Coding Classes for Kids – The Python Programming Language
Picking a programming language for your child to study can be tough. They probably don’t have a great feel for what the entire coding experience is going to be like. So maybe they start off with something very visual, like Scratch. They learn the basics and create a few working programs.
After spending a lot of time with Scratch and learning the tenets of logic and coding, a lot of kids want something with more substance… something with more of a future. If you peel back the curtain on Scratch 3.0, you see ActionScript and Javascript. Not the most friendly languages for young coders.
So what else is there? What language can a hungry young mind really tear into?
Is That Hissing I Hear?
No, but it is Python.
Python has been around since the late 90’s, the brainchild of Guido van Rossum. He remained in the driver’s seat as the language’s main architect for nearly two decades. That consistency is why it continued to grow stronger and more reliable through three major iterations.
The language is incredibly flexible, with both structured and object-oriented programming fully supported. This means that however your child likes to approach a logical problem, it’s highly likely that the Python programming language will have the tools to help them solve it.
Is Python for Kids, or Just Adults?
There are a few good reasons that the ‘Python for Kids’ movement took off, outside of just the Jason Briggs book by the same name.
The Python programming language is one of the most human-readable mainstream languages in use today. Although not quite a fourth generation language, it does draw upon some of the ease of use aspects of 4GL.
That readability is why so many coding classes for kids have embraced Python. The things that you read in the tutorials, the words that are spoken by an instructor, they resonate as friendly, recognizable terms.
Another advantage is speed. Once the basics are grasped, the typical Python script should be shorter than the equivalent Javascript program, and five to ten times shorter than C++ doing the same task. So kids learning Python get to experience the gratification of completing functional scripts more frequently.
This is why, in a lot of classrooms and households, the Python for Kids movement is strong. Structurally, it caters to the young mind. And of course, it is a legitimate career skill.
What is the Python Programming Language Typically Used For?
This is where things get interesting. Because Python is heavily used in some of the biggest commercial programming fields on Earth: Automation, web development, data integration, and e-commerce solutions.
It’s no wonder that Python is the fastest growing mainstream programming language on the planet according to Stack Overflow. As we move towards a world where more countries embrace things like remote work, universal income, big data projects, and virtual currency, it looks like we have an excellent candidate for the dominant programming language of the next decade.
This is being reflected in the salaries of coders. The top two programming languages in terms of compensation are Ruby, followed directly by Python. The average Python developer in the United States makes around $119,000 a year according to Daxx. And it is an international trend, with the U.K. based Indeed putting the median Python coder’s salary at around £64,000. Learning Python early can give children a real edge in tomorrow’s marketplace.
So it is important to not only introduce kids to the Python programming language when they’re young, but to embrace it at an educational level as well. Coding classes for kids simply need to offer it as a first or second tier choice, or they’re missing a trick.
Is Python Free and Easy to Set Up?
If you’re familiar with the phrase ‘so simple, a child could do it’, that applies here. It’s one of the easiest programming languages to install.
And yes, it is completely free, and it always has been. Guido van Rossum developed it under an OSI compatible open license.
The official download site has all of the links and instructions that you will need to help you to set it up on the home computer. It shouldn’t take a parent more than just a few minutes with a decent computer and Internet connection.
Or if you’re fully embracing the Python for Kids motif, make them do it themselves (under proper supervision of course)!
There are also app store versions of the Python programming language for mobile devices, running on iOS and Android. Kivy and BeeWare are both excellent mobile frameworks to look at.
Structured Coding Classes for Kids that Teach Python
If you as a parent would prefer that professionals teach your kids the Python programming language, that’s a completely reasonable option. Some kids simply do better in classrooms. Whether those classrooms are real or virtual, well that depends on how close you are to a coding campus and what’s going on in the world at large, of course.
Children who do well in a structured, but relaxed learning environment should look into theCoderSchool’s physical locations and camps. Coding classes for kids are available in dozens of locations all over the continental United States. You want to join classes that have a Code Coach to student ratio under six to one, if at all possible. But the more popular the class, the higher the student ratio will be, of course.
Then again, some students learn better from the comfort of their own home, from anywhere in the world. For those students, our virtual program also offers a great way to embrace the Python programming language.
In Conclusion
Python is one of the best choices for young people to enter the wonderful world of programming. The combination of ease-of-use, accessibility, and flexibility are hard to beat. Combine that with a human language oriented interface that appeals to kids, and it’s no wonder that Python is widely considered to be one of the primary programming languages of the next decade.