Every online programming course claims to ready children for a digital world by teaching them STEM skills and foundational coding concepts. Just like with any subject, some courses are better than others, and it can be difficult for parents to know what’s good and what isn’t.
Here are a few signs that help you recognize the best online coding courses when you see them advertised.
Fun Is Everything
Elite online coding courses for kids understand that nothing matters more than having fun, not even learning computer skills. Of course, the best programs provide both! But putting video games at the centre of lessons ensures that kids get genuinely excited when it’s time to begin sessions.
Choose a weekly coding course or online coding camp this summer with Real Programming 4 Kids that revolves around teaching kids how to code and design their own video games. Kids will be so excited to learn that they won’t consider it “homework” or “school.”
Young kids can create simple games that recall Pac-Man, while older kids can flex their skills and tap into their imagination to create progressively more complicated and customizable worlds. There’s something for all levels of skill and experience.
The best coding programs use gamification dynamics to make learning how to create video games as engaging as playing them.
Vital Coding Languages
Not every coding course emphasizes the most popular or powerful coding languages. Some opt to teach Scratch, which is really more of a drag-and-drop program designed to show beginners what coding is like, rather than being an actual coding language professionals use in the field.
The best coding courses focus on the languages that power the most popular websites, apps, and video games. Look for a coding course that teaches kids how to write code in the following languages:
- Python
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#
- C++
There’s a big difference between kids who can navigate the Netflix app and those who can write code in the coding language powering the streaming giant. Your child will have the skills that employers look for, or they can forge their own path in the digital world when they know the foundational coding languages.
Low Ratio of Students Per Teacher
Students can’t learn in disruptive environments, no matter their age or level of expertise. Young kids learn foundational math concepts like integers, vectors, and trigonometry when they learn to code. The STEM skills are built into the subject matter.
It’s only fair they get set up for success by learning in small classroom environments with a maximum of only four students per class. Ideally, there’s no mandatory minimum, so parents know the session will run when they book it, no matter what, even if their child is the only student.
Most parents want their children to have a fun and safe time learning the skills that prepare them for today’s digital world and tomorrow’s workforce. However, picking apart the leading online coding courses from the pretenders is not always easy. If a course offers all the above points, you know your child will love it.
