5 Best Online Coding Platforms for Kids in 2021

One of the most important questions on every parent’s mind is what’s the one essential skill for kids to learn in 2021? The answer is undoubtedly coding. 

It is clear that coding is the new literacy in the 21st century. As such, educators and teachers around the world are looking for practical strategies to introduce coding to children. 

Why Teach Kids to Code

Learning to code is like learning a new language. Each child learns differently and they need a learning plan that suits their learning style. So finding an integrated platform that teaches them to code and offers the necessary support will help set them on the path for success.

Here are a few things you must consider before picking a coding platform or a course:

• Does your child thrive in an environment where they learn on their own with little guidance? If so, find a self-guided coding platform where they can learn at their own pace.
• Is 1:1 guidance needed while they’re learning a new skill? If yes, sign them up for private courses to get coached and assigned goals to achieve.
• Would the child prefer to learn in a group setting alongside others? If they do, then find a coding platform that is community-driven and offers group coding lessons.

How Coding Helps the Child Outside the Classroom

While many online courses focus on generic curriculum subjects, many specifically aim to motivate kids and older students with computer coding as an after-school activity.

Therefore students who engage with coding now have better prospects once they leave school for further education or even at their new workplace.

Now more than ever, there are numerous coding platforms that aim to make learning fun through easy-to-follow video tutorials, animations, and simple exercises which become progressively challenging to improve the child’s skill levels.

In this blog, we will explore the best coding platforms out there that offer integrated learning styles to kickstart your child’s coding journey or to take their coding skills to the next level.

5 Best Coding Platforms for Kids in 2021

Codecademy

Codecademy is a dedicated learning resource platform for teaching many different coding and programming skills. While not specifically tailored to schools, it is aimed at beginners and could significantly help teenage students and adult learners.

It offers a comprehensive set of text-based courses on web development and related programming languages. Students can pick which language they want to learn and advance through lessons with instant feedback on their code. 

Codecademy courses cover how to build a website and a whole slew of related coding languages, including HTML & CSS, Ruby on Rails, Python, JavaScript, jQuery, SQL, PHP, and more.

Even better is that there is a free tier that allows for access to all introductory courses. However, there is a paid plan for accepting member-only content, real-world projects while also receiving guidance and peer support.

Code.org

Code.org increases diversity in computer science by reaching students of all backgrounds where they are — at their skill level, in their schools, and in ways that inspire them to keep learning. 

In addition to providing curriculum to schools, they also host a coding website for kids with a series of four courses that teach computer science fundamentals. At the end of each course, students can create interactive games or stories for sharing online. Your child will get to see and be a part of the over 74 million projects showcased.

Codingal

Codingal is a community-driven mobile and web-based platform for kids to learn to code together. It has a unique curriculum: it's the world's only coding curriculum based on BIDE, STEAM, and Bloom's Taxonomy designed to teach coding scientifically. 

The platform incorporates the standard and industry vetted K-12 computer science framework to create guided products, videos, and live tutoring sessions to teach coding and logical thinking to students.

Codingal has a rapidly growing community to foster the spirit of collaborative learning. The community boosts engagement through discussions, quizzes, competitions, leaderboards, and prizes. 

There is a fun and engaging curriculum for kids from grades 1-12 to learn coding with the help of video lessons. Coding’s expert computer science teachers and mentors offer live 1:1 coding classes on a custom-built native platform.

Scratch

Scratch is the platform that enables elementary school coding programs. It’s a free block coding website for kids, developed by the MIT Media Lab. Scratch is its native programming language and consists of graphical blocks that snap together. 

In addition, Scratch has a large online community where children can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation with people from all over the world. 

The platform is designed especially for kids ages 8 to 16. Younger children can also try ScratchJr, a simplified version of Scratch intended for ages 5 to 7.

Scratch is used in most coding curriculums because it’s the perfect way for younger kids to develop their problem-solving, communication, and reasoning skills. It doesn’t teach any actual coding language, but it’s a stepping stone to computer programming and coding languages.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy offers expert-created content and resources for free online courses and practice. Khan Academy teaches the patterns of programming. It’s a great start to get a handle on how computer programming works in general before you dive into specific languages. 

For computer programming, Khan Academy has courses in JavaScript, Processing JS, HTML & CSS, HTML & JavaScript and SQL. Each of these courses presents a comprehensive introduction aimed at building a base for professional-level skills. 

Finally, there’s a community programs area (online forum) where students can share projects, leave comments, and ask questions. The computer programming courses are most appropriate for high school students and adults, but a tech-savvy tween could probably work through them with some mentoring.

Conclusion

Whether your child is interested in learning to code or just curious to try it out, you can support them in their coding journey by signing them up for an online coding course. The most crucial aspect to consider while doing that would be to make sure they are having fun while they learn.

Coding for kids is growing in popularity as many families view computing as a new literacy that will be as important as math and science in the job market of the future. There are many approaches to selecting suitable courses for K-12 students and there are certainly no “one-size-fits-all” solutions.

Coding for kids doesn’t need to be boring. Yes, it demands patience and persistence, but if kids know that the payout is a project, game, or app they are really interested in, they will have fun while they code.

If coding is not taught in an exciting and fun way for kids, it can quickly get boring and the child may lose interest. So choose a course that gives your kids a new skill that is both fun and academic.  

You will be surprised to see the positive effects that it has on the child’s academics and self-confidence.

There’s no better time than now to get your child started on their coding journey. So go ahead and book your free one-on-one coding class right away.