Programming for children

Programming through the computer has acquired a fundamental importance in the manufacture of the digital devices that we use daily. This is why experts agree that it is increasingly useful to learn to program, so it is worth reviewing which are the best tools for children.

The advancement of technology is happening so fast that many countries have a digital talent deficit, that is, they do not have enough professionals in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. In this sense, efforts are aimed at providing workers with equipment, tools and technological training. In the case of Spain, it is considered that specialized employment would increase by 15% and could contribute some 360 ​​million euros a year to the national economy.

These data are the result of an investigation carried out in 2019 by the Autonomous University of Madrid and the VASS Foundation, in which experts from 50 companies in the technology sector participated. The study revealed that of 6 Spanish companies looking for a professional, there is only one person with the requested profile. 

Why aren’t there enough computer scientists in Spain?

One of the causes of this deficit of digital talent is that there are not enough young people studying Computer Engineering, among other reasons, because it is considered a career with high difficulty, so there is a certain reluctance of young people, this without counting several urban myths, like for example that it is a branch of knowledge only for men or that those who study it are square brainiacs.

Traditional media and social networks continue to sell the idea that the expert in programming languages ​​is a guy with glasses, lonely, introverted and rigid thinking. This message often affects young people between the ages of 12 and 15, an age range that is crucial when deciding what to study at university. However, it is scientifically proven that the use of algorithms and other tools necessary to learn programming has innumerable benefits for children and adolescents, since it helps improve creativity, attention and concentration, while fostering teamwork, confidence and self-esteem. 

Computer Engineering: A career that can start in childhood

It is enough to see children use smart mobile phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, among other devices, from a very young age, to verify that they are growing up in the digital age, so it is natural that in their adulthood they have more skills than their parents when dealing with new technologies. 

On the other hand, if a person learns to program from childhood, he can have a more solid foundation, so that the branches of knowledge considered difficult seem easy to him, in the same way that a young person becomes fluent in a foreign language with greater ease. if he begins to study it when he is still a child.

The best programming languages ​​for children

It is normal for digital native children to really like programming programs, since they are educational toys (in this link you can find some purchase options) that allow them to discover how the devices they use on a daily basis work and how they are created the user interfaces they see on the screens. In fact, there is currently a computer science subject for children, which is taught in many schools and uses different programming games that are fun and speed up learning. However, there are so many options that sometimes kids don’t know which programming language to learn. Let’s see some interesting applications that teach the little ones of the house to program easily.

Alice

It is a 3D programming tool that allows children to create video games, animations and videos to share on social networks. As we can see, the main objective of the tool is to bring children closer to a type of programming oriented towards audiovisual products. In this sense, Alice is indicated for children 12 years and older.

Stencyl

To make the job fun, fast and easy, Stencyl offers a drag and drop interface so no coding skills are required, but it also has this option for older kids and even adults. This application does not allow programming on Android, but the games developed are compatible not only with this operating system, but also with Windows, iOS and Linux.

Scratch 

This is one of the most popular programming languages ​​for children. It was created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by the Lifelong Kindergarten team, whose main objective is to involve young people in the creation of new technologies. It’s designed for programming games, stories, and animations, but it also has a large online community for sharing your creations. It is worth mentioning that it is free and is indicated for children from 7 years of age.

etoys

It is an easy and practical computerized environment that is suitable for children who want to learn programming. In this sense, it allows you to create stories and video games with text, animated objects, graphics, sound, music and photographs. Also, Etoys is free programming software and has open source.

Google Blocky

It is a programming language very similar to Scratch, but it has been improved by the Google company, so it allows creating by blocks, but it is also possible to export the codes in PHP, Python, Dart, Lua and JavaScript, so that it works like a visual builder.

Code Monkey

It is a game that teaches children how to start programming. It consists of a funny monkey that must get his bananas, but to do so you have to pass 30 tests. In this sense, each of the challenges has a small tutorial that can be repeated as many times as necessary until the child understands what he must do. In this way, during the tour the child will learn what programming is.

To conclude, it is important to remember that it is not about imposing a profession on our children, but about considering children’s programming as a very attractive option that can not only provide benefits during their growth, but could also be the seed for an important decision in your future.