Is coding a necessary competency that kids need to learn? Or does the large specter of AI on the horizon and some grim prognostications have you questioning if signing your kid up for summer coding camp is even relevant? The doomsayers argue that since AI can code better than a human, human coders won’t be needed. That’s a baby-and-bath-water analysis. It overlooks two things: 1) there are lifelong benefits of learning to code that have nothing to do with writing code, and 2) an increasingly AI-driven world means a greater need for informed ethical oversight.
I once took a ceramics class. I was awful at it. However, I learned a lot about the broad set of skills and knowledge that make a beautiful piece, making me a more informed observer and critic. The point of encouraging your child to learn coding isn't so they can have a career as a computer programmer—although maybe they will. The purpose is to support their cognitive and psychosocial development by teaching them new ways of approaching problems and turning them into knowledgeable observers and critics of how we use technology.
Coding is a way of solving problems of all kinds. It fosters computational thinking, enabling individuals to break down complex problems into manageable parts, identify patterns, and devise efficient solutions that can be applied to real-world applications, such as a science fair project, an online portfolio, an app that supports community recycling, animations, or building a game.
Beyond computational thinking, coding cultivates creativity and spatial reasoning, as coders must imagine and construct digital worlds and functions from scratch. Coding also promotes resilience, self-esteem, and adaptability, as it involves constant learning from mistakes, debugging, and refining ideas to reach a goal (Hippler, 2017).
Coding is not a one-size-fits-all activity. The level and complexity of coding activities evolve in keeping with a child’s development and interest. Coding activities can be introduced at a very young age without involving any technology—pattern recognition, the order of things, cause and effect. These are foundational skills that support their overall educational development. Research shows that while all students—even preschoolers—can master foundational coding concepts, the activities must be developmentally appropriate (Somuncu & Aslan, 2022). Here are some descriptions of activities and research findings by age group.
Young children are........