same things over and over. They aren’t learning anything new. Kids need to be stimulated. They’re sponges and want to soak up more info and homeschool learning. That’s why you homeschool right? The possibilities are endless for a child who doesn’t have to wait for the whole class. They are at their own pace. This is how a homeschool coding class should be too!
Here are a couple of other good reads on how important math is in coding and even coding with math. haha!
Coding and Math: The Perfect Pair – https://www.mathnasium.com/coding-and-math-the-perfect-pair
How Coding Can Improve Math Performance – https://www.tynker.com/blog/articles/ideas-and-tips/programming-better-math-skills-fun/
Conclusions… Thanks for reading and I hope it helps. It’s been fun to provide coding homeschool classes, but now doing it with our kids as they come of age is even cooler. I’ve got 3 daughters and they’re loving it. With COVID-19 and other unsure issues in the world, we both felt strongly about homeschooling our children this year. And so far I think it’s going well. If you have any comments or questions please reach out or hit us up on chat and we’ll gladly try to answer your questions/concerns.
Signing Off for the day.
Coding For Kids What Services Are Out There?
Scratch coding for kids
coding for kids has been around for a while now and is geared towards kids ranging in age 8 years
to 16 years old. It is a coding drag/drop program that was developed and sponsored by MIT and the Lifelong Kindergarten group. Scratch has the goal of allowing children to learn programming logic through their own interactive stories and animations. The user can then share their projects with the Scratch online community. What I like about Scratch, is that it is a great starting point for a young child (6 – 11) to get exposed to the logic of coding and how it works. It expresses during those early years the creative reasoning in the brain that are essential skills for a computer programmer,
or any profession for that matter, where you have to picture things in your mind and then create them on the screen. Scratch is a free resource backed by the LEGO Foundation, Google, Intel, and others. There’s also a ScratchJr for those ages 5-7. If you’re concerned about your child being on the internet, the company also provides a desktop editor that you can download here https://scratch.mit.edu/download.
IMPORTANT: One very important thing for a parent to understand about Scratch is that it is NOT “real-world coding or a genuine experience in computer Coding for Kids”. It is software that allows you to drag and drop different pieces of code, costumes and sounds onto a screen template that fits together like puzzle pieces. It is very fun and stimulating for a younger kid, but eventually will lead to the question, “What’s Next?”. It’s the perfect stepping stone like the training wheels on a bicycle. Scratch is a great way to get exposed to concepts and get their feet wet, seeing if your child likes building things online via a computer keyboard and screen. Don’t get us wrong, you can create very intricate and complicated programs from scratch. But they won’t ever be ‘yours’ in the sense they only work inside the scratch sandbox. They have a great community. There is no online chat support or customer service as it is a non-profit, which is to be expected.
Code.org was founded by Hadi Partovi and is probably the coding curriculum you’ve heard about from 
school teachers. I would say their goal is to get any type of coding exposure to ALL kids whether they are interested or not. Code.org boasts a high participation rate among female students and underrepresented minorities. Their program is geared toward those ages 5 years up to 18 years old. Like Scratch, it is a nonprofit and provides necessary computer science skills in every school. Their donors include Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many more that have deep pockets and are passionate about kids learning technology. Code.org also organizes annually one of the largest Coding for Kids campaigns in the USA called, “Hour of Code”.
IMPORTANT: While their software also covers teaching logic and creation similar to Scratch, where you are dragging and dropping code blocks, they also have real coding with real syntax for the older students. However, you are still coding in their sandbox meaning the code you create won’t work perfectly except when executed inside their website. Their overall mission is to give everyone an equal opportunity to learn computer science principles at any age. Code.org is another non-profit with limited support and/or resources but a great free option.
Other popular services that are very similar to code.org are Codecademy and Khan Academy.
Let’s take a break from the free resources and take another approach to learning Coding for Kids. There’s always this tug-o-war between parents and screen time with their children. You as a parent want the absolute best future, but they want to sneak in some lengthy video games too.
This is where Code Ninjas wants to come in and help marry these two challenges of allowing kids to have fun but also learn the important technology and computer programming for kids.
Code Ninja is a franchise with physical locations where they teach teamwork, match, logic, and problem-solving to 7-year-olds up to 14 years old. I know one of the franchisees and they run a good program. They are very much of the belief we have, which is that coding is going to be a second language for your child and will most likely be required. Code Ninjas is out to build coding centres for youth all over the nation and then into Canada and Europe. They believe that technology is advancing so fast and it’s an exciting time for kids to learn and grow whether or not they are interested in computer programming or not. The Code Ninjas courses used to teach coding are the brains of David Graham who founded Coder Camps teaching adults to be software developers. I like the fact that they provide a physical location to come and learn for those who want their kids to be part of a group where they interact at a Code Ninja facility. As it is currently code Ninjas has 428 centres in 45 states. Check them out! https://www.codeninjas.com/locations.
IMPORTANT: To participate in Code Ninjas you will have to have one of their locations near you or perhaps you’re interested in owning one yourself. The cost is set by the locally owned and operated franchise centres. So you would have to contact the center closest to you for pricing information. It averages out to be around a couple of hundred bucks a month. They teach real coding in its native environment as we do here at Simply Coding.
Tynker Coding for kids is HUGE with 60 million kids worldwide appealing to all kids of all
ages and interests. They have courses on how to create apps, and mods in Minecraft, make websites, build games, and even control toys. Tynker is very similar to Code.org they partner on many projects. For ages 13+ real-world coding starts with an introduction to JavaScript and Python, Web development with HTML, CSS and some minimal preparation for the AP Computer Science tests. Like the others, all coding is performed inside their website and will only work perfectly there. The reason I want to point this out is some students may not understand that coding libraries are working behind the scenes to make some of your functions work. If you are wanting to build toward creating your coding portfolio, then these options are for learning purposes only.
IMPORTANT: Tynker is famous for their coding camps all over the world and is a very large organization so it is somewhat hard if you are a newbie parent trying to figure this all out for the first time. Customer support is limited and if you need the personal touch, or communication via live webinar or live chat for your child or even a phone call for you, this may not be the best option. The last thing you want is for your child to get frustrated during their first exposure to computer programming. This can discourage very fast and be an uphill battle with parent and child from day one. I also did not find on their site exactly where the mini-coding camps are located, which could mean Tynker is now pushing online more and more. There are subscription plans on the website ranging from $7/mo to family plans of $30/mo.
Now Bitsbox is something you’ve probably never seen before and very different from any of the others. Just think of those delivery meal companies for a monthly subscription where it just shows up
on your door each month and you open it up and enjoy! Bitsbox is all about getting kids prepared for the future of technology and do it by providing a box on your front porch once a month. Their motto is, “Your child may become a coder someday, or they may not. Either way, because tech is the future, Bitsbox will have them prepared”.( https://go.bitsbox.com/ ) As featured on SharkTank, the Bitsbox comes with instructions for the child and you as a parent that will help your child login online and start coding awesome projects. Bitsbox values on their website state: focus & attention, problem-solving, confidence, typing, together time, and creativity. The brains behind Bitsbox were two ex-Google engineers who wanted to teach their Coding for Kids
IMPORTANT: Bitsbox is a high-quality company with very appealing marketing materials from the outside of the box to colourful instruction cards. Subscriptions start around $29.95 per month, but if you purchase the 12-month package you can get your price down to $24.95 (https://subscribe.bitsbox.com/details/basicbitsbox.html). Bitsbox is limited to children between the ages of 6 and 12.
iD Tech is the oldest and one of the very first technology camps Coding for Kids and Teens since its inception in 1999. They have about 60,000 students per year with a very good track record. Nowadays for any 
type of tech company to last beyond a decade is amazing. iD Tech is doing it. They boast of having big partnerships with Adobe, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Epic Games, and Unity. It’s a straightforward process as they host in-person summer camps on college campuses. You go to the website: https://www.idtech.com/ and then click on “locations” and see if there’s a camp close to where you live. Their mission is “to create life-changing tech experiences that embolden students to shape the future.” (https://www.idtech.com/about)
IMPORTANT: iD Tech only provides summer camps on campuses with a vetted summer staff of college students. From the looks of it, iD Tech ranges from ages 7 to age 19 with all-girl camp options and specialty camps for robotics, Coding for Kids, and game development. iD Tech provides 2 types of camps: A day camp ranging around $849 per week and an overnight camp for an additional $579 for room and board (meals included). Here are more pricing and camp schedules https://www.idtech.com/tech-camps.
This is us! So where do we fit in? 
We offer a coding pathway for youth (ages 11+) giving them a real computer science experience. They have access to live mentor chat support. Mon – Fri and email support after hours. All of the coding and work they do will be saved on their computer, it’s theirs forever. Our students create an online portfolio of their work and host it live via github.com. This is important as they’ll be able to show potential colleges and/or internships what they can do!
For more information see: https://simplycoding.org/coding-for-kids
IMPORTANT: Simply Coding’s Coding for Kids pathways are self-directed with online chat support or screen share help. Students can either engage in the lessons through text-based learning and interactions or by watching the videos. Every lesson shows examples, video explanations, interactive learning experiences, and embedded practice editors. Each lesson concludes with a step-by-step activity to add code to your project on your computer’s workspace.
Coding Camps for Kids on Campus is Great for College Recruiting
Today I thought I would write a little bit about how we think summer coding camps for kids on College and University campus is a great recruiting tool. Allowing kids ages 11 through 18 years of age to be on the campus physically is proving to be a huge success in the recruitment of those same Coding Camps for Kids when they’re older for many universities and colleges all over the U.S. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I want to cover 3 reasons of why it works in today’s blog post. Let’s jump in!
REASON #1: GOOD MEMS ALL AROUND Coding Camps for Kids
Anytime I talk with my buddies about the past we always state “Good mems!” The main reason is that if you think about a child whose brains are developing so rapidly in their younger years, they associate places, things, sounds, and smells with either great times or possibly even bad times. A College or University creates a wonderful atmosphere for kids to come and experience walking around campus and then sit in a computer lab where they see all those computers and cool gadgets, robotics stuff surely leave a profound impression on those video gamers when walking out of the campus computer lab!
REASON #2: START EDUCATING THEM NOW WITH LIVE EXPERIENCES
Most everyone associates with a mentor or someone they look up to and it’s usually the person that taught them how to work, play, and have fun while doing it. By providing computer programming camps for kids on your campus you have already begun the education process for these young fellas to learn! As the kids look to the University as almost a mentor, they will only want to continue with concurrent enrollment classes in high school, and other continuing education classes because they’ll already be comfortable having been to summer camps.
Learning a bit of computer science on campus for kids over the summer proves to be extremely beneficial for the parents as well. What parent doesn’t want to see their child graduate from the same University they did? Well… instead of sending them letters every year to donate to their alma mater, why not send a letter and say you’re offering a summer coding camp for kids for their child who want to learn how to program video games and websites or develop apps that make robots move? I mean you already have the computer labs and with Simply Coding you can use their curriculum and live chat support. Now all you need is have a page where they can register and possibly a teacher aide that needs to be in the room for adult supervision. Educating kids now on your campus is a very smart idea for any continuing education department looking towards the future students that you will want to attend. Experience is everything! I just saw this coding camp out in Singapore.
A LITTLE EXTRA FUNDS
REASON #3: A LITTLE EXTRA FUNDS
I don’t know if this falls into a reason why, but I have to mention it anyway as for the smaller colleges and universities, they may want to make a little money on the side over the summer. With a revenue share model, the continuing education department can receive some money from the camps that then in turn can be used for advertising of the camps or funding other summer camps for kids. Coding isn’t the only thing that kids are interested in nowadays, it’s just the majority. But there are lots of little girl cooks like my daughter who would die to go to a summer camp where they learn the basics of cooking instead of watching Cupcake Wars or Bobby Flay all day. As a parent myself I have no problem paying a couple hundred bucks for my daughters to go to a summer camp on the campus of my alma mater!
CONCLUSIONS
I remember when I went to a basketball camp when I was around 10 years old on the campus of my Dad’s alma mater. I’ll never forget it. It left an impression on me that made me want to grow up and go there when I’m older. Just as sports camps for kids did this for me, so do coding camps for kids, and others produce that same feeling of the memory. And guess where I ended up? Yup! Right where my Dad went to school! It is my opinion that there is no stronger recruiting tool for a college or university than to run summer camps for kids! It’s easy. It’s turnkey. It’s fulfilling. It’s affecting the lives of children in their social skills, confidence, and maturity. And most importantly it’s allowing the kids to feel and experience the wonderful culture your school is all about! Heck, give them a cool T-shirt with your logo and colours or a cool slogan! Any swag you can think of? That’ll go a long way! Other interesting summer STEM camps for kids I saw out there were Sylvan, Idtech summer camps, and Tynker stem camps. Be sure to look at all of them to make the best choice for your school! And of course, we are here to answer any questions as we know all of them!
Have questions about coding camps for kids? We’re here to help! Just click on the live chat or give us a call. For more information on how Simply Coding works with colleges and universities with summer camps, you can just click on this link.
Till next time, this is D signing off!
Is Code.org Bad or Good for my Student or Child
In today’s post, I want to cover whether Is Code.org Good or Bad for your student or child. I’ve heard both sides and there’s a lot of misinformation out there online that is not giving the parent or teacher the right idea about exactly what is Code.org computer science curriculum. So hopefully I can clear this up once and for all and address the worries of parents. I think the real worry for parents and teachers comes down to this: Is my student or child wasting their time on the computer and just playing games? Well…I promise if you keep reading you’ll stop feeling guilty as a parent like I did and see that computer screen time can be for learning and enjoyable.
About Code.org Mission
Code.org is a computer science curriculum for schools that is run as a non-profit. Their vision is to bring coding to every student all over the USA. You can read more about their vision here: https://code.org/about.
What we here at Simply Coding like about Code.org is that it gives the kid or student a nice introduction to the world of coding specifically through their program called, “Hour of Code”. But as I write this I want parents to understand the differences between real-world coding for kids and what we like to call visual programming languages. I’ll do the best I can to explain in parent language.
2 Types of Programming Languages
Visual Based Computer Programming (not real coding environment)
I like to refer to this as the drag-and-drop method of coding games. It is easier at first when you are just learning the logic or syntax to simply have a student click the mouse and then drag and drop either images or pieces of already written code into blocks. It’s also great for those who do not yet know how to type and are trying to gain exposure to see if coding may be something they will like. Most kids start here. However, if you notice your child starting to get bored, then it may be time for something more challenging. Code.org is instant gratification for kids, which is why they like it! You simply log in online and start clicking and dragging and instantly can see your projects! However, the downfall is that you cannot go further than this, thus progression stops for the child and creates boredom. This is mainly because most kids who are into coding have the brain to want to keep going and designing their games or projects beyond their imaginations. Just dragging and dropping blocks is simply not going to cut it for them. Because it is a non-profit there is no customer support, which can lead to a first-time frustrating experience for some. The child is on their own. So parents just be aware of that. And I almost forgot that because they host all kid’s projects on their libraries (website) you can’t save your work and post it wherever.
Examples of visual-based coding: Code.org Blockly Hour of Code, Khan Academy, CodeCademy, Scratch MIT program
Bottom Line: Blockly and other similar programs are great for introducing logic or syntax. They are fun to do for kids and great to expose them to how coding works and the cool stuff you can make with it. It is more like you’re playing a game right off the bat. I relate it to perhaps a “theory” class of learning the piano or learning how to play one song without really learning the notes. I can still play “In the Jungle” by Lion King and don’t know a single note!
Text-Based Computer Programming Code.org (real live coding environment).
Once your child is bored, then it is time to move into text-based computer programming to keep feeding his or her imagination of creations. This is real-life coding where your child or student will download a text editor onto their computer (which is free by the way) and write or type in letters, numbers, symbols, etc. to then upload to the internet and display their games or projects. A text editor is like Notepad or Microsoft Word but for computer programming for kids. The downfall is it can be kind of boring to start as one doesn’t know the basic instructions or rules. However, at Simply Coding we have come up with 3 useful games (pong, fish, Mario) in the first lesson that we use as a medium to teach the kids coding. This helps with the boredom. We also do live chat support and live weekly webinars to help the child through any frustrations they’re having to try and make it a great first experience. The downfall is that the student does need to know how to type 15 words per minute and this is because we want it to be a great experience and finger typing won’t get the job done and be frustrating for your child and you as the parent. The other thing to be aware of is that there is no forgiveness in text-based coding for kids. If you put a semi-colon in the wrong place or forget a letter somewhere, the computer will not have the right instructions to move an object and the code will fail. But nowadays there are so many tools that check the code and tell the student where the errors are. Just like if you were to hit the wrong key on the piano. Also unlike other sites, we do NOT host your kid’s projects at all. They get to learn how to post it on Git Hub and create their portfolio of stuff. This way they take it with them and it’s theirs forever!
Examples of text-based coding for kids: Javascript game design , Python multiplayer, building websites in html css
Bottom Line: Text-based computer programming is the real deal. You actually type the code and then see it come to life! There are no boundaries. The more you learn, the more you can do that eventually leads to a skill and a job or career! I would relate this to actually reading music and playing the piano and not just learning a song to where you eventually can pick up a sheet of music and play anything. At least that makes sense in my head.
Which Coding for Kids Course Best for my Child or my Students?
This is actually quite easy to answer. It really depends on their age and or grade in school, their previous exposure to any type of coding, and typing skills. If the child is in elementary school or 11 years or younger, then they probably most likely don’t know how to type yet either and would benefit from code.org or scratch coding programs for initial exposure and to learn some logic. If on the other hand your student or child is 12 years old to 18 years old and can type, then the dragging and dropping will become very boring very quickly and the free coding resources out there is not going to cut it.
Conclusions:
I hope this was explained well enough to a parent, but if you have any questions, please hit us up on chat or email us at support@simplycoding.org or heck even give us a call. We are parents too and totally get it. Simply Coding for kids is all about turning those computer gamers into programmers and coders. Feel free to watch our video series on this here. It will go through 4 short videos of what we exactly do at Simply Coding!
Signing off,
Dustin
Is Fortnite Bad for Kids or a Path to Coding Careers?
Is Fortnite bad for kids?
Can a child that plays Fortnite all day really learn how to code video games and then actually get a job and/or career?
I tried to think what I would title this post for the week as I stumbled upon some Fortnite coding ads that I thought were funny. Now I’m a parent and have to admit that I’ve never played Fortnite and probably never will! Actually, my daughter Shay just walked into my office and saw me searching up on google “fortnite” and blurted out, “That’s the lamest game ever! It has a lot of violence!”.
She’s obviously our most obedient child. Hahahaha!!!! So I read up a little bit here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortnite.
If you don’t want to read through it then I’ll sum it up for you in my daddy language.
MY DEFINITION:
Your child basically creates worlds and battle arenas inside the video game and fights other kids till the last man is standing! Which is funny to me because really there is no ending to the game. So there really isn’t a last man standing. I guess that’s how my parent brain once again thinks. Perhaps people can comment below and help me better.
THEIR DEFINITION:
Now fast forward to current years and there are actually 3 versions:
Fortnite: Save the World is designed as player-versus-environment game, with four players cooperating towards a common objective on various missions. The game is set after a fluke storm appears across Earth, causing 98% of the population to disappear, and the survivors to be attacked by zombie-like “husks”…..From missions, players are awarded a number of in-game items, which include hero characters, weapon and trap schematics, and survivors, all of which can be leveled up through gained experience to improve their attributes.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a player-versus-player battle royale game for up to 100 players, allowing one to play alone, in a duo, or in a squad (usually consisting of three or four players). Weaponless players airdrop from a “Battle Bus” that crosses the game’s map. When they land, they must scavenge for weapons, items, resources, and even vehicles while trying to stay alive and attack other players, eliminating them….This forces remaining players into tighter spaces and encourages player encounters. The last player, duo, or squad remaining is the winner.
Fortnite Creative is a sandbox game mode where players are given complete freedom to create anything they want on an island, such as battle arenas, race courses, platforming challenges and more. Epic Games reviews some of the most popular creations from Creative and rotate these into the Battle Royale map in an area called “The Block”.[1] Featured creations are also shown in the “Creative Hub.”
SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortnite
FROM GAMERS TO CODERS… REALLY?
So now that we know what it is…. I want to get back to the Advertisements that I saw online about how Fortnite can help your son or daughter learn how to code.
Here is one below:
And here’s another:
In this ad it states video game developer, strategic planner, architect, & project manager expert are some of the jobs that you can get by playing the game. However, we know this is just advertising and a hook to really get kids to use the medium of gaming and convert it into real life skills of computer programming and coding. That’s why I love working here at Simply Coding. We have the same philosophy of “Don’t Consume It! Create It!”
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
So we get back to the question if Fornite is bad for kids. Now obviously, parents we want to be careful with our children and make sure there are not becoming addicted to playing FortNite or other video games. Because too much of one thing is never a good thing. Not sure who said that or who I’m quoting, but it is TRUE! However, I feel that some parents may just go “cold turkey” on the video games with their kids and then actually be depriving them of the actual computer screen time that could very well have led to their talents and gifts God has given them to become the next Microsoft genius or Facebook programmer.
CONCLUSIONS:
Now I’m not here to tell you what to do with your child. That is not the reason for this post. Plus there are hundreds of debates online that you can find on whether FortNite is good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, etc. etc. Just google, “fortnite bad for kids” and it will come up with 35 million results!
Here at Simply Coding for kids we can tell very quickly with in the first 3 months if a child has the ability to become a great coder OR he or she just likes playing video games and learning to code is not his/her thing and should probably pursue something else. That kind of investment of a mere $60 bucks to find out if my child has what it takes is totally worth it in my opinion.
This post is going a bit longer than what I wanted. If you want, we actually do a whole video series though on this conflicting guilty feeling of a parent who has a child that plays video games and says they want to design video games for a living.
YES this is a real thing!
You can check it out here. If anything, it’s very informative and feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We are here to help!
It’s our passion to help YOU help YOUR children discover their passions in the technology careers of tomorrow and it’s never too early to start. Trust Me!
Till next time. Signing off…
Every Kid Needs Coding – Don’t Be Left Behind
The skill of the future & why every child needs coding
Look around you, computers are everything. I bet you can’t name a job that doesn’t include using a computer – I dare you. It just doesn’t happen. So why not understand
them? In a recent report, by the year 2020 5 million jobs will be lost to automation. Now, it’s not that you can’t get a job in the future if you don’t know any basic code, but it is saying that it will be very hard to get one of those jobs. Why play Texas hold ’em with 1 card? Instead, choose to play with pocket aces, and learn computer coding. The time is now! kids are creative and smart. They are open to new learning strategies and have the chance to learn a valuable skill right now!
“Learning to write programs stretches your mind, helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains.” –Bill Gates
Coding for Kids – Regardless of Profession
Computer developers are not the only people who use code. This is a common misconception. Marketing/Adverting, Public Relations, Sales, Human Resources and many other jobs often ask for applicants to have some background in coding. If you do
n’t believe me go to glassdoor.com (or any job search engine) and search for jobs in any of these fields. Under skills, most will ask for a basic knowledge of JavaScript, HTML or CSS. An applicant without any of these skills is instantly placed on the bottom of the list. It isn’t enough to understand social media or to be familiar with just tech. Knowing how to use a computer is not the same as knowing how a computer works. Make sure you stand out for the future.
We give your child a head start
Stop allowing your kids to waste entire summers playing video games and watching YouTube. Give them the chance to learn a new skill while still having fun. With summer camps available all summer long, they can finally start getting familiar with code. Whether they try it for one week or do a whole month, we can help them start understanding code with fun, interactive methods like learning JavaScript through modding Minecraft. We teach kids to understand what the different computer programming languages are and the courses allow them to create using all of them.
ALSO….A FREE GIFT for You!
If you haven’t already we are offering our “techie” dictionary. THE “TECHIE” DICTIONARY FOR PARENTS WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND THEIR KIDS’ COMPUTER JARGON. Have you heard your children use words like, Scratch, MMO, Javascript, Minecraft Mods, Github, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or even Java? Well… we’ve compiled a list of the TOP 70 computer jargon words you absolutely need to know as a parent in this FREE parents guide. Think of it as a “computer terms for dummies” type read, but entertaining! CLAIM IT HERE.
Don’t Let Your Kids Waste Another Summer! Take Coding Classes This Summer
A summer of learning
Imagine this scenario: a summer where your child plays video games and learns a new valuable skill. Here at Simply Coding, this isn’t just a dream scenario, but a reality. Let’s be honest, it can be challenging to find something in the Summer Coding that challenges children while at the same time allows the children to enjoy what they are doing. We understand this, which is why what we are doing is revolutionary. Our summer programs allow your children to not only learn computer coding skills, but let’s them play Minecraft while they learn!
Why it works
We developed our software with the realization that children get a real sense of satisfaction if they relate to what they create. By working through Minecraft, the kids can compare what they create to what they have already experienced. They get excited to see the things that they create in a game that they already know and love. As the children evolve in their coding skills, they enjoy the art of coding itself, unlocking their true creativity.
How does playing a video game teach code
Minecraft, the game, is written in Javascript code. Javascript is one of the three core languages of the world wide web, which means that it is very used and very valuable. By understanding the Minecraft’s code the kids are actually learning to read and manipulate Javascript code. The kids will learn to build websites and write code all with their knowledge that started by learning to make mods in Minecraft.
See for yourself
Our summer programs have gone on for a couple years now. During this time we perfected and fixed our program so that the children learn the necessities of coding, while at the same time enjoy showing up daily to perfect their projects. These lessons encourage the kids to upload everything they do to their own personal portfolio on github.com (just like this). They will be able to show these portfolios to future schools and future employers. To see others games made by real students, go to the student page on the home screen of simplycoding.org and under the student tab, click on code dungeon.
Our goal is for these kids to be career ready one day, while enjoying the learning process right now.
To learn more about the summer camps, or to reserve a spot, contact us here.