The only thing more fun for kids than an online coding class is an online coding bootcamp during the summer! As kids get more engaged in the lessons, they have a better time, too.
When children are supported during their learning journey and motivated to finish, they won’t even realize they’re learning. Let’s check out what makes online summer coding bootcamps different from ordinary sessions and what makes the best ones superior.
Deep Dives Take Time
Every program claims to offer students a “deep dive” into a subject, but deep dives require time. A summer coding bootcamp for your kids is a difference-maker because sessions are daily and three-hours long, instead of a weekly one-hour class.
Even if the amount of time in class worked out to be the same, plunging so deeply so quickly makes the learning more immersive. There’s no way for students to absorb the material faster or more fully than by studying it for long periods every day.
Students get a stronger hold of the course material when they’re so deep in it. Summer is the time for schedules to open up, even when it comes to learning. More slow time allows the subject to really take root at a deeper level.
Video Games Are Everything
Kids learn best when they’re engaged and driven and don’t quite realize they’re learning, especially in summer, when school is out, and they’re eager for well-deserved fun. Putting video games at the heart of coding classes keeps kids motivated to learn.
Children as young as seven can learn how to design and code a real video game, one they can play with friends and family. Such a concrete, rewarding achievement will flood them with fulfillment and keep them hungry to learn.
Leading coding programs embed math lessons into the material, but kids will have too much fun to even notice that they’re learning.
Professional Coding Languages
Learning any coding language promotes positive mental habits of mind, like the lateral thinking associated with how engineers solve problems. Ideally, children should learn today the specific coding languages that teachers and employers expect them to know down the road.
Kids will have a leg up on their peers if they learn the coding languages pros use in the field, such as:
- Python
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#
- C++
Whether they’ve never written a line of code or are proficient, the best online coding camps have classes suitable for all experience levels. If you’re unsure which class is most appropriate for your child, don’t hesitate to contact the program.
Any coding camp should be happy to connect with parents to ensure the class they pick challenges students without ever being overwhelming. Many programs offer free trial lessons, so kids can test the waters and parents can see what the sessions are like.
Even young kids will have the skills to write code in the languages used to build apps like Netflix or video games like Minecraft.
Small, Manageable Classrooms
Even the world’s best teachers can’t make sessions productive if there are too many students per class. Learning environments should be calm and orderly, which is impossible when classrooms are overcrowded.
It doesn’t matter if the sessions are in person or online. There should be no more than four students per teacher. Coding can be a new, challenging subject for kids, and they need ample support from their teachers.
Look for a program that caps class sizes at four and runs the session without having a mandatory minimum. Parents don’t want to sign their child up for a class only to find out it was cancelled because there were too few students — they’ve dealt with more than enough unpredictability already.
Kids deserve to learn how to code video games from people who grew up playing video games themselves. The best programs hire teachers who skew on the young side. Young teachers also have recent, relevant coding experience in school and beyond, making them perfect resources for older students with practical questions about what doors coding can open.
Online summer coding bootcamps may not be the first activity that pops into mind when thinking about what to do during the school break. There’s a world of difference between plopping your child in front of a screen during summer versus providing them with a supportive, stimulating, and fun way to learn vital digital skills. If you want your child to enjoy the summer break and be ready for the tech future, find a summer coding bootcamp today.