Apr 14, 2023

It’s fair to say that not many adults will know how to code robots unless they are professionals in this field who received a specialized education. Therefore, parents may hesitate when deciding whether to send their child on a coding course. After all, they’ll probably feel that they’ve managed fine until now without needing this skill! However, the world is changing, and kids will need to be prepared for a new technological landscape filled with new professions that require different skills.

Technological developments dictate which skills people should acquire and which ones can be neglected. In the early 20th century, the skill of riding a horse was much more important than the ability to drive a car. After all, a very small number of people had the latter! Today, the situation has changed: many adults are learning the art of driving, while riding a horse is a hobby for a few. The same goes for programming. If at the end of the 20th century, the ability to code robots was the skill of individual specialists, then by the middle of the 21st century, it will be in demand everywhere:

• Smart machines will become an essential part of our reality
• Robots will be actively used not only in production and in the social sphere but also in the everyday life of the majority of households
• There are already many new jobs related to programming in the smart technologies sector
• Having coding skills, you can repair your electronic equipment yourself without having to resort to specialists
• The income of software developers is high due to the huge demand for such professions
• Governments are interested in a big number of excellent IT specialists and are therefore ready to provide additional benefits during training

When preparing children for their future professional careers, it’s important to ‘future proof’ them by giving them the skills that will be most widely demanded across many sectors. Programming is already one of these vital skills, and this explains why kids should learn to code. After all, this knowledge will allow them to operate smart machines without waiting for someone's help. Children are very receptive to innovation, so for them the language of coding is as natural as the gestures and spoken language they learn in the early stages of their development.

The need to learn to code for kids is not only because they can directly benefit from having these in-demand skills that can enhance future employment opportunities. Learning to code also actively develops a child's thought processes and makes a positive impact on many aspects of his or her life.

Coding involves the use of a special language that allows you to operate a robot, for example. Incorrect commands will not provide the desired result. Therefore kids using coding need to constantly solve logical problems and this helps develop their thinking. Later, when they master the necessary coding algorithms, kids can easily cope with any robotic challenges!

When kids write a wrong incorrectly in an essay, the sentiment will still be understood. But programming is not so forgiving and a single error will mean that the planned result is not achieved. Therefore, kids using programming learn to be much more attentive. After all, They really want theirr robot to come to life or their computer game to start!

Progress in coding will help children with other school subjects because it helps them become more diligent and attentive. They will pay more attention to details and will therefore detect errors more easily. In addition, coding is related to other sciences, such as maths or physics. And soon progress in these subjects will become evident!

Coding is aimed at solving a specific problem. However, there are many ways to get the desired end point. Kids understand this from the explanation provided by mentors and they learn to look wider in the search for an original solution. It makes no sense to follow the same path that everyone follows. Coding is not a linear reality and, therefore, one well-chosen key can instantly change the situation and provide an answer where the traditional path would lead to a dead end.

Kids’ brains are a glorious blank canvas - they aren’t yet crammed with stereotypes. Where an adult will apply a ready-made solution, a child will invent! This stimulates their creative skills and allows them to find solutions that seem impossible to adults. The pleasure of creativity reinforces this approach to problem-solving. And kids begin to understand that coming up with something of their own is much more gratifying than copying someone else!

Artificial Intelligence is gradually becoming a significant aid to solving multiple challenges. However, in the near future, it has every chance of becoming a full participant in social relations! This means that we all will have to reckon with AI and need to learn to manage it. Coding skills provide the strongest link between human intelligence and AI. Consequently, programmers will be needed in all spheres of social life.

To develop self-esteem and confidence, it is essential to see the results of your work. And it’s even more rewarding if they also provide benefits to someone else. It is very important for kids to see that, as a result of their work, an electronic piano begins to play, a robot begins to dance, or a computer application is launched. By creating something valuable and advanced, children feel their creative potential and can step into the future with confidence!

The value of abstract sciences is not obvious to children. Why should they solve all these mathematical questions if they are not needed anywhere except at school? Coding shows kids where maths knowledge is relevant and where it can be in demand. This encourages them to pay more attention to mathematics because it becomes an influential tool helping to achieve their goals in coding.

For kids, learning to code is part of the game. To make an assembled robot work, they have to do the most essential thing – write a programme for the robot to execute. A child needs to know how to do it independently. But in the company of friends and like-minded people, it is easier, faster, and more enjoyable to find the right solutions. Software developers also work in teams. The children's team of programmers has inexhaustible energy, ingenuity, and the ability to turn complex tasks into an exciting game!

It is better to introduce children to coding in a playful way from preschool age. Why should kids learn to code at such an early age? Because, just like any language, it takes some time to master. And the sooner you reveal the basics of programming languages ​​to your child, the sooner they will grasp their logic and begin to use them freely. At this time, you can start introducing colour coding and the basics of animation. Maker has developed a special coding training programme intended for children from 3 to 6 years old, called ‘ABC Coding’. The lessons last 75 minutes and are conducted once a week. The programme consists of 4 classes, during which children will:

• Understand what coding is
• Appreciate reasons to learn to code
• Comprehend the logic of the algorithm and loop
• Use the example of the Ozobot robot to master colour coding
• Try themselves at animation using a visual programming language

The preschool period is the best time to start introducing your child to the skills they’ll need throughout life. After being acquainted with the basics of coding, kids will come to school primed and ready for programming lessons. Regardless of whether they plan to make programming their future, their interaction with AI will be easy, fun, and inspiring. At Maker Holiday Camp we’ll do everything we can to instil your child with a love for coding. And through their fun, hands-on experiences they’ll know they can overcome any challenges they face. With confidence in their abilities and fluency in the language of coding, they will be perfectly placed to thrive in whatever future world they encounter.