When it comes to programming, most people's first impression is that it is a very advanced subject. In fact, it is not always true. As long as they master the learning skills and the guidance of professional teachers, they will soon be able to get started. And programming is also a big trend in the future. How old is it appropriate for children to learn programming?
How old is the child to learn programming
For most ordinary children, I suggest that they start learning at least in the first grade. The programming I'm talking about here is purely computer programming, not fake programming with mobile phones or tablets.
The recommendation of conscience organizations basically starts from the first grade.
Why do I say it is more suitable to learn programming after first grade?
Because programming requires computer typing, learning programming without typing is like running without walking, so learning programming is not as early as possible, and learning the right courses at the right age is the best. It is not good to learn programming too early or too late.
Some parents will say that our children are in the third grade. Is it too late? It is clear to everyone that it is not late for grades 2-4, but we must spare at least one year to learn children's programming. Programming not only cultivates children's logical thinking ability, but also is a compulsory course in school. Parents must pay attention to it.
Learning to program can cause various physical problems
I have been developing software for more than ten years, and many of my peers have suffered from various physical conditions, such as poor eyesight, uncomfortable fingers, belly bulge, waist pain, etc., which are very common.
It can be said that programming requires long sitting, which has a great impact on the human body. The primary school students are growing up. The heavy schoolwork has been mostly sedentary every day. After class, they are sent to various children's programming training institutions. If cats learn programming in front of computers, they may have many adverse effects on the body, and may become the driver of common problems such as myopia.
So from this point of view, I would not recommend children to learn programming, which is the same reason that parents do not need children to watch tablets and mobile phones.
Physical problems are irreversible, but can use some programming language and other small skills, which can be learned at any time. Are you afraid your children will not learn in the future? It's a bit alarmist.
At this stage, if you don't think your child is at home, you can't play with him or her, and you are worried about affecting parent-child relationship, so you want to apply for a class and have a quiet time. I suggest you apply for sports, such as badminton, swimming, football, basketball, taekwondo, fencing, equestrian. There are many options.
Ten benefits of learning programming for children
1. Strengthen logical thinking
The most important thing in programming is how to break down big problems into small ones. It is necessary to consider how to reasonably arrange the code in the whole program so that the processing of the program flow can be input, calculated and output, which greatly improves the children's ability to analyze the logic of things.
2. Cultivate concentration and carefulness
Errors are something that every programmer must experience, adults and children are no exception. Sometimes, if it just misses an equal sign, or the semicolon at the end of a line, it may cause a program disorder, not to mention ignoring the trap of some conditions in logic analysis. Therefore, in the process of learning to write programs, we must not muddle along.
3. Improve tolerance
When parents are bound to encounter this situation, they will take their children to dinner, and the children can't sit still, running around and playing everywhere. At this time, if they take out their mobile phones to play with, the children's attention will be immediately pulled back, and then they will start to sit quietly playing with mobile phones. Programming courses use this feature to let children learn in games, but this is not only to let them play games, but also to let them understand how games are designed.
4. Improve abstract thinking
In fact, learning to program is like learning a foreign language. If you learn a foreign language to communicate with foreigners, then learning programming is to communicate with computers. Interestingly, when you meet a foreigner, you can compare hands and feet, but not in computer class. In the process of learning programming, children need an abstract and concrete ability, so that computers that do not understand thinking can understand and express abstract things.
5. Help children organize information and absorb integration skills
Writing a program is simply a combination of computer instructions. For example, when we were in primary school, we looked up dictionaries to learn Chinese characters and learned idioms. Then we learned how to use the learned Chinese characters and idioms to make sentences and write articles. The basic instructions in the program are Chinese characters. Writing reusable functions or modules is like writing idioms. Then, when a program with both ends and beginning is to be completed, it must be integrated and applied to ensure that there will be no conflict when executing the program, which will lead to a crash.
6. Improve international communication skills and competitiveness
Obviously, which industry does not use computers now? We use computers not only to communicate with computers, but also to communicate with anyone who uses computers. Children's environment is often highly related to their future development. If you don't want to derail your child from the world, let him know how to program as soon as possible. This will be a powerful weapon for them to face international competition in the future.
7. Learn teamwork and learn to learn together
Under the appropriate curriculum design, students will discuss with each other, enhance friendship in interaction, and learn how to use team strength to solve problems. Compared with the one-way teaching of teachers, the exploration among students has greatly improved the learning efficiency.
8. Training spatial thinking ability
The control process of game characters in programming is an important way to cultivate spatial thinking ability. It seems that the child himself is the character who looks for the maze exit in the ups and downs. His hands and brain work together, turning left and right, jumping up and down, standing in the world of the program, learning in the game, and understanding the sense of direction and three-dimensional space.
9. Improve the ability to solve problems
In the face of challenges, children will continue to use what they have learned and strive to achieve their goals. Once you have formed such a good habit, you will naturally try to solve other problems in your study or life by yourself.
10. Code learning
Learning the way of thinking in programming is like learning to read. It is a basic ability in this era of knowledge explosion. For example, learning how to write programs and control computers from an early age is a kind of New Ways of Learning, and stimulating children's learning motivation from the process of learning to write programs. Parents no longer force their children to learn mathematics, because they have to write program control buttons, characters, scores, directions, and naturally need to use a lot of mathematical skills.
In addition, it can also improve children's English ability, write programs, and make contact with English a natural thing. Other disciplines, such as music, art, literature, etc., can be used in the process of programming, which is what we call code learning.
