5 Reasons Why Kids Should Learn to Code

With technology more integrated than ever into our everyday lives, I’ve learned to never underestimate a child – or even a toddler with an iPad or phone.  

While our kids might be learning to navigate and consume technology early on, learning to understand and be a creator of technology through code has long-lasting benefits.

These are our top 5 reasons why kids should learn how to code:

1. It Develops Problem Solving Skills
Like all projects, coding begins with a problem to solve. Coding requires a strategic approach to reach an end result. Coding helps kids develop their problem-solving skills by breaking down a task to find a solution and then testing it out. 

2. It Teaches Perseverance
Perseverance is an important skill for kids to establish that will help in all areas of learning when faced with a challenge. Coding isn’t always straight forward and often requires some ‘troubleshooting’. The process of trialling new approaches or solutions requires young coders to bounce back when they are faced with a problem. Most importantly, coding helps kids learn that it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them.

3.  It Promotes Creativity 
Coding is great for promoting kids to take risks and use new and creative processes. Coding allows for endless outcomes and it’s up to the person behind the screen to choose their approach. Coding allows for kids to be the creators behind games, animations and applications. The ability to develop a creative approach for solving a problem extends far beyond coding and will help kids in other aspects of life.

4. It  Encourages Critical Thinking
Critical thinking revolves around making assumptions and decisions based on reason and logic. Coding encourages critical thinking by requiring kids to gather information by analysing a problem, deciding on an objective and predicting possible results for the best solution. By learning to code, kids develop an important thinking process to make valuable judgements that will be beneficial for future learning. 

5. It Prepares Them for the Future
In a world where technology is continually evolving, it’s important that kids have the skills to adapt and be future-ready. Coding is a language that connects us globally and students who are well versed in it are more prepared for the evolving demands of the job market. Regardless of the industry that your child might pursue in the future, learning coding and the skills it develops from a young age will put them at an advantage for later in life.