Should I Teach My Kid to Code?
My fourth-grade daughter has been watching YouTube lately and says she wants to learn to code.
Honestly, I'm torn. Some say it helps with logical thinking, and others say it'll just be a basic skill for kids these days. On the other hand, I also think, "Do they really need to start that young?"
So this weekend, we tried Scratch together. She picked it up better than I expected. She's happy when the cat moves, and when it doesn't, she asks why. I feel like the process itself is learning, so for now I'm going to focus on having fun with it.
In the end, what matters isn't "teaching" but "trying it together." Doing it alongside them as a parent seems to work best.
10 answers
My kid also started Scratch in 4th grade. They’re in 7th grade now and studying Python on their own. I’ve never once forced them to do it—I just helped out when they showed interest. But honestly, I’m not sure coding helped their logical thinking, and math is a separate issue—they’re not good at it lol
Agreed, Scratch is really good.
I'm a bit opposed to this. An acquaintance's child went to a coding academy starting in 2nd grade, but completely lost interest by 5th grade and quit. I think it's better to let them do it only as long as they enjoy it. In 4th grade, they're still at an age where they learn through play, and I don't see any need to teach them something just to fit some "literacy" or whatever.
Do you have a source? These days, the idea that coding is essential is going around among parents, and some people are saying it’s just cram school marketing.
Scratch is great, but please show Entry too. Since it’s in Korean, the barrier to entry is low, and there are also many resources linked to the elementary school curriculum.
Same here lol I can't tell if the kid wants to do it or if I'm making them do it
Well, is the claim that 'coding builds logical reasoning' really all that clear? I'm not even sure whether coding is the cause or the effect of logical reasoning, and if you look into it, there's a lot of skepticism out there. It's good that the kid does it because it's fun, but there's no need to attach some grand justification to it.
This is so true lol. In the end, doing it together is the best.
I think it really makes a big difference when parents do it together with them. I was doing Scratch with my kid, and I was having so much fun that I ended up making a game by myself lol. Thanks to that, my kid naturally followed along beside me.
I agree with the "it's 50/50" take. But when they say they want to learn by watching YouTube, there's also a good chance it was just that the video was fun. They might forget about it in a few weeks, so don't start looking into academies or classes right away—I think it's just right for the parents to play with them using something like Scratch.