6 ways to teach programming to children, learn about them

Programming is one of the basic skills in our digital world, and therefore it has become necessary to teach this skill to children at an early age. Programming enhances creativity and develops linguistic and mathematical skills, in addition to enhancing critical thinking and creative solutions to problems. Therefore, in this article, we will talk about 6 ways to teach programming to children . Learn about them and try them with your children.

Teaching programming to children

The era of technology has entered our lives with force, imposing radical social and educational changes. Learning programming is one of the most important of these changes, as it makes the field of technology something fun and interesting for children. Teaching programming also helps children develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills, due to the nature of computer science that requires enriching imagination and innovation to seek innovative solutions. In the end, it can be said that teaching programming to children is not an opportunity to make them programming experts, but rather an opportunity to help develop their social, creative, and mental skills that can benefit their lives in the future.

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The importance of teaching programming to children

Teaching programming to children has become essential in the modern age of technology, as programming has become the future of the technical world, and gives children the opportunity to learn and grow in a world full of advanced applications and software. The benefits of teaching programming to children include:

• Improve their arithmetic and logical skills.
• Activate their memory.
• In addition to developing creativity and creative thinking skills.
• Increase self-confidence and improve their ability to solve problems.
• Also, teaching programming from an early age can turn a child into a professional programmer in the future.

6 Ways to Teach Programming to Kids

Teaching programming to children is very important in the age of modern technology, and therefore children need skills that enable them to understand the world of programming easily. Parents should use diverse teaching methods that do not make children feel that education is difficult and boring. Children can learn programming through play and apply what they have learned immediately in simple projects.

There are many modern programs and websites that provide the opportunity for children to learn programming easily and in an entertaining and innovative way, which contain a group of games and projects that teach children programming skills in detail, the most important of which are:

• Smartphone apps for learning programming

Parents often look for educational applications that help them teach children programming, and using applications on smartphones is an effective way to teach children in a fun way. There are many educational applications that allow children to learn programming easily, such as Tynker, which relies on games and puzzles to learn programming in an entertaining way. There is also ScratchJr, which helps children build their own applications and control animations and sound. Children only need to watch lessons through the application to learn programming easily, and to meet the integration of modern-day requirements in education and graduate a generation of distinguished students.

• Kodable is the ultimate platform for learning programming.

Kodable is a coding education platform for children, teaching them basic programming concepts in an easy and simple way. Kodable uses the JavaScript programming language, and is specially designed for young children aged 4-10 years. The application contains many easy stages that suit the child's different skills, and the platform contains training programs and printables for teachers and parents to facilitate the learning and teaching process in a better way. Thanks to Kodable, children can develop their math skills and develop their creativity in the field of programming in an interesting and entertaining way.

• Free websites to teach programming to children

There are many free websites that offer programming lessons for kids, such as Code.org, Scratch, Khan Academy, and others. These websites allow children to learn basic programming concepts in a fun and easy-to-understand way. This helps children develop creative and analytical thinking skills, and enhances curiosity and persistence in solving problems. Therefore, parents and educators should be encouraged to teach their children programming using these free websites, to help them learn and benefit from technology in the future.

• Apple's Swift Playgrounds app for learning to code

Apple's Swift Playgrounds app is one of the best educational options for teaching kids programming. The app provides an interactive and engaging environment to teach Swift programming language in a simple and easy way. It also provides a variety of levels and interesting challenges that help children develop their programming skills.

This app has been widely praised by users and experts in the field of education and programming. Among its great features are providing learning through play, stimulating creativity and innovation, facilitating learning anytime and anywhere, and boosting confidence and developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills. So far, children of the appropriate age group for the app can learn to code and create through the Swift Playgrounds app with ease and fun.

• Educational games for learning programming for children

They are great tools to teach kids programming skills and develop critical thinking skills. These games include puzzles and challenges that require kids to solve problems and turn ideas into programs. Some of these games include cardboard robots, electronic games, Scratch, Code Academy, and Do You Challenge?. Teaching kids programming in a fun way is one of the most important methods that can be used to motivate them and enhance their creativity and ability to continue learning these vital skills for the future job market.

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• School platform dot com

This leading online platform offers many programming courses for children , including:

• YouTube Creator Course.
• Robotics Design Course.
• Application development course.
• Scratch course for kids.
• Animation course.
• Python course for kids.

These courses with Almadrasah.com are also characterised by the flexibility of choosing the specific time that suits your child, with morning and evening appointments available and the ability to choose your own teacher.

How to choose the right programming learning platform for your child?

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There are many online programming education platforms for children, but how do you choose the most appropriate one for your child? You must:

• First, review the child's skills.
• Then choose the platform that suits his level. The platform must be comfortable for the child and easy for him to understand.
• You should also make sure to use an educational platform that includes basic programming concepts and contains activities specific to the child's age group.
• It is preferable to use platforms with an educational imprint, which motivate the child to learn in a playful and interactive manner, and tend to develop the child’s abilities in creative thinking and problem solving.