How to Teach More Than Just Coding

When kids make their way through a coding curriculum, they’re practicing reading by following along, learning new terms and writing them out. But they are also picking up on larger reading comprehension skills.

Story sequencing is the ability to place events, steps or components in their logical order—a foundational skill in reading and programming. Like a story, programs rely on this order. Coding helps kids understand that what happens first can change what happens next. 

Programming requires specific math skills, from basic functions like addition and subtraction to more challenging concepts for children like ratios and coordinates. It also uses abstract math concepts in a creative way. Kids can create art based on mathematical patterns and learn about economic concepts like game theory.

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“Coding is just a language. It’s a syntax. What we’re teaching kids is a different way to think,” said Shauna Garner, franchisee support coordinator at CodeNinjas. The problem-solving skills it takes to write and debug code are transferable, like many STEM skills.

That could help explain why mathematics majors routinely score the highest on the LSAT, which measures reading comprehension and problem-solving but is most popular with criminal justice and pre-law students, according to testing prep companies.

David Dodge, founder and CEO of CodaKid, indicated the process of coding is a pivotal part of the lesson. Even when kids are creating their own games, they’re testing theories and finding solutions. “The goal is to create an enjoyable level that’s not too difficult for a beginner, but you’re finding that the character is falling into the lava in the first 5 seconds,” he said. “[Then] you’re redesigning, you’re testing, you’re iterating. … that whole process is incredibly important.”

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Have students fill out a blank scientific method worksheet for their coding projects, asking them to analyze the steps of their process, the questions they want to answer, and track their methods.

Ask students to formally reflect on a coding project when it’s over and answer a couple questions, such as:

Garner pointed out that one of the benefits of bringing kids together to code is that they are with a group of like-minded individuals—they can ask questions, share successes and enjoy their progress as a group.

“There’s team building, sharing, there’s collaboration. So, their social skills are developing as well,” said Garner. “They might be at a different game or a different belt than the neighbor that’s sitting next to them, but they’re building new friendships and enjoying the time that they’re there because they’re interacting.”

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In a self-paced environment: Assign students peer mentors, pairing up more advanced students with beginners. The skilled students will get practice by teaching others and the inexperienced ones will get one-on-one help in a low-risk environment.

In a group-paced environment: Place students in groups and ask them to conceptualize a game together. They should agree on a mission, method and interface concept before they start writing any code.

Coding isn’t all math and science—it’s also creation. Whether it’s a game, a visualization, or an app, programming is a tool for kids to make whatever they can think of. It can involve storytelling and art just as much as numbers.

Give kids freedom and flexibility while they’re programming to try new things and test different methods. Simple things like customizing colors and fonts can help teach them early that there’s a lot of potential to make their work unique.

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Have students customize their projects any way they know how. For example, Scratch offers options for characters to change, colors to switch and games to be tailored to the preferences of each user.

Let students use Keynote or PowerPoint to design visualizations and projects. These programs offer more flexibility and a lower barrier to entry, so students can design their wildest dreams before translating them into code later.