It’s no secret that coding could be the key to employment for many young Americans. For this reason, parents are looking for anything that can help get their child a leg up. Consider a recent article for Live Science titled “Do Computer Coding Toys for Kids Really Work?”
Tia Ghose of Live Science writes, “From beating the best human players at chess, to flying planes, to running stock market transactions, computers are now used in virtually every facet of modern-day life. But children aren’t being adequately prepared to understand and use this omnipresent technology, experts say. That’s why many parents are turning to coding apps and toys to help give their kids a head start. The toys, tailored to different age groups, range from robot turtles to stripped-down, visual coding languages made just for kids. But will that programmable robot or snowman game turn your baby into the next Alan Turing or Steve Jobs? [The Best Coding Toys and Apps for Kids] It turns out, no one really knows, because there’s very little research on the subject, and even less from outside a traditional classroom setting, said Andrew Ko, a computing education researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. ‘We have a very immature understanding of how to teach computer science right now,’ Ko told Live Science. What’s more, coding apps and toys shouldn’t be taking the place of time spent in more traditional childhood exploits, such as playing in the mud or learning to read, experts said. However, early exposure to coding toys and apps can build enthusiasm, and that motivation could potentially translate to future computer science work, experts said. [The Top 5 Benefits of Play for Kids].”
If you’re looking for the best in hands-on coding education, there is no substitute for great mentorship. When it comes to customized coding education, your best bet is CodeRev Kids. At CodeRev Kids, our lessons focus on computational thinking, which encompasses a wide variety of programming languages and concepts.
Our lessons build upon one another and we adjust starting points to each student’s level of expertise. Thus, the entire curriculum is customized. We are known for saying we are the most educational tech camp out there, but we also keep the focus on having fun. As a result, students stay engaged while learning to blend creativity with technology.