Coding Lessons for Kids
For information about Coder Kids classes and camps, visit register.coderkids.com/onlineclasses.
Coding lessons are a great way to accelerate your child’s coding progress! While learning on their own with books, google, or trial and error will also get results, actual lessons can get kids there faster. Lessons will help kids master basic coding principles, focus on a specific task/project, and open their eyes to the endless games, apps, animation, etc. they can create! They are also a great way to introduce coding to kids who might not be interested in figuring it out on their own.
What to Look For
While there are many factors that may influence what type of coding lesson you choose, we think there are 3 basic elements of quality coding lessons for kids. They are: Quality Instruction. Creative Projects and Affordability.
Quality Instruction
You want to make sure the instructors for your coding lessons actually know what they are doing. You don’t want instructors who are just reading a script and who won’t be abe to answer questions, suggest solutions to problems, or have ideas for customizing projects or adding challenges to them. It’s important that the instructor is knowledgable about the material and that they can also provide the content in a way that is accessible to kids. Teachers who understand the subject matter well will also be able to expand your child’s view of what they can actually code.
Creative Projects
Quality instruction usually means that creative projects are part of the package. Creative projects keep kids interested and focused, even while they are learning the basics. Look for lessons that include projects that allow for creativity and the ability to customize the project. A one-size-fits-all project won’t keep kids interested for very long. Creatvity is one of the benefits and best parts of coding. You can literally create your very own game, animation, or app, and have it be 100% unique to you! Be sure your coding lessons provide room for kids to be creative and own their projects.
Affordability
Coding lessons for kids don’t have to be expensive. While there are costly options, there are plenty of high quality coding lessons that don’t break the bank. Coding lessons for kids range in price from free to over $1000/week for coding camps. Whatever your price range is, research the company or teacher and make sure they offer quality instruction, creative projects and are a good fit for you and your child. You should be able to find a great match at any price point.
Coding Lesson Options
While there are tons of options out there, these are our top picks for coding lessons for kids. One is a paid option, and the other two are free.
Coder Kids
Coder Kids offers online and in person classes, camps and private/small group lessons in a variety of topics. They have coding lessons for kids ranging in grades from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The classes are separated by topic and grade level.
They offer lessons in topics like ScratchJr, Game Design in Scratch, Music Maker in Scratch, Coding in Python, Game Design in Roblox, JavaScript, C++, Game Design in Unity, Fortnite, Minecraft, YouTube, just to name a few! You’re sure to find one that fits your interests!
Coder Kids lessons are also a great value. Their instructors are knowledgeable about the subject matter and work well with kids. To learn more about the classes offered, click here. To learn about private/small group lessons, click here.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is one of the most sought-after online programming academies. And one of the best parts, is that it’s free!
Khan Academy provides teaching videos for a variety of languages, including HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Users get to learn how to create websites and 2D games using programming languages.
Khan Academy offers classes for kids from age 8 through high school.
There is also a mobile app for Khan Academy that you can use to play instructional videos. Your children can choose from the available courses, and you can follow up on their progress through the dashboard. Users can also communicate with each other if they're taking the same course.
While the lessons are pre-recorded, they do offer some live streams and chats for different courses if you need more help.
Code.org
Code.org is another free resource that offers coding lessons for kids. Code.org offers coding lessons for kids as young as 4 to learn to start coding. Kids just set up an account and then follow the program. They work through different lessons that help them learn and master coding basics.
The lessons increase in difficulty and kids can even learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Code.org also offers Hour-of-Code lessons that offer a quicker lesson option. Kids may need help adult help with some of the lessons, as some of the projects get hard quickly. Code.org lessons are also pre-recorded.
Conclusion
Coding lessons for kids are a great way to introduce them to coding and to improve their coding skills! When you’re looking for coding lessons, be sure to find ones that offer quality instruction, creative projects at an affordable price for you. Our favorite options include Coder Kids, Khan Academy and Code.org. If you are looking for free coding programs, check out this blogpost.
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