And why I spent a lot of time searching for the ideal one to start with …
If you want to set your children up for success, your child should definitely learn to code.
Computer programming for kids has many benefits that stretch far beyond the computer screen. From critical thinking, creativity, and persistence, thinking outside of the box to reaching goals and outsmarting their peers and, who knows, even their teachers(can you even guess what that kind of accomplishment can give to their self-esteem by growing their confidence?)
But then the question becomes at what age is it ideal to start learning to code?
And the answer might surprise you to say the least, even from as early as kindergarten.
While coding gives kids an advantage later in life, it has immediate benefits that will pay off in the short term too. Coding for kids helps develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and digital literacy skills that can be applied in any academic discipline, whether they love math, science, English, or even history.
Coding for kindergarten kids is actually much simpler than you think! Kids as young as five can already understand some of the basic coding concepts, even if they don’t know what they are specifically but can be explained in simple terms like analogies so that they can grasp and make use of the main idea:
1.Algorithm design(computational thinking)
An algorithm is an instruction given in order to complete a certain task and receive the desired result. So, a computer programmer will write an algorithm to tell the computer how to perform a certain task to produce that result.
For example, consider a simple activity like brushing your teeth. At first it sounds like a simple enough task, but in fact, brushing your teeth involves many simple steps. First, you’ll need a toothbrush and toothpaste. You’ll need a sink with cold water. You’ll need to put the toothpaste on the brush. Don’t forget to turn on the water and run your brush underneath. As you see, such a simple activity actually involves many steps, if you miss one step or put one out of order you might end up with a huge mess!
Algorithm design is setting out the steps and rules needed to follow in order to achieve the same desired outcome every time. This implies the knowledge of a few smaller skills that will come in very handy:
- Decomposition(breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable chunks)
- Pattern Recognition(what are the repeat steps in our build we learn how to solve the instructions more quickly and learn from our mistakes)
- Pattern Generalization and Abstraction(identifying the crucial information in a problem and disregarding the irrelevant information)
2. Sequence
Teaching kids about the concept of a sequence is a fairly easy task. Sequence is basically completing a task in a certain order. So, if we refer to algorithms above, it means putting those instructions in order. A great introduction to coding for kids is to learn about sequencing, as this is a core skill that is also a foundational one.
3. Loop
Loops allow you to repeat something again and again. Loops will repeat until you give instructions for the computer to stop. In some cases, you might tell your computer to stop after it has repeated the loop a certain number of times. In other cases, you may tell your computer to stop once a certain condition is met.
4. Condition checks
Basically what that means is checking conditions which determine the choice being made. So, in other words, making a decision depending on what is happening or what has happened.
5. Reverse engineering as a concept
In simple terms what that means is to learn and relearn how other objects are assembled and in what order to make them function in order to deliver a specific goal or a result.
And then the question becomes is there a free game out there(available also on Google play store so that it can be played with only a phone)that teaches all that in a simple and fun way to learn by just playing the game?
My answer is YES, after searching a lot of games, and reviewing them all, I can say the best one to start with can be found @ https://www.algorungame.com .
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