You may have heard a lot about programming and how important it is for children to start learning it at an early age. Today, electronic devices have become a part of our lives, not only the laptop or desktop computer that you may have in your home or on your desk at work, but you can control everything. From your phone, microwave, and car to computers, these devices need instructions for what to do, and programming involves writing those instructions.
If children discover a love of programming, they will have space to make the things they want to build, such as writing programs and building projects that they find useful, interesting, or interesting.
In a report prepared by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, an organization dedicated to communicating technology and programming knowledge to the public, you find the answer to a question you may have: How do I give my child the opportunity to learn about programming? Here are some free resources and suggested activities:
Scratch Junior
If you have a young child under the age of 7, they can start using ScratchJr, an app available on Android and iOS phones and tablets. Kids learn the basics of programming, without having to worry about making mistakes.
Club World Code
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has developed a series of activities for young learners on their journey to develop their computer skills. Code Club World provides a platform for children to play with code to design their avatar, have it dance and play music, plus they can share their creativity with other learners.
Scratch
For kids between the ages of 7 and 11, Scratch is a good way to start their coding journey, or for further progression after Scratch Jr. They are similar in that they are cube-based languages, allowing kids to "combine" Code to produce games, animations and stories, or even use some add-ons to interact with electronic devices and explore physical computing.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has hundreds of Scratch projects for your child to try, but the best place to start is the Introduction to Scratch track, which will give your little one the basic skills they need, then encourage them to build projects that represent them, and reach the peak of their creativity to create their own interactive e-book. with it.
Your child will never tire of Scratch, and that's very good. It is a fully functional programming language that is surprisingly powerful when you learn to understand everything it can do. Another feature is that it provides easy access to graphics, sounds, and interaction that can be much more difficult to achieve. in other programming languages.
Python
If you are looking for more traditional programming languages to enrich your child's experiences, especially when they are 12 years old or older, the Raspberry Pi Foundation recommends directing young learners to the Python programming language and the languages used to build the World Wide Web, especially HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation's Python resources cover the basics of using the language and progressing from there. Python is one of the most widely used languages when it comes to the fields of artificial intelligence and data science, and the foundation has resources to support your child in learning about these wonderful aspects of technology.
Foundation projects can also introduce your child to the world of electronics and physical computing with activities that use a Raspberry Pi Pico—one of the Foundation's versions of inexpensive, low-end computers—and a few electronic components, allowing your children to create a variety of technical fixtures and useful tools.
Programming projects
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has a coding tutorial site that contains many different projects to help your child learn coding and digital drafting, and these materials range from beginner materials such as Introduction to the Scratch course, to more advanced activities such as Introduction to the Unity Path, where children can learn how to create worlds and 3D games.
Web page development
The web is an integral part of many aspects of our lives, and it is important for children to understand the technology that drives it, which is why the Raspberry Pi Foundation has an introduction to the web path that allows children to develop their own web pages, focusing on the types of web pages they want to build, be it Send a greeting card, tell a story, or create a presentation of their own projects.
Programming Clubs
Coding clubs are a great place for kids to have fun and increase their confidence in coding, where they can learn by making and sharing their creativity with each other. The Raspberry Pi Foundation operates the world's largest network of CoderDojo and Code Clubs. Club).
Programming competitions
Once your child learns some of the basics, he may enjoy getting into a coding challenge. The European Astro Pi Challenge allows young people to write and actually run code, and Coolest Projects gives children the chance to showcase their projects from all over the world.
Free materials
No matter what technology your child wants to deal with, there is a wealth of free resources and materials available from organizations such as the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the Scratch Foundation that prepare young people for 21st century life.
Whether they want to become professional software engineers, tinker with some electronics, or just play, encourage them to explore some programming projects, and see what they can learn, make and do.