Parents in many places are worried that their children may slip through the cracks when it comes to education. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted years of schooling, and keeping up with modern trends like STEM skills was always a challenge.
Many parents are also looking for ways to ensure their children have fun. Childhood should be a time for innocent play and exploration. Today’s online coding classes give children foundational STEM skills in a fun and supportive atmosphere.
Fun is the Name of the Game
If you enroll your child in RP4K coding courses in Toronto and the GTA, their classes will revolve around how to design and code their own video game. Kids are drawn to games, and this technology is an excellent way to make learning genuinely exciting.
That they can share the game with friends and family afterwards and play it themselves is a serious motivational tool. Plus, the classes harness the power of video games in other pedagogical ways to drive learning.
For example, gamification concepts are embedded into the classes, using the same dynamics that hook kids on playing video games to keep them motivated to learn. Kids learn best when they’re engaged. But more importantly, fun is its own reward.
Coding Foundations to Build On
Learning STEM skills helps kids to think like an engineer and problem solve effectively. They also learn specific coding languages that drive some of the most popular apps, websites, and video games today — think Minecraft, Netflix, and more.
Look for an online course that teaches coding languages that professionals rely on in the field, such as:
- Python
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#
- C++
There’s a difference between getting a sense of how coding works and knowing concrete skills that future employers expect their teams to know. Some coding programs only teach drag-and-drop programs like Scratch, which pros never use. They’re teaching aids that convey the rudiments of coding to children.
It’s better for young kids to learn actual coding languages, like Python and advance from there.
Small Classes Are Best
Studies show that children learn best in small groups, where teachers don’t need to struggle with classroom management issues that may arise in larger groups. Look for a program that has a maximum of four students per teacher, so your child gets all the attention they deserve.
Learning is also more fun when it isn’t an uphill battle. Plus, some coding courses make a special point of hiring young teachers who relate better to kids because they, too, grew up playing video games. Young teachers also have relevant experience coding in school and applying for jobs.
Kids today need to keep learning relevant skills while ensuring childhood is a time for fun, excitement, and innocence. Online coding classes that put games at the centre of what they do while ensuring the transfer of vital skills are a perfect way for parents today to get the best of both worlds.
