Kids love computers. They also like to create, and to have some control over the world around them. The computer will do whatever it is told. It may not seem that way at times, but it is true.

Importance of learning Computer Programming for kids

In recent years, the importance of programming has become a subject of increasing international awareness, moving from the narrow domain of the “geek” to the broader world, including the K-12 education space.

Here are a few reasons why learning programming, is important:

Kids are growing up in adifferent world than that of their parents. Cell phones, computers, YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook are a part of their daily lives. Even toys are digital, and many are programmable, such as Legos and the new-generation Leapfrogs.

On one side, they know how to use these technologies. However, on the other side, they need to understand the logic behind them. When learning to program, kids understand and tinker with the digital world in which they inhabit. Coding draws back the seeming “magic” of technology so that they can truly understand the logic and science that controls this technology – a discovery that is more magical.

Our dependence on technology will only increase.  The students of today must be able to not only passively use this technology, but also understand and control it, thus becoming an active part of this huge digital shift.

For the last several centuries, people banked on the written word to spread ideas. The ability to write was the ability to create change. Today, writing is not enough; to enact change, it is crucial to leverage the digital medium.

Consider the Arab Spring. Social media enabled a revolutionary wave of protests and demonstrations that changed the course of the Middle East. Writing played a crucial role in exposing the injustices taking place in the region, but people also needed a way to organize and protest. An essay, no matter how well-written, couldn’t have brought about this change by itself.

We’re seeing around us that programming is changing the world!

Everyone has ideas. Onlyselective people can make them happen. The ability to code separates those who merely have an idea from those who can make their ideas, a reality.

If you want your child to be a thinker and innovator who can bring ideas to life, encourage him or her to learn how to program. Programming gives children a confidence that they can be designers and builders.

In fact, Tynker makes it a straightforward process. One of Tynker’s most important features is that it gives immediate feedback, which is crucial for learning programming. If a child programs an object to move in a certain way and then immediately sees the results he/she wants, then he/she knows that they’ve operated the code correctly. This type of instant, positive reinforcement is an incredibly powerful educational tool.

Learning how to program, is like learning any other language in which, the skill must be practised and tested out. Just as languages open the ability to communicate with a world of people, programming gives children the ability to create technologies that impact those around them. With just a computer, kids can use their programming skills to build things that could change the world.

E-Kids guided learning systems, allow kids to choose their own learning path and transition them from block-based coding to text coding when they’re ready. If your child likes Minecraft, they’ll love learning to code as they mod Minecraft. And children with a passion for gaming can learn to code, as they build their own games.

If your kids aren’t learning to program by now, now’sthe time to start!