The Importance of Teaching Computer Programming in the Early Years

Programming is the process of creating a set of instructions that tell a computer how to perform a task. It can be done in many programming languages, such as JavaScript, Python and C++. Each language has its own features. These mainstream languages are called high-level programming languages because they are easy for people to understand and use. Low-level languages, such as assembly language, are harder for people to understand but closer to what the machine runs directly. Today, programming is part of everyday tasks, both personal and professional, so it is a highly valuable skill in a digital world. That is why it is worth looking at the benefits of teaching programming at a young age.

Children are surrounded by the digital world. When they learn to code, they gain an understanding of how that world works: it is not magic, but software built on mathematics and logic. As Linus Torvalds said, “Many good programmers do programming not because they expect to get paid or get adulation by the public, but because it is fun to program.” Learning to code builds skills for the future, and in the classroom programming can encourage healthy competition and a rewarding environment. There is high demand for people with coding skills in STEM fields and the tech industry, so schools that give students a push in this direction widen their options for future careers.

Children have a creative outlook that makes them eager to understand and work with the world around them. Their “out of the box” thinking, combined with interactive programming, can form a new foundation for learning. The logical structure, progression and results in programming set young programmers up for success later in their technical education. As Steve Jobs said, “Everyone should learn how to code, it teaches you how to think.” There is a clear link between programming and logical thinking.

Programming has mathematics at its core, so learning to program also helps children learn mathematics, by visualizing abstract math concepts and using them in real time. One of the key skills in programming is computational thinking: building logic, thinking in algorithms, and breaking a complex problem into smaller, simpler parts. Organizing and analyzing information logically in this way applies to many situations beyond coding. It is a new way of solving practical problems.

Coding is also a new way of expressing ideas. It builds skills such as problem-solving, algorithmic thinking, computational thinking, reasoning and logic. Together, these skills help students communicate complex ideas through a simple medium that a computer can understand, which will help them in later professional and personal life.

Smartphone apps are everywhere in our daily lives, and many people want to make their own mark in app stores. This is driven by the need for efficient solutions to everyday problems, and learning to write programs can pay off in the future. Even jobs that are not about programming now rely on applications.

With sound programming knowledge, a person can bring creative ideas to life. Facebook is one example of how programming ushered in a new era of social connection. Ideas can be given shape through coding, by building applications, programs and games that solve real-world problems. As Maria Klawe said, “Coding is today’s language of creativity. All our children deserve a chance to become creators instead of consumers of computer science.”

All these advantages show that coding can empower students to build their own applications, which may become a lifelong passion. Like learning to ride a bike, learning to code is easier when you are young. It is also getting easier and more interesting, with user-friendly software, better teaching methods, and games and apps that teach the basics step by step. All of this helps children think, process and communicate, leading to innovation and promising careers, whether in IT or as entrepreneurs. The benefits of learning to program go beyond technical skills: it helps children become calmer, more rational problem-solvers.

Programming in Our Classrooms

Our ITEC curriculum starts programming in Grade 1 with Scratch Jr. and builds up to Scratch, HTML and pseudocode by Grade 8, so children grow from using technology to creating it.