Importance of Learning Coding at a Young Age

Pearl Kapoor

October 16th, 2022

Technology has greatly advanced in the past few decades, boosting the importance of coding, especially in the younger generations. Information Technology is without a doubt one of the fastest-growing careers in the world and the one with the highest margin for getting a high-paying job. Although technology offers a huge variety of careers, coding-based careers have amazing benefits and offer a plethora of advantages for the youth.

Brain Development

The brain develops the fastest and the most during the first twelve years of life. Programming is not much different from learning different learning during this age, children observe, learn, and reinforce the skills and terminology in their vocabulary and mental bank. Staring early increases the brain’s tendency to use logic and language and provides a higher level of base knowledge for the child to build off of.

Problem Solving

Coding encourages problem-solving and persistence. Although some parents might say that their stubborn little toddler doesn’t need any more motivation to be persistent, coding helps recognize failure immediately and teaches how success cannot be achieved till all problems and loopholes are solved. This characteristic fosters commitment and grit from a young age, which are two highly valued traits in the professional world and will prove to be extremely useful, no matter what career path the child grows up to choose.

Perception

While creativity is not an attribute synonymous with coding, it is quite surprising how younger minds perceive it. When presented with an obstacle such as coding, the brain of a child will consider all possible options and constantly ask themselves “What if I changed it from this to this?” or “Would it work if I added this?” Not only does this develop a growth mindset but it also challenges the person and promotes open-mindedness and imagination.

Communication

Last but not the least, coding improves communication. When writing a program, a person is forced to consider the limitations of how the technology will comprehend the code and thus, must make alterations to ensure the code is simple enough to be understood and complex enough for the actions to be executed. This teaches youngsters to present their intricate and elaborate ideas in simplified terms by breaking down and arranging words in a way that is straightforward. People with this skill are highly valued in the job market, no matter the career, and tend to achieve a higher level of success than students who are unable to express themselves clearly.

So the next time you overhear a parent discussing which new hobby they should enroll their child in, give them the idea to pursue coding and wait till they come back to thank you for it!