Most parents are quick to consider the artistic or athletic sides of extracurricular activities for their children, but they often forget about more academic skills such as programming. While programming was not really an option for older generations, these days, it is widespread.
More and more parents are signing up their children to learn to program, and children are flourishing. There are hundreds of reasons to consider signing children up for programming, including new skills learned and future prospects.
Learning Another Language
Experts have long been focused on the benefits of learning a second language, especially in childhood. According to reports, bilingual children have better focus, more cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving skills.
Why all this talk about second languages? Coding is a language and thus comes with many (if not all) of the benefits that learning a second language brings. It can strengthen verbal skills and teach them a different way to express themselves.
Problem Solving Skills
By learning to code, children also learn a basic understanding of how computers work and look at problems in a new light. Coders use their language to solve problems by creating something new.
This can teach children a new way of coping with problems, handing them a robust set of problem-solving skills that can take them far in life.
Creativity
As one might imagine, coding also instills a creative way of thinking. Especially if they apply their coding knowledge to things such as animated graphics and interactive video games, suddenly, the ideas in their head will be on the screen! It’s easy to see how exciting that would be and how much it would encourage a creative mind to grow.
Coders Wanted
Children who learn to code are starting life out with a valued skill. College applicants that include their coding skills have a higher chance of getting into colleges, not to mention an easier time getting accepted into internships.
Those skills will help later in life as well. According to Code.org, 67% of all new STEM jobs are in computing or a related field. Despite this, only 11% of graduates are in computer science. This guarantees that the skills picked up young will have plenty of use later in life, giving children plenty of options.
Article originally published on WayneEmersonGregoryJr.org