As another summertime wraps up and September approaches, parents everywhere switch gears. The summer months sped by, and somehow, it’s already time for Back to School.
Parents wonder where the time went, and kids are no different. Ask the average child if they’d rather play games in summer or be stuck in a classroom learning, and guess what they’d say!
How do parents keep them motivated to learn coding online after the school day is out? RP4K is here to answer that question, so read on for more information.
RP4K is here to make coding classes for kids fun, first and foremost, and we do that by making the sessions revolve around kids making their own video games. Even children as young as seven can start learning to program a game like Pac-Man, and as students’ skills progress, they refine their skills in each coding language before advancing to the next one.
RP4K places video games at the centre of what we do for a few reasons. Creating a video game becomes, in a way, its own type of game. We use gamification dynamics to entice and engage students so that learning feels like play.
In other words, play is something we take seriously, whether we mean it in a figurative or literal sense. Students learn better when they’re enjoying the material. You won’t need to twist their arm to get them to learn when classes are this much fun.
Noisy, disruptive sessions with too many students don’t help anybody. Teachers get frustrated by classroom management issues, and students can’t absorb the course material.
RP4K limits all class sizes to a maximum of four, with no mandatory minimum. That means your child will have at most three other students in the class. Whether sessions are on or offline, students learn better when classrooms aren’t packed.
Plus, you’ll know that the sessions will run as scheduled when you sign up rather than hoping enough other students join. It isn’t easy balancing a busy schedule, and you don’t want to get your child’s hopes up for a fun online coding class only to have them dashed because they’re the lone student. RP4K gives parents predictability by ensuring that if you book a class, it’ll proceed.
After 20 years of running an online coding course, we’ve found that hiring teachers studying computer science and computer engineering makes the perfect instructors. This is true for a few reasons.
Today’s undergrads in computer engineering and computer science grew up playing sophisticated video games at home, so they have the first-hand experience to relate to today’s students. Whereas previous generations played pinball at the arcade, or side-scrolling Nintendo games, the video games our teachers played as kids resemble the open-world sandbox games popular today, like Minecraft.
In some cases, our teachers not only played Minecraft but learned how to build custom Minecraft modifications in RP4K classes they took as students! The programming, graphics, and even storytelling in video games have improved by leaps and bounds in a short time, so having instructors familiar with this world is key.
In a practical sense, older students also get to pick the brains of people with STEM skills navigating the job market. They can ask questions about precisely the skills needed to thrive in niche markets or what other jobs open up to people with coding skills aside from being a professional video game programmer.
Teaching exciting, in-demand coding languages helps to teach skills that can be used in the classroom and increase engagement. Avoid the basic programs that teach kids drag-and-drop programs, like Scratch. Such programs aren’t really coding languages anyone uses in the field. They’re just meant to convey what coding is like to beginners.
RP4K is proud to teach popular languages powering today’s most popular video games, apps, and websites. We know from experience that learning what drives today’s digital world engages kids.
Here are the coding languages students can learn at RP4K:
We offer students of all skill and experience levels suitable, stimulating courses. RP4K begins at the start, diving into real math and coding concepts to build a custom video game that even young kids can manage. From there, we improve and refine their skills gradually over time until they’re comfortable turning their imaginations into programs.
As students improve, they advance to the next language. RP4K is fully equipped to teach those starting out and older, more experienced students ready to take on the type of advanced math students typically only encounter in their post-secondary education.
Your child will never be bored or overwhelmed, and that’s what engagement for school season coding classes is all about.
RP4K puts a lot of work into intergrouping, or ensuring that classmates in the same sessions have compatible skills, abilities, and experience. Students need to be in the right setting to thrive. When they are, student engagement tends to take care of itself!
If you’re curious about which class is suitable for your child, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can answer any questions, and you can even enroll in a complimentary, hassle-free trial lesson to dip your toe in the water before making any commitment.
We’re serious about placing your child where they’ll thrive most. Keeping them engaged is all about finding that sweet spot so their mind is active and busy learning new things without feeling like it’s too much.
After 23 years of running coding programs for kids, RP4K has learned much about how to make sessions fun, what works, and what doesn’t. Our proprietary curriculum has been refined a lot over the years, and we’ve seen the success it leads to. Don’t fear that all the excitement will end with the close of summer. Contact RP4K today to book some online coding classes, and the fun doesn’t have to end.
