Do you need to be a proficient programmer to be able to get your children excited about coding? Well, the answer is no! Even though you might not be from an IT background or have any computer literacy knowledge, the need of the hour demands children to be capable of performing basic coding. Most organizations prefer hiring professionals who have some coding knowledge, versus those who have none at all.

This Blog is dedicated to all those parents who wish to be a guiding lamp to their children by steering them on the right path and encouraging kids to pursue coding as a hobby to start with, rather than burdening them with the pressure of having to study one more subject. Holding conversations can be powerful, so let us show you how to talk to your preschooler and middle-school goers to develop a liking for coding.

#1 Talk About the Benefits of Learning To Code

Children should be introduced to coding at an early age, as it is becoming one of the most important skills that one needs to have to make a successful career and understand the world around them better. The 21st century STEAM curriculum, which is used extensively across the globe & also in Dubai, gives parents all the more reason for encouraging children to practice coding.

Here’s what you can say to them;

• You will make many friends in coding class
• You will get to play games while learning to code
• On completion of the course, you will get a certificate
• Just as you learn English & Arabic languages, coding is another language
• One day you will be able to design & create your favorite App

2 Give Students Examples of What is Possible With Coding

Just as children get excited about learning to play soccer and taking-up classes to learn a new musical instrument, they need to feel excited about learning to code. How will you do this? Children naturally love to watch videos on YouTube, so explain to them in simple words, ‘you know, this platform was made by 3 former PayPal employees who were software developers namely; Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim’. Another fact; to target the tastes and preferences of local audiences, you can even change the language preference of your YouTube platform, from English – Arabic (for those who reside in the Middle East) just by clicking on the settings button!

Also add that, Java Script was the language used as a base for constructing the YouTube platform and 98% of websites that we use today, have JavaScript language. This will get children intrigued about the different coding languages & enthuse them to know more. Who doesn’t like to play Candy Crush? But Candy Crush wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for some genius programmers right! Collecting candies is a rewarding experience, so level-up your coding game and pursue it as a passion, because, who knows one day you could become a famous Game App developer.

#3 Make Coding Tangible

Anything that one can see & touch, is easily believable! Rather than treating coding as an abstract concept, you must try to tangibilize it. So, introduce children to coding toys that have certain modules that give instructions to teach the player to ‘construct’ & build ‘robots’. It is advisable to purchase a set before enrolling your preschooler into any coding program, so as to give them a sneak-peek and a kind of induction into what they are going to experience when they attend coding class.

CodeMonkey is an award-winning online platform, that teaches teenagers & children real-life coding skills. You can learn block-based and text-based programming through a game-like environment. Millions of students have enrolled to the CodeMonkey course not only in US & UK, but also the UAE and found multifold benefits. The best part is, no prior experience is needed to be a CodeMonkey student, and one can rely on the fully guided lesson plans that come along with the set. These lessons keep advancing as the child becomes more proficient with his coding skills.

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