Parents want their children to learn how computers really work for understandable reasons. We live in a society dominated by digital technology, and understanding what coding is and knowing how to program is akin to peeking behind the curtains to seeing how this mysterious technology really works.
However, there isn’t merely one thing called “coding” that kids learn. Rather, there are many different coding languages a programmer can learn, and knowing how to design and code video games is a special skill not every programmer can do.
RP4K specializes in teaching students how to create their own video games, as we use gaming as the core around which all our programming courses revolve. Let’s check out how it works and why kids become more perseverant and resilient when they learn how to code.
When kids code video games, they need to test different ways of accomplishing a goal or task. The first approach they take in coding may not succeed. Maybe the second one will, or it could fail too. Maybe the second attempt will provide the clue that will make the third attempt work.
Once kids go through this process a few times, they won’t beat themselves up or blame themselves for making mistakes. It won’t negatively impact their self-esteem because they regard mistakes as simply a necessary part of the journey towards success.
It’s hard to overstate the impact this has on their sense of perseverance or resilience because it’s easy for young people (or even adults!) to spiral when they make an error or feel like they did something wrong. Building a person’s tolerance for errors early is a recipe for healthy mental development.
Coding lets kids try out certain answers, see how they fit, and revise accordingly. They become comfortable with the process, which helps them develop the thick skin lifelong learners need.
RP4K teaches kids, even beginners, how to design their own video game using real coding languages, not drag-and-drop programs like Scratch, which are really only meant to give kids a sense of what coding is like. Those fresh to programming can make a Pac-Man-style game, and as kids improve their skills within each coding language, they advanced to the next one.
For example, 7-year-old kids can start with Python, the same programming language Netflix runs on. Next, kids learn Java, JavaScript, C# and C++. Within each language there’s lots of room for students to grow and refine their skills, building more complex and elaborate video games.
As the video games they design and program become more advanced, so do their programming abilities. We teach important programming languages for game development and also industry-standard languages. Any student who learns our suite of coding languages will be an asset in many coding jobs, but they also will have the skill set to blaze their own digital trail and perhaps make their own websites, apps, or video games.
Coders have many different career paths open up for them, so there’s almost no limit to what field they can work in or how far they can go.
RP4K places video games at the centre of what we do in a couple of ways. We don’t only teach video games, but we also harness the same dynamics that make video games so engaging and addictive to help kids learn.
Video game designers understand how to keep kids hooked by doing things like tracking their in-game progress. We push the same buttons at Real Programming 4 Kids to make our classes fun and engaging. The point is to ensure students are intrinsically motivated, so we don’t need to push them to learn coding or refine their skills.
If you’ve ever seen how hard it can be to get a child to stop playing a video game they’re taken by, you know the level of persistence video games inspire.
Placing students in a calm, supportive learning environment is one of the best predictors of success. Kids need to learn new, complex subjects in an atmosphere where they can concentrate and get the help they need.
As with our year-round courses, RP4K’s summer coding camp limits class sizes to a maximum of four students per teacher, so there are at most three other students in your child’s class. That way, teachers don’t need to overcome disruptions and they can focus on the course material instead of classroom management.
Teachers won’t have to guess your child’s name because they won’t be overwhelmed by the class size. Young kids should develop perseverance and learn the stick-to-it-ness that helps coders complete tasks, but they shouldn’t need to become rugged and persistent by overcoming obstacles in their classrooms.
RP4K is proud to hire teachers who study computer engineering and computer sciences, as they are subject matter experts with recent experience navigating the job market, making them the perfect people to field technical and practical questions. Plus, they were young enough to also have grown up playing video games, and their passion for gaming rubs off.
Video games are perhaps the form of culture that has seen the most growth and change over the past decade or so. The graphics and gameplay have improved by leaps and bounds, and now there’s a social aspect to them as kids can play friends and strangers from their homes.
Video games combine art forms. There’s story writing, designing the characters and the world in which the games unfold, music, and the coding itself. It’s an exciting time to be creating video games for artistic, creative people.
As video games have migrated from home consoles to smartphones, the gaming industry has eclipsed the combined value of the film and music industry! To succeed in such a competitive and engaged market takes perseverance, but thankfully, that’s something kids learn right when they start making their own video games.
Creating video games takes lots of work, patience, and practice. RP4K has offered our summer coding camp for over 20 years, so we know what the right environment looks like to help students persevere. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today if you have any questions about the program or to enroll in our summer coding camp.
