Learning Programming has become very useful in recent decades and we have seen great technological advances thanks to them. We could say that there are many differences between a child from several years ago and a child from today. The difference is that this “Z generation” are children who are born, develop and grow with technology.

We know that technology and the internet are a double-edged sword, so it is important that we teach children to use it as a convenient tool for their personal and professional development.

The advantages of teaching programming to children at an early age will help them develop a better mindset to solve problems, and logical-mathematical ability and contribute to the development of socio-emotional skills such as empathy, resilience, and concentration.

How to Start Teaching Programming to Kids?

1. Understand the logic of programming

This has to be the first step since learning to program is related to the exact sciences, and it will help you understand and interpret your first lines of code on the computer, it also helps to structure ideas and organize information.

Computers need this logic since they don’t learn in the same way that we do, therefore, using algorithms to give them instructions will help them execute tasks and interpret them very simply.

Computers need detailed Language to accomplish the tasks. And the cereal example is an algorithm. You can do it, for example, in a list, flowcharts and pseudocodes and thus see the programming logic in a more graphic or textual way.

2. Lean on digital resources

These days you can find a lot of content on the internet, and you can lean on these resources to learn programming. There are many pages, blogs, and videos since in the world of programming there is always someone willing to help you. For this reason, we leave you some pages where you can take the first steps.

Scratch: It is a good tool developed by the MIT Media Lab, besides being free and having its own community, it is an excellent programming language where you can create almost anything while stimulating creativity and logical reasoning.

CodeCombat – Pick a hero and get immersed in the game’s story while learning Javascript and Python, they even have teachers to enhance your experience on the platform. You can level up while solving more complex things.

Code Spark Academy: With a very fun and kid-friendly interface, this is an award-winning app for the variety of learning it offers, such as the basics of programming, designing and creating your own games, a research-developed curriculum from Princeton, Tufts Harvey Mudd College, and MIT. Makes this perfect for learning at any time.

Choose your learning path

Many of those who are just starting out in the world of programming are not very clear about the path or route to follow. So it’s good to remember that most programming languages ​​have the same logic. That’s why it doesn’t help much if you want to learn all at the same time. Ideally, you pick one, familiarize yourself with it, and start practising.

Keep in mind that being a newbie, you must choose a permissive language, this means that it is not so strict with its grammar and syntax. It has to be easy to execute for you to see results, so the fewer steps you require, the easier it can become a habit.

Here are some of the languages ​​that Aark Learnings has shared are most use to get started:

Java

More object-oriented, Java is responsible for applications that run on computers, cell phones, and games. Its security and flexibility make it one of the perfect languages ​​to teach programming to children.

By starting and working through this language, small developers can create desktop applications and software with a graphical interface.

Python

Python is one of the most popular Open-Source languages ​​in the world. The developers have improved their app and shared it with the global community.
In addition to being a versatile language, it has numerous native libraries.

In practice, this means that even those with no knowledge can start programming.
It can be used in the development of simpler or even more complex projects, for script automation, web and application development. 

Ruby

Understood as an even better scripting language than Perl and more object-oriented than Python, Ruby enables the development of more robust applications.

Still, it is an important ally and one of the preferred solutions for how to teach programming to children. With this language, it is possible to create games and other online projects. Learning to program with Ruby can expand the universe of children and young people.

Programming has taught us that you can have fun while you learn. Taking these three tips into account, you can now form a learning path so that you can progress and improve little by little in this world of programming.