The importance of coding in school

One of the most important objectives in education is to prepare students for their future careers. Over the last two decades, coding and programming have emerged as one of the most desirable skills for employers.

To adapt to changes in the landscape of the job market, schools should adjust their curriculum and incorporate coding. Here at GLS, we will cover the benefits of students learning to code in school and offer a few tips for you to share with your teachers on teaching coding effectively. And as the start of a new school year has only just started, this is the perfect opportunity to incorporate coding into your school’s classes.

5 reasons why coding is important for children

Coding is another language

Coding teaches children to communicate and teaches them logical thinking. Every letter of the alphabet has a special formula of 0’s and 1’s. And it's these numbers that give the technology around us directions to perform. What better way to teach children about why and how the technology around them operates? Teaching coding robotics can feel overwhelming, but our coding robot, EaRL comes with learning resources to guide you through programming lessons.

Creativity

Experimenting with coding means children learn and strengthen their brains. Like learning a sport or a musical instrument, cultivating creativity requires hard work and practice. For students, if the work is confusing, monotonous, or the end goal unappealing, the desire to practice weakens. They must be motivated. They need to be in an environment that builds confidence and instils in them a genuine desire to create.

Children pick up on technology with shocking ease, so giving them a basic knowledge of programming on a fun, easy-to-use platform is one of the best ways to get them to practice (and enjoy the process!). Learning programming on the right platform – one that is structured, engaging, and well-paced – puts students on the path to fluency in the language and logic of programming. Ultimately, it gives them a springboard to create the very games they love to play.

Helps with maths skills

Coding helps children to be able to visualise abstract concepts, lets them apply maths to real-world situations and makes maths fun and creative. Coding is present in many of today’s STEM programmes.

Coding improves writing academic performance

Children who learn to code understand how to plan and organise thoughts. This can lead to better writing skills that can be built upon as coding skills develop over time. Today, the importance of learning to code rivals even that of reading and writing. It’s a core skill that can help a child develop a deeper understanding of how technology works. Given the extent to which technology shapes our lives, learning to code helps develop a better understanding of the world around us.

Helps children become confident problem solvers

As they learn to code and give direction, they learn that there is no one way to do something even if their way didn't work. They can improve upon what they have already done without worrying about failing. Coding is a basic literacy in the digital age, and children need to understand and work with the technology around them. Having children learn coding at a young age prepares them for the future. Coding helps children with communication, creativity, maths, writing, and confidence. Our pre-coding activity cards are the perfect start for your teachers to teach coding to their classes.

Now that you know the benefits of teaching coding in school, we have some top tips for you to share with your teachers on how to teach coding in your school.

Tips for teaching coding in school

Coding is important and hugely beneficial, but it poses all-new challenges to teachers. Here are some quick tips for maximising the effectiveness of your school’s coding classes.

Use live demonstrations

One of the beauties of teaching coding is that it can be done live, right in front of your class's eyes. Much like a live science experiment, teachers can create code and piece together programmes in front of learners, creating an exciting, informative educational experience.

This method also allows for a much richer lesson than one based purely on slides or a video. Teachers can answer questions on the fly, tailoring their code to plug knowledge gaps. Plus, learners can see what common errors are made by teachers and how to rectify them quickly.

Use peer-to-peer instruction

There are financial implications for introducing coding in schools. The technology needed does require some investment, which might be a problem for schools with lower budgets. However, a compromise of two students to one computer might prove to be beneficial. Peer-to-peer instruction allows students to work in small teams. If one has a slightly higher level of understanding, they can help build up the other child’s knowledge by discussing answers and demonstrating solutions.

For teachers with high class sizes, it can help reduce the time it would otherwise take to fill in the knowledge gaps of each individual child.

Master one language at a time

Coding comes in many intricate languages. Teachers should focus on mastering the essential components of one coding language before introducing others. Over time, learners will be able to recognise relevant structures in new languages and transfer their skills and knowledge across.

Don’t just code, solve problems

One final piece of advice calls back to coding as predominantly a problem-solving exercise. Rather than focusing on building entire programmes, break the process down into smaller steps.

Develop knowledge and proficiency of each line of code required to make up a more complex programme. Intentionally design bad code and challenge students to correct it. Jumble the order of syntaxes and semantics and test students on their ability to reorder them. These are all effective ways of teaching young people how to code.

The importance of coding in a modern curriculum improves students' skills for today’s job market. Creating something from scratch forces children to use their imagination, ability, and skills all together at the same time, which leads to improvement in creativity. Therefore, through coding, curious and imaginative children become capable of thinking creatively. Get involved with your school and share these super handy tips with your teachers to help them teach coding in their lessons.

Why not create a coding display for your classroom? If you need some more ideas to help with your classroom decorations and displays, then check out our blog to refresh your classroom displays.

The importance of coding in school