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In this blog, you can find out for yourself whether your young child is ready to code in Python. They will be able to watch a short video tutorial that will guide them through writing their first computer program in Python.
Young kids are often introduced to coding using children-specific platforms such as Scratch. There is a debate on whether this is an effective way of introducing coding or not, but in this article I will not focus on this issue*.
What is clear is that children should move on from Scratch to using a proper programming language at some point, a language that is actually used in the real world. Python is beyond doubt the best language to learn for beginners.
The age at which kids start learning Python varies a lot. Often, schools will not start using Python until secondary schools, and sometimes late in secondary schools. However it is wrong to think that Python is too difficult for younger students, as long as it is introduced in the right manner and using the right kind of projects.
For many years, we at codetoday have been teaching children starting from age 7 using Python and they enjoy it and do well. Here's the best way to find out for yourself.
Below is a short 15-minute video that introduces coding in Python to kids. The lesson will guide students through the basics of how to code in Python through a project that will allow them to draw pictures using code. Students will be able to follow the tutorial by coding themselves, and then carry on exploring after the video is over.
Although kids who are used to Scratch will find Python very different from what they're used to at first, they will very quickly understand how Python works and how they can achieve what they want the program to do using Python code.
Kids grasp the logical structure needed for coding very quickly. In many ways, this kind of thinking comes more naturally to children than it does to adults who have never coded.
There are many topics in coding that are too difficult for 7-year olds. But this does not mean that they cannot start learning aspects of programming in Python at that stage. This gives them a good foundation for learning more intermediate and therefore harder topics as they grow older.
At codetoday we have gained a lot of experience with teaching Python to children starting from these relatively young ages—we start at age 7. We believe that this age is perfect to start and we find that most children engage and enjoy with coding in Python.
Try out the video tutorial above with your child, and let us know your thoughts.
* If you wish to read more about our views on using Scratch to introduce coding to children, you can read one our most popular blog posts from our archives: https://www.codetoday.co.uk/post/2017/02/02/scratch-or-python-when-should-my-child-switch
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