Do We Need to Start Coders Young?

UPDATED: Lately I’ve been reading how it’s either easy or very difficult to learn how to code. The distinctions between coding and programming have been raised to support how difficult it is, with Microsoft’s Scott Hanselman one of the latest to tell people they are setting beginners up for a fall if they claim it’s easy.

So with that being said, when we decided to update this blog, I realized I needed to answer the question why would anyone think starting youngsters out coding would be a good idea?

I bought into the (perhaps) myth that learning a second language as a child is much easier than as an adult. Now I’m thinking it just seems easier. But kids are in a better position to learn. First off, most parents and grandparents don’t force their two-year-olds to learn grammar rules and spelling before teaching them to talk. Secondly, being a child seems to be the very definition of immersive learning. Add a second language to the mix and soon they’ll be mangling two languages instead of just one.

But in this age of technology, it’s a good idea to prepare children in the language of the future – coding. A toddler probably won’t grasp logical thinking. Still, logic and critical thinking skills remain important. Coding can help develop skills such as problem-solving, storytelling, communicating and will get them thinking creatively. (I’d also recommend lots of math and music lessons to shape that logical mind.)

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Teaching Your Eight-year-old to Code

So when Hanselman and others remind people that yes, coding is hard, we can also tell them what going through that struggle will bring to us, or to our children. These would be concepts such as feeling powerful and being creative, learning to see how systems fit together and understanding the tech world that’s all around us.

I’d say that instead of claiming learning to code is easy, we should change that an introduction to coding can be easy and fun. From that beginning, kids can build on the knowledge gained to start an education into coding, programming, computer science or whatever you decide to call it.

Also, remember that not all jobs and activities that deal with coding require multi-language proficiency, an ability to think and create algorithmically or even to understand advanced math. A purist wouldn’t call creating a simple app coding – but a child would. And that could spark an interest to last a lifetime.

As we wrote a few years ago (and updated a few months ago), there are many efforts today to get more kids better-equipped with science, math, and technology skills early on, so that they are the innovators of tomorrow. This includes various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs in schools across the country. It has also ignited a number of start-ups dedicated to getting kids engaged in and contemplating the logic behind coding. This prepares their young brains for writing computer code and for literacy in computer languages.

One of those companies is Tynker, which teaches these principles using a free web-based platform that teachers and parents can use in the classroom, at home, and after school. Programs like this one are designed to get kids thinking about coding using computational components they already know, like video games for younger students, and social networking for older students.

Krishna Vedati, a co-founder of Tynker, points out that it’s crucial every child and every classroom have access to programs like this, not just the ones who can afford expensive computer labs, after-school programs, or summer computer camps. Computer science and literacy in coding are essential tools for the workforce of the future. So they must be available and engaging to as many students as possible.

Blog Reader Offers Another Set of Coding Resources for Children

Kyle H sent us his own link with additional resources to share with our readers:

I recently read your blog post about improving programming skills.

As a programmer myself, I thought you might be interested in adding in some resources for parents like myself who are looking to introduce their kids to programming. I compiled a list of all of the latest tools, resources, and products that are effective in gently introducing children to coding which you can find here. If you think it would be interesting to your audience, I would love for you to share it with them!

Solving the Workforce Shortage Problem

This effort comes in response to a current problem in the workforce: a lack of qualified IT professional and computer scientists. There are simply not enough coders to meet demand. Nearly every industry — not just technical ones — is experiencing a shortage of software engineers. That is why your eight-year-old should be coding, a recent article points out.

It is also why, in the interim, we have sought the best solutions to the shortage. That is why we have developed a reporting platform that does not require an IT department and a slew of developers for a company to build smart, fast reports. The more data we create, the more important it is that we have the infrastructure in place to understand and find meaning in that data.

But we still want kids to start coding young, and start thinking about the next ways to innovate business intelligence. Computing will only be more pervasive in all industries as they grow up and join the workforce. As Vedati says:

“Kids will have computing everywhere. Doctors will be using computing to make decisions. Jobs will require more technology. … The new jobs that will be created won’t be just programming jobs. But can you think about organizing data? Information and computation are coming to every field.”

In what ways have you seen your industry evolve and adapt to the shortage of software engineers?