Why Learning Code Benefits Kids

“An understanding of computer science is becoming increasingly essential in today’s world. Our national competitiveness depends upon our ability to educate our children—and that includes our girls—in this critical field.”
—Sheryl Sandberg


Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, is one of many advocates of computer science education in our country. Educators, technology experts, business leaders, and even celebrities support a new movement with a clear purpose: to teach children to read and write code.
“Coding is the new literacy. To thrive in tomorrow’s society, young people must learn to design, create and express themselves with digital technologies,” says Mitchel Resnick, a media arts and sciences professor at the MIT Media Lab.

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Coding is the new literacy. There is a big movement going on to teach kids to code and there is a lot of information and resources to start introducing your child to the world of coding. As we become more digital in all aspects of our lives, logic, math and science are becoming increasingly important in early education. Furthermore, encouraging girls to become active in coding is so important! Girls can code!

The logic behind coding can be taught at a very young age. Here is a great article about Coding for Kindergartners. And this kinesthetic learning idea is a fantastic way to introduce the logic of coding. http://leftbraincraftbrain.com/2015/03/18/if-then-backyard-coding-game-for-kids/

Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge. http://news.mit.edu/2014/scratchjr-coding-kindergarten

Here is a list of resources to get you started:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-resources-for-teaching-kids-how-to-program-code-200374