We all want to gain life skills to achieve academic, personal, and career success no matter what age we are. But with so many important skills for kids and adults to learn, it can be hard to know what to prioritize.
Coding is one skill that stands out in the modern era. It offers anyone a boost in important life skills, socialization, and learning — as well as advancing future careers.
Here are our top 8 reasons why everyone should learn to code.
1. Coding gives a new way to look at the world
Computer code is a way to describe reality — similar to English or any other language. A programming language, just like any natural language, has its own grammar and syntactic rules. Thus, learning to code is very much like learning a second language and provides many of the same advantages.
Each new language gives us a new perspective that is uniquely attuned to a certain environment. In the 21st century, fluency in coding languages like Javascript, Python, or Scratch gives people an excellent vocabulary for interacting with the world around them. It’s no wonder that programming has been described as the new literacy!
2. Coding fosters creativity
Taking a mental image and giving it form in the real world is the very heart of creativity. Even at an early age, people can harness their creative abilities to make animated graphics, websites, and interactive video games with their coding skills.
Coding is one of the few creative venues that results in truly interactive works — and there is nothing more exciting for people than interacting with your own creations. This serves as an excellent supplement to other creative venues, giving students another way to bring their artistic ideas to life.
3. Coding improves math and logic skills
Learning code teaches students computational thinking — the process of breaking down complicated tasks into individual steps (like loops, conditionals, etc.) that a computer can understand. This is the same process used to break down complex arguments, and is a pillar of logical thinking. The more kids and adults practice coding, the better their logic skills will become.
4. Coding helps with problem-solving
Simple coding projects offer an excellent introduction to problem-solving skills even at a young age. Coders learn how to break down complex problems into simpler ones. This is one of the most crucial and rewarding parts of problem-solving.
With coding, students can test solutions to make sure they work. Few other problem-solving experiences offer this benefit. When all else fails, they improve their Google research skills while seeking solutions, and who wouldn’t benefit from being better at independent research?
5. Coding projects helps develop resilience
The ability to cope with failure is a vital life skill. Through coding, everyone learns that failure is a stepping stone, not an ending. Recovering from a misstep happens quickly with coding. The process is less frustrating because students can try several solutions quickly. This makes it much easier to develop resilience without feeling overwhelmed.
Even just an hour of code a day through hands-on coding projects can teach students the importance of persistence and resilience.
6. Coding makes learning fun
Computer programming projects give exciting results, that you can see right in front of your eyes. You or your student can build stand-alone projects like Tic Tac Toe, an animated animal face drawing, or even their own video game design from their imagination.
They can also bring their coding skills into their current favorite toys and games. Minecraft add-ons are an amazing example. Everyone can use code to enhance activities that they already know and love!
7. Coding is a social activity
Remember all those coding projects we already talked about? You can also show off what you built to your friends! Sharing how you built your favorite game reinforces what you have learned and improves your confidence. When you show off that new Minecraft add-on or video game you built, your friends are sure to be impressed.
And there’s another way to turn coding into a social activity: Hackathons! These virtual competitions give people a chance to work on collaborative problem-solving and building with a goal in mind. It’s hard to find better preparation for teamwork skills in school or work!
8. Coding prepares students for the careers of the future
Finally, we can’t end this list without mentioning careers. Coding skills are indicators of digital literacy — a necessity in this digital age! Nearly 50% of all jobs require some coding skills.
Of course, these skills are especially crucial for coding and computer science careers. Further, coders are proven problem solvers and logical thinkers, skills that are valuable in any career field.
Ready to get started learning code?
Individually, each of these is a strong reason for you or your student to learn coding. When combined, they make coding one of the most valuable skills in the 21st century!
Finding resources to help people become computer programmers used to be hard. Over the past several years, the advent of online courses and guided coding projects has made the process much easier.
Nationally and internationally, there are also many coding schools set up to teach kids and adults to code, with live training from knowledgable instructors. For children and teens, reach out to My Coding Place or Juni Learning, two options that will help support and advance your students' coding skills! Both offer a range of private and group online coding courses for kids ages 8-18 that gives students solid foundations in computer science, logical thinking, and even creative subjects like website design. In addition, My Coding Place offers tutoring to adults 18+ as well as teaching chess, digital art, and robotics to all ages to encourage critical thinking and advance problem-solving skills!
Most of this article originally appeared on junilearning.com.
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