Beyond a Fad; 5 Reasons Why Your Child Should Learn to Program

As a student, I am constantly learning and find myself gravitating towards subjects that are interesting, and more importantly, striving towards a career path relevant to my passions. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that developing certain skills and tools is necessary to do good work, and coding is no exception. As recent research puts coding at the forefront of our future careers, how do we begin to pass this knowledge to young minds, and why is it critical for them to start at an early age? 

 Here are five (of many) reasons why your child should begin to learn programming:

1. Provides Opportunity for All Ages 

In today’s digital age, kids grow up learning how to unlock phones, watch videos, and play games on devices before they can even begin to walk. Their ability to understand and use technology is astoundingly ingrained in them from early developmental stages and increases further as they mature. Consequently, learning to code at a young age will prepare them for the future, and allow the extent of their programming skills to develop as their brain does. If children are being taught math, science, and English in school to ensure their ability to communicate and problem solve, implementing programming into their education should be essential, as technology plays a vital role in much of what we do on a daily basis.

2. Fosters Creative Expression

Programming is not just for those interested in becoming scientists or tech wizards. It truly is an enhanced learning opportunity that will benefit kids across all interests. What was once thought of  as simply computational and somewhat boring process, has now become an exciting and attainable skill in this digital era. Programming allows the young minds’ innate ability to express their creativity by literally building something out of scratch, which is a similar strategy in common activities like baking or drawing. With that in mind, coding doesn’t have to share the same limiting factors requiring certain ingredients or having necessary colours available. Their only limitation is their imagination.

3. Controls Online Usage

With social media being a popular and integral piece of the population’s online usage, coding can teach people at a very young age to become creators instead of consumers. A recent report states that most of our online time is spent browsing on social media. If our children were to understand the basic concepts of an application that create the content, and the fundamentals behind how they work, this would demystify the technical process, thereby making them active opposed to passive users. By looking at programming as a valuable tool, we can ensure children are learning proper digital hygiene; the process of intentional technology use.

4. In Demand 

Given the current state of the world, coding will surely be necessary in the workforce moving forward. This skill will give young people confidence when applying for jobs, and an advantage over competing applicants. In addition to being prepared for potential jobs, programming also qualifies users for higher income opportunities. In fact, Burning Glass reports that half of the jobs under the top income quartile require coding skills. As the future of the economy is uncertain, a recession following this global pandemic is unavoidable. By shifting into a maker movement instead of a consumer economy, those who learn to code can respond to this new reality, fully equipped, and ready to face any challenge in the competitive market. 

5. Fundamentals for the Future

Regardless of the field your child decides to pursue in the future, it’s no doubt that having a strong basis and knowledge of programming will teach them invaluable skills applicable to any job opportunity. In this constantly evolving technological economy, educators believe learning how to code will soon become as important as learning the alphabet. By providing coding programs for beginners, they will have the advantage of being exposed to the basic concepts and essential terminology.  This seamless integration will allow them to stay ahead of the curve and expand that foundation as the years progress. 

Essentially, once you learn to program, you see the world in a different way. Think of coding as another tool in your child’s fundamental toolkit, placed alongside shapes, colours, numbers, and the alphabet. Kids Innovative offers online coding programs for beginners, inspiring them to be savvy digital citizens.

Learn more about Kids Innovative and the programs offered.