A quick guide to self-learning programming at home for elementary and middle school students: resources for children to learn programming, recommended introductory camp courses - AI4kids

The trend of children coding has become popular in recent years, and many parents have begun to wonder whether children/teens should learn programming? 1. From our perspective, we actually recommend children to learn programming, not only because it is a world trend and various countries are actively promoting it, but also because learning programming from an early age can train children's expressive ability, logical thinking and problem-solving skills! If you want your kids to try out a homeschooling program, where do you get started? What resources or courses are suitable for children? Below we have compiled several programming learning games, children’s computer programming courses, and children’s programming camps. Let’s take a look!

Further reading: What programming languages ​​are suitable for elementary, junior high, and high school students to learn? Recommended Children's Programming Courses

Children's self-study coding resources - Programming games

Whether for children or adults, the most recommended way to get started with something new for the first time is to explore it through "gamified learning". Learning while playing makes everyone more motivated to learn. Therefore, I have provided four game resources for learning basic programs for your reference below.

micro:bit

micro:bit is a microcomputer developed and designed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) specifically for children over the age of 5. Programming can be done by simply opening a web browser and dragging and dropping building blocks. By transferring program files via USB, it can be run even without a computer. It allows children to learn programming and electronic knowledge at the same time, connects the application of software and hardware, and allows children's programming learning to not be limited to software!

SCRATCH

SCRATCH is a computer programming platform developed by the MIT Media Lab, designed for children aged 8 to 16. It does not require writing any program code. It turns the interface and structure into building blocks and blocks. By dragging and dropping some "program module" blocks, you can design animations and games full of sound and light effects. It is suitable for beginners to establish the basic concepts of program logic.

Minecraft: Education Edition

Minecraft: Education Edition is a gaming platform developed by Microsoft specifically for school teaching. It is suitable for children over 7 years old. It can be freely built through blocks and played however you want. Minecraft has multiple game modes such as survival mode, creative mode and adventure game, which develop key skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication through an interactive game environment.

CodeCombat

CodeCombat is a programming education platform approved by the College Board of the United States, suitable for children over 8 years old to learn and play. The course adopts a comprehensive online gamification learning mode, allowing students to learn Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and other computer languages ​​by writing programs and passing various levels. By writing program codes independently, children can gain a rich sense of participation and accomplishment; practicing imperceptibly can make them more familiar with the computer field, which not only cultivates logical thinking, but also lays the foundation for programming ability!

What is the difference between CodeCombat and other programming games?

CodeCombat is different from other building block programming games that can only be learned by piecing together. CodeCombat allows primary and secondary school students to actually type programming code. Children can learn programming languages ​​unconsciously in different levels. Every time they solve a level, they will like and become more familiar with programming. Not only that, they can also seamlessly transition to learning advanced programming languages ​​in high school or college in the future!

CodeCombat Programming Courses →

Recommended programming courses and camps for elementary and middle school students

After seeing the self-study resource recommendations above, I believe that some parents may have doubts in their hearts: Can you really learn programming by playing games? I don’t know how to program myself, so how do I know if my child has really learned programming through games? We have heard your voice! Led by CodeCombat professional certified instructors, children can truly learn coding skills step by step through a gamified programming education platform. Whether it is a one-on-one programming course, a group course for multiple people, or a programming camp with students from all over the country, we will recommend them to you one by one below!

CodeCombat Programming Course

Your child will be personally led by a CodeCombat certified instructor through online teaching tools, who will guide your child to participate in course discussions and programming operations. There will also be homework assignments every week so that parents can track their child's learning progress. From children's operation of Python basic syntax to variables, loops, logical operations, etc., there are systematic paper teaching materials in each level of course - computational thinking exercise books. They serve as the best study books for students to prepare before class, establish programming language in class, and practice after class. Parents can see the children's learning progress and performance! We not only provide one-on-one classes, but also group classes. In addition, in addition to Chinese teaching, we also provide CodeCombat programming courses taught entirely in English for parents to choose; not only can they learn programming, but they can also improve their English listening, speaking, reading and writing skills!

CodeCombat Programming Courses →

CodeQuest

Do you think procedural languages ​​can also compete in the arena? After learning programming for a period of time, parents and children are very curious about whether the learning effect is good or bad? In addition to traditional exams to test your current level, there is a more interesting way to test! CodeQuest, the official global competition of Codecombat, allows contestants to make use of the code they have learned and use their personal strategic thinking to compete! You can also communicate with players from different countries and learn programming techniques.

Age category

• Primary school: Grades 1 to 6
• Middle school group: Grades 7 to 12 (junior high school, high school)

CodeQuest Competition Information

CodeCombat Online Programming Camp

Through a one-week online programming camp, children can truly learn coding skills. Unlike other building block-based programming education, this programming camp will start by teaching children to learn English keyboards. Through each game level, children will be guided to use actual Python grammar to operate the game. In addition to building computational thinking, they can also apply related topics as a stepping stone to high school and workplace programming topics!

Complete the program in the game and learn Python without pressure. After participating for a week, you can obtain the CodeCombat CS1-2 international certificate and train to become a coding competition player. The winner will be selected for the CodeQuest global competition and compete with the world's top students!

CodeCombat Online Programming Camp →

Why does AI4kids promote Codecombat?

AI4kids is committed to promoting Codecombat, and through online courses, camps, and other different course formats, more Taiwanese children and parents can see the benefits of Codecombat! It integrates games and teaching, and uses a step-by-step programmed teaching system to be introduced into elementary, middle and high school campuses. It has a Chinese and English bilingual interface, which meets the 108 curriculum and bilingual national policies at the same time. Make learning programming as fun as playing computer games. Now the learning process design of independently operating program codes and completing levels can motivate students to learn! There are more than 20 million Codecombat learners around the world, learning programming languages ​​​​in sync with the world and connecting with the international community!

Complete Program Learning Map

Compared to other programming games, CodeCombat has a complete programming learning map. It is also a programming education platform recognized by the College Board for the "AP Computer Science Principles Course" and professional development. All teaching materials are designed in accordance with "international teaching standards." Homework will be provided in class for children to practice programming, and there will also be review and competition mechanisms to fully evaluate students' learning outcomes, so that children can reach the level of admission to an American university in two years.

With systematic programming teaching materials

Using a complete and systematic teaching material can help children develop more formal programming and logical thinking. After completing the course, they can not only obtain international certificates related to computer science, game development, and web development to enrich their learning process, but also have the opportunity to represent Taiwan in the CodeQuest global competition!

CodeQuest Global Programming Competition

In the CodeQuest international programming competition, contestants can exchange programs and learn from contestants from different countries. They can apply what they have learned to the programming competition to broaden their international and programming horizons.

Participate in the AI4kids Taiwan preliminary competition for elementary school and middle school groups and win the top 15 in the finals. The organizer will take you to the CodeQuest global competition! All contestants who participate in the national finals will receive an "internationally certified electronic and physical award certificate", allowing your child to reach a milestone in their programming learning journey!

Summarize

Through this article, I believe that children and parents will have a direction for starting to learn programming languages. We have provided several online self-study resources with gamification teaching. We have also listened to the voices of parents and provided children's programming courses to recommend to everyone! Finally, we would like to provide parents with the advantages of promoting Codecombat as a reference. Therefore, learning a programming language is actually not as difficult as you might imagine. As long as you use the right method, even elementary school children can understand it easily!

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