We are much aware that our new generation depends on computers and technology. One of the essential computer programming skills is coding. Coding works by giving a set of instructions to the computer by writing a code. By learning to write a code, one can tell the computer to function in a specific behavior. This set of instructions can help in making apps, games, fun tools, and much more.
Coding, called the alien's language, is now being learned and implemented by many people. Children can start to learn coding at a very young age. However, a handful of institutions teach coding to their students. Therefore, homeschool coding classes can be an interactive and easy way to teach kids coding. Coding also develops many additional skills in kids, such as analytic thinking, communication skills, project planning, problem-solving, and reasoning.
In this ultimate guide, we will share everything a parent needs to know to start homeschool coding classes for their kids. We will tell you the reasons your kids need to learn to code, the best programming languages, general tips, resources, and online courses for homeschoolers, and much more.
Important Reasons to Teach Homeschool Coding to Kids:
- It's a new literacy
- Enhances math and logic skills
- Helps to develop a sense of resilience
- A fun way to learn
- Helps to boost confidence and perseverance
- Coding contributes to the creation of the child
- Train children for their careers in the future
- Appropriate age of learning homeschool coding for kids
- Best programming languages for kids
It's a new literacy:
Coding is described as a new literacy language, just like the English language or any other. It provides a new and unique perspective towards life. Learning to code is similar to learn a new language and has similar benefits. It also consists of grammar, syntactic rules, and elements like any other foreign language. A student should learn one coding language at a time. A move from easy to advanced level gradually.
Enhances math and logic skills:
It is generally hard to grasp the concepts and rules of mathematics. Students who enter high school have a hard time looking for the realistic application of math formulas while making apps or websites. They can easily learn mathematical concepts such as algebra, geometry, variables, and other concepts through coding. It gives them an edge over other students to grasp math concepts.
Coding enhances the logical thinking of a kid. The breaking down of complicated problems into simple ones and finding more than one solution is similar to real-life problems. Coding improves their critical thinking and allows them to try again, make mistakes and try again.
Helps to develop a sense of resilience:
Every individual must learn to cope with failure as it's a part of life. It is impossible to find a successful person with no failures or mistakes in life. Coding helps young minds to learn that failure does not mean an end. It means a possibility or a stepping stone. However, errors in coding are much less frustrating as so many quick solutions are available. Moreover, it develops resistance from feelings of frustration and discouragement.
A fun way to learn:
Computer programming projects provide amazing results after finishing. Kids feel excited to develop their simple games such as tic tac toe or create an animated drawing of their favorite character with the help of their imagination. They can also use their coding knowledge in games or some toys.
Helps to boost confidence and perseverance:
When a code performs the instruction, it was supposed to perform; it instantly increases confidence. When the kid sees that his hard paid off, it generates pride and joy in accomplishing a task. Moreover, coding can make them realize their capability. They learn about the amazing and helpful things they can do with coding.
In addition to this, they learn to keep moving forward and never give up no matter how many setbacks come in their path. Coding helps them to try again even if they fail in the first (or 100th) attempt. With hard work, they will get the results sooner or later.
Coding contributes to the creation of the child:
Coding also helps in harnessing your kid's creativity. It gives them to make anything in their mind practically with interactive results. From animated character drawings to designing the interface of their website increases and harness their creativity. They can design the graphics of video games through their imagination using coding skills. There is nothing more exciting to them than bringing their artistic ideas to life.
Train children for their careers in the future:
Lastly, teaching your children to code means teaching them a skill they can pursue as a profession. There are more than 50% of jobs that require coding skills. Coding is involved in every career from medical to engineering, farming to industries, and accounting. Hence, it has a lot of scope in the future. Moreover, if a kid chooses any other field as a profession, they can still sell their services on freelancing platforms as a freelancer.
You can check our guide for some of the best ways for kids to learn coding.
Appropriate age of learning homeschool coding for kids:
Kids can start to learn coding from as earlier as the age of 5 to 7 years old. Technology has become a necessary part of our daily routines so that parent nowadays encourages their children to learn how to code. Various opportunities are available from a very young age to those kids who learn to code at a young age. There are many sources available to kids who want to learn coding from homeschool computer classes. Tutors are available who specifically teach children how to code through interactive homeschool curriculum. Many people consider 5 to 14 years of age as an ideal age to learn to code. If a tutor is not available, multiple websites are always available on the internet to help children learn coding from Scratch. Different websites possess a different interactive and user-friendly feature which promotes learning techniques which are quite simple and easy but are highly useful. Some of the greatest websites on the internet that provide a great platform for learning to code are Pluralsight, Code.org, Kodu, Scratch, App Inventor, Code Academy, etc. The cherry on top is that all these home school programs offer their services free of cost. People with no investment can engage with these home school programs.
Best programming languages for kids:
When you want to choose a programming language for your kids, a parent should always go with that one that is easy to learn and help them build a solid foundation in programming logic and syntax. It is fundamental to have a good and solid foundation of programming logic because it makes things easier for the programmer. To build a solid foundation, a student should always choose a homeschool code that offers a minimum helping hand and lets the programmer build the logic of the program themselves and allow them to debug it in case of an error rather than suggesting debugging techniques making things easier. Various sources suggest that beginner-level programmers should start with Ruby, Python, and JavaScript. Kids should use online homeschool classes such as Scratch, which provide a very helpful and interactive environment in `learning the C language. Kids should practice different programming techniques as much as possible while also building their logic about various programming tasks.
Programming is just like solving math problems which become easier to understand with more practice. It can become very easy for the students to understand programming language once they start practicing daily, and it only gets better with time. Kids should also ask for help from other fellow programmers who can give useful tips and tell different tricks that can help. There are many homeschool coding classes available on the internet that can be looked up to by the kids. They should solve problems from internet to increase their understanding of them. Children should learn a programming language according to their interests. For example, if a kid is interested in building his/her website, they should learn HTML and CSS. Similarly, if one student shows interest in Minecraft Modding, then they should learn JavaScript or Java. Programming is an amazing skill for any child to learn and develop.
General Tips for Homeschool Coding:
Below are some tips to make homeschool coding classes easier for your kid:
- Make coding fun and interesting
- Choose programming language according to age group
- Minimize the use of technical terms
- Motivate them to do hands-on practice
- Play coding games
- Follow your child's interest
Tip #1 Make coding fun and interesting:
Make learning to code an enjoyable task for kids rather than using old-school techniques to start, such as printing 'Hello World' on screen. Find engaging ways for them that show amazing realistic results. If a task bores them, they may never continue to learn to code. Try to choose some other language that is visual-based to make coding interesting. Instead of making them cram over instructions, give them project-based tasks and make the best computer based homeschool curriculum for them.
Tip #2 Choose programming language according to age group:
When teaching coding to children, chose the programming language wisely. For kids of age 7-18 years, text-based coding language may not be good at the start. On the other hand, block-based programming languages include blocky, Scratch, and snap, are great for visual learning. Block-based languages are simple without complex management errors, programming concepts, and syntax. It gives an easy drag and drop interface to kids that can be assembled like playing Legos.
Tip #3 Minimize the use of technical terms:
Avoid using technical jargon for kids in the beginning. The concepts of abstraction and encapsulation may fly over their heads initially. First, show them some simple programs in homeschool coding class and their results. Let them have fun with codes initially and later introduce these concepts.
Tip #4 Motivate them to do hands-on practice:
Encourage them to do lots of hands-on practice. Let them take control during computer class for kids and do not take mouse and keypad on every small mistake or problem. When you do so, they lose interest immediately. Let them solve it by themselves as young minds have a greater tendency to retain information by finding creative solutions to problems.
Tip #5 Play coding games:
Coding games are another interesting way to teach coding to kids. These games are interactive and easy to navigate the thought process and help them solve problems on their own. Children enjoy and take great interest in such activities. These games do not directly involve coding but have similar instructions, for instance, killing a monster using some tools. Some of the most interactive coding games include Hour of Code, Code pip, Ruby Warrior, and CodeCombat.
Tip #6 Follow your child's interest:
Every child is unique and has different interests regarding everything, whether regarding sports, games, or academia. Similarly, they can be interested in creating their webpage, design a video game or create a short story. You will be amazed to see how much their interests will deviate from them. Hence, allow them to choose the best computer based homeschool curriculum according to their interests to keep them engaged during the code learning process.
What to Do if a Parent Don't Have Engineering Experience?
If you are a parent who doesn't have an engineering or computer background and want your kids to learn the new literacy known as coding, do not worry. You can enroll yourself in homeschool computer classes along with your kid. Learning the technology with your kid would be fun, and it would create a stronger bond with the kid as their educational instructor. Some parents join homeschool coding classes few months before their kid to troubleshoot common errors and bugs.
Another option is to go for online courses for homeschoolers. There are numerous courses your kid can take to learn coding according to your schedule. They also provide facilities such as screen-share with professional engineers.
Geekedu.org: Best for Homeschooling Coding Classes for Kids
If you want the best computer based curriculum or math classes for your kids, Geekedu is the best option for you. Geekedu, found in 2015,provide one-on-one lessons to kids of all ages. A group of like-minded geeks who worked at Amazon and Google as software engineers established this platform to teach coding and mathematics to every enthusiastic student. Geekedu inspires children to become future inventors, influencers, and leaders. Their Geek philosophy promises to make coding assessable to every determined student. Geekedu has a partnership with over 120 schools, organizations, and academies in North America, empowering students to innovate and develop new things in the future. It is an award-winning course that motivates students to learn coding and mathematical concepts from the initial school level to the university level. Geekedu has a team of highly professional instructors for homeschool coding classes and math classes. All these instructors are from top universities in North America.
Mathematics Courses for Kids by Geekedu:
- Geekedu has designed mathematics courses for passionate children who want to learn math concepts from basic to advanced levels. They have introduced courses for children ranging from 10 to 18 age. Their courses are divided into three levels:
- The introduction level is for kids in grades 5 to 9.This course consists of concepts of pre-algebra that are made easy to grasp by logics never taught in mid-schools. Furthermore, courses of introduction to algebra, geometry, and concepts of statistics, etc., are included.
- The intermediate level is for kids of grades 8 to12. this course includes topics counting and probability, algebra, and pre-calculus.
- The advanced level for competitions includes topics, AP calculus AB, AMC 12/ Euclid, and Middle school contest courses.
Computer Science and Coding Courses for Kids by Geekedu:
Geekedu has amazing and engaging computer courses for ambitious young minds. They teach a set of valuable computer skills to their students for a better tomorrow. All young minds start with Scratch, a block-based program for learning programming languages. Students of age above 10 years can learn various programming languages such as python, C++, and Java easily. For ambitious and creative students, they offer elective courses on Web development, Maya, and 3D animations. This course is also divided into three levels:
- The beginner level includes courses of Python level1, level 2, and level 3.
- The intermediate level includes courses of Java level 1, level 2, and level 3.
- The advanced level includes C++ and AP Computer Science A.
Kids Should Try Roblox Coding Classes:
Roblox platform is recommended to learn, have fun, and experience the easiest way to learn to code. Students interested in developing their own game and playing it with friends should go to the home school program, the Roblox Class.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is one of the largest platforms in the gaming world. With more than 5 million games shared by people worldwide, it is also known as 'the YouTube of Gaming.' These games are made and shared by an enormous community of new developers. The Roblox platform uses Lua programming language to create code for games. Lua programming language is easier than other coding languages such as Java which Minecraft uses. Young minds can easily learn this language. Roblox studios, an app used to create games, has an easy-to-understand interface that can makegames in five minutes.
Why kids need Roblox Classes rather than just playing on Roblox?
Roblox Classes provide an opportunity for students to make their games and play with friends and family. This evokes a sense of pride in them and helps inbuilding their confidence rather than just playing games passively. Moreover, Roblox Classes are led by expert coding instructors that provide their services and help students to learn the Lua language. These online homeschool classes empower their future and harness your kid's creativity.
Best Coding Websites for Your Child:
There are various paid and free home school programs for kids to learn coding. These websites provide world-class coding lessons from the comfort of home. These websites are the best to add to your computer based homeschool curriculum. Below is a list of top-class websites that provide the best and easy learning experience:
CodeCombat.com:
CodeCombat is a mixture of RPG (role-playing-game) gaming and text-based coding, best site for computer class for kids. It gives new homeschoolers an enthralling and fun experience while learning to write a homeschool code and assessable through any browser. The main scheme of this game is giving commands to complete certain missions like puzzles and other tasks. After completing one task, you move on to a harder code and task. The core level is free and consists of 39 levels that teach kids easy concepts such as loops, variables, parameters, and syntax. Kids will learn coding in two programming languages Python and JavaScript. Children of age 5-17 years can easily learn the basics. After learning the basics, you can move to the advanced level by paying a subscription fee.
If you are looking for an interactive homeschool curriculum for coding, then LightBot is your friend. LightBot is a puzzle game that requires coding to move onto advanced levels. It was designed by home school coders who knew the basics of coding one must know. So, they designed the game interactively and enjoyably for people of all ages. An amazing aspect of this learning game is that you forget it's an educational program. LightBot offers a list of important concepts such as loops, conditionals, variables, problem-solving, sequencing, and procedures. This game is available on the App Store, GooglePlay Store, and Amazon Apps. You can get a free demo version and buy additional upgrades for a couple of dollars for kid’s computer class.
Crunchzilla.com -Code Monster:
Crunchzilla is a simple platform for people of all ages who want to learn the Java language from online homeschool classes. It shows four levels once you open the site. All these levels are for different age groups, such as code monster is for preteens (under parental guidance and supervision). Game Maven is for kids above 16, Code Maven is for adults and teens, and Data Maven is for ages 12 and above.
Code Monster is a deeply engaging platform for hands-on practice for JavaScript language. The interface includes a blue monster with a bubblehead that contains the following step-to-step guidelines. Below are two boxes, one with text-based codes and the other shows the results. It makes extremely eye-catching for students as it shows the results instantly.
Plural Sight:
Pluralsight is one of the largest online course sites for homeschoolers and beginners. It consists of more than 50 separate courses, all covering fundamentals of different programming languages. These online homeschool classes consist of Ruby, Python, Java, HTML and CSS, angular, react, and C# language. On top of that, if interested, your kid can also learn about cybersecurity, information technology, and data. Courses are led by coding experts that give instructions via video lectures and reinforced them through coding tasks. It comes with a set of skill-based tests and assignments to solidify the concepts. This course is paid with monthly subscriptions, and it favors ages above 14 and can be used in interactive homeschool curriculum.
Code.org - Learn to Code:
Code.org is a large organization that provides curriculum to schools but has a website that offers a homeschool computer programming curriculum. This involves a series of four courses that teach basic computer concepts. After every course, kids are capable of creating interesting games and tell stories. Each course consists of video lectures, puzzles, activities, and challenges for kids. It is free of cost, and kids aged 4-14 years can go for courses onCode.org. Course 1 is for kids of age 4 involving early readers. You can skip that and move to later courses involving block and text-based programming activities.
ScratchJr.org and Scratch:
Scratch and ScrachJr.org are two huge and famous platforms used by kids mostly. It is a block-based website developed by students of MIT. Scratch is a free platform for kids ages 8-16 years and best to add in homeschool code programs. On the other hand, younger kids ages 5-7 years can use its simplified version called ScratchJr. Scratch has a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface instead of typing a code. This makes it simple and easy to create their games and stories. It also helps to develop communication and problem-solving skills. Besides the web version, you can download ScratchJr on your IOS and android.
Codemonkey.com:
Codemonkey is a game-based platform that grabs the attention of many kids due to its fun name. This website is developed in the form of an online game in which the player has to add correct codes so that the monkey gets its bananas. Eventually, by the end of the game, students can develop their games. The game series challenges help kids learn important coding concepts such as loops, variables, algorithms, etc. By writing these codes, kids learn the Coffee Script language that helps them to learn JavaScript in the future. Codemonkey has an annual subscription fee, and it's suitable for computer class for kids of 9+ age.
Code Wars:
Code wars is a coding site for those who love to compete. In this platform, a set of competitions are held among coders. There are rankings after the first challenge. Whoever completes the challenges has to access the coding solution of others that open a whole new set of ideas. Students of age 14+ can master various programming languages such as Java, Clojure, Ruby, Haskell, etc. It's a unique approach for homeschool code learning.
Khan Academy – Computer Programming:
Khan Academy is a highly recommended website for homeschool code learning. It consists of free video courses on various subjects like math, biology, accounting, etc. Recently, they have added coding and e-learning to the list. Khan Academy is providing free interactive courses for kids of age above 12years. The coding lessons include SQL for managing data, HTML/JS for creating engaging website pages, and HTML/CSS for developing websites. Their coding course uses 'talk-throughs' instead of normal videos to make the course much more interesting.
CodeCademy:
CodeCademy is a single platform where you can learn various programming languages all under one roof. It is a text-based course on web development where kids can choose the programming language they are interested to learn with a set of assignments, tasks, and challenges. Moreover, provide instant feedback on the code by the CodeCademy support team. This course is for students of age 13+ who want to pursue programming professionally and want an interactive homeschool curriculum. The general access to the course is free, although you can get paid PRO track version with a customized learning plan.
What Type of Device You Need and Other Requirements?
The choice of device for programming depends merely on your child's interests. Various online courses such as Khan Academy for computer programming are web-based and only require a good internet connection. Any PC or laptop manufactured in the past 4 to 5 years is good to go for website-based homeschool programs. Such websites do not require fast processing devices; however, only a fast net connection is required.
Moreover, any MAC and PC with 4G RAM are recommended for courses with basic coding tools. Buying a device that can hold professional coding tools should be used, such as Google Chromebook. It depends on parents because some might want their kids to have professional coding tools from the beginning. And some will introduce those tools when they have learned the basics.
Conclusion:
Computer science is the most important field of the 21st century. Its demand is rising day by day throughout the world. Programming languages and coding is becoming an integral part of our lives. Internet is full of online homeschool courses and homeschool coding classes for kids. However, you need to pick out the one that is nearest to your child's interest. And always remember to make coding fun and interesting to keep kids engaged during the learning process. Coding requires patience, practice, and determination.
I hope this ultimate guide was helpful for you to select the best computer based curriculum for your kid.
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