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Coding Fluency: How To Start Your Child’s Coding Journey Like A Language
Understanding coding is similar to learning a new language. Similarly to humans, computers and machines have diverse languages that you need to use in order to prompt them to execute some commands.
To communicate with a machine, you have to learn its language – the coding language. So, how would you show your child that coding is as fun and rewarding as learning an interesting language? Well, in this blog, you will find out ways on how coding is just like learning any other language. You’ll also discover how to make it easier for your child to learn how to code by applying the same principles used in learning a language.
Build Your Vocabulary
Coding, just like a language, can open up a young person to a space of creativity, communication and problem-solving skills. In a similar way to learning a language, it’s important to focus on the building blocks of coding. To get better at it, it will help to focus on building your coding vocabulary. This means learning the words and terms that are used in coding, like variables, loops, and functions. Understanding these basics helps in writing code the same way learning and knowing words helps in forming sentences.
When your child has a good knowledge of these words, it’s easier to understand how to write code. It’s like learning new words in a language – the more words you know, the better you can express yourself. When your child starts learning the basics and keeps adding to their coding vocabulary over time, this will help them understand the terms used in coding and accelerate their learning.
Learn The Rules Of Coding Languages
Just like each language has its own grammatical rules, well, programming languages do as well. Each programming language has different rules on how to write code or the instructions that help the language make sense, so that the computer can follow and understand. Their grammatical rules are referred to as ‘syntax’. For a message to make sense, the grammar or syntax should also make sense. In the same way, for an instruction to make sense in coding, you have to know the correct syntax and how to write it.
For example, if you apply the grammatical rules of the French language to English, your message will not be clear to the one you’re communicating with. In the same fashion, every programming language has its unique syntax that gives clear commands or instructions. When you apply the rules of one coding language to another, it would probably confuse the computer and the machine would not execute your instructions correctly.
Another important aspect of understanding the rules of the coding language is understanding the meaning of the code and what each part of the code does. Just as it is with any language, where specific words convey particular meanings, in programming, each line of code put into a computer carries out a specific action or operation. It’s like knowing that in a sentence, the word “chuckle” means to laugh quietly. In the same way, when it comes to coding, each instruction has its meaning. Therefore, understanding the meaning of the coding terminology is very crucial. If the lines of code are incorrectly placed due to a lack of understanding of syntax, the computer will either display an error message or execute an incorrect command that is different from what you desired.
Be Open To Learning The Different Types Of Coding Languages
There are many coding languages and each of them has a special way of telling computers what to do and fulfils diverse purposes. Some languages, like Python, JavaScript, HTML and CSS are great for making websites and apps. Others, like C++ and Java, can be used for creating software and games. Just like how you might choose Italian for a trip to Italy or Japanese for a visit to Japan, coders pick the best language for the job they want to do. Encouraging your child to learn diverse coding languages means they open themselves up to a new world of creativity. Just as learning a language makes a trip to a foreign country more enjoyable, learning a new coding language can help your child explore a new interesting project like building a website, a quiz or venture into the world of robotics.
Choose A Coding Language That Will Perform Your Desired Outcome
Just like a language can be used to create a song, a speech or a book, coding languages can be used to perform various purposes. And so, you’ll need to use the right programming language for the computer to understand, depending on the task you want to perform. If you are trying to style your website using Python as a programming language, your computer may not understand your instructions because you are ‘communicating’ in the wrong language.
Choosing different programming languages to execute certain tasks helps bring about different outcomes. Each coding language can be seen as a tool in a toolbox. Just like you pick the right tool for the job, coders choose the right coding language for what they want to create. Different coding languages can help make websites, games or apps for phones. Knowing which programming language to use means your computer will understand what you want to achieve and then execute your instructions accordingly.
This is why it helps to encourage your child to expand their knowledge in various programming languages to help them perform a wider range of tasks. In the same way learning a new language helps you communicate with a new group of people, learning a new programming language will help your child communicate a different set of instructions to computers and watch it produce a different set of outcomes.
Surround Yourself With A Culture And Environment Of Coding
Just as learning to speak French or Spanish opens doors to new cultures and opportunities. Coding, as well, can introduce your child to a world of new possibilities and experiences in technology. A quick way of learning a coding language is to immerse yourself in a community of coding enthusiasts. It may seem great that your child is learning coding alone or around their peers who are at a similar level. However, to quicken the process, encourage your child to spend more time with more advanced coding students and those who are more proficient or experienced coders than them.
This will help push your child to grow in their coding knowledge. It will also remove any frustrations that your child has when it comes to coding, as they get to see how more experienced coders tackle problems and debug their codes. This will help them pick up more terminology, tips and information when they seek opportunities to learn more about coding. Think about it, it’s much easier to learn a new language when you spend more time with people who are already fluently speaking it than learning it among beginners!
Just as language learners can immerse themselves in a culture to enhance their language, coding projects place new coders in the world of programming through hands-on application. By working on coding projects, beginner coders engage with coding concepts in practical scenarios, gaining valuable experience and developing their problem-solving skills.
Encourage Your Child To Learn From Their Mistakes
When learning a new language, the likelihood of your child feeling embarrassed to get things wrong is greater than when they are familiar with it. This is why it is important to remind your teen about being okay with getting things wrong. One of the benefits of coding is that it boosts problem-solving skills. A person who codes has to feel comfortable fixing errors and possibly making mistakes so they can find the solution. This opens your child up to an environment of learning a new language, getting the syntax wrong and making mistakes. So, let your child know that behind any mistake there’s new knowledge, and every failure takes them a step closer to success.
Moreso, encountering those mistakes will keep them to stay alert and plunge them into a never-ending learning journey. This will stimulate the desire to constantly practice to improve their skills. To cultivate a culture of learning and practice, your child can join coding clubs, coding camps or watch additional online tutorials. This can be done on top of their regular coding classes, to improve in a coding language. This free webinar on our website will provide you with incredible value to help your child become a creator of code.
Know That It Will Take Time To Be Fluent
Just as your child would need to develop their understanding of any language, they would also have to learn the language of coding. This, just like any language, would also take time. This is why it is important to understand that becoming fluent in a coding language is a continuous learning journey. Learning how to code is a process. Your child might feel frustrated or stuck at a certain point sometimes. But that is completely normal when learning a new skill! Your child will need to develop determination and resilience until they master it.
The process of learning to code requires patience. It is an ongoing journey and it is okay to take it one step at a time. Even the best coders are constantly learning because technology is a changing field. Coding is a discipline that requires a person to remain teachable and ready to learn a new way of doing things. As your child continues to practise regularly, remind them to ask for help when they need it. Being patient with themselves will go a long way. With time and effort, they will get better and more confident in their coding abilities.
Just like learning a language opens doors to new cultures and connections, coding empowers your child to shape the digital world around them. By seeing coding as a language, your child can approach it with curiosity and excitement, knowing that it’s a skill they can use to create, innovate, and communicate in the digital world.
Start Here!
So, whether your child has an interest in building websites, creating games, or exploring the space of artificial intelligence; understanding coding as a language provides a solid foundation for these potential goals. A practical way for you and your child to learn about the world of coding is to watch our free webinar on how to help your teen become a creator of code. If you would like to help your teen become a creator and not just a consumer of code, watch this webinar here.
GT Scholars is an award-winning education company and social enterprise. We run high-impact tutoring, mentoring & enrichment programmes for young people aged 11-18. If you’d like to give your child the support, skills and strategies needed to achieve their academic and career aspirations, you're in the right place!
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