Back to School: Why coding is a great extracurricular activity for kids
Although we're currently on summer break, it's never too early to start planning for the new school term. As you prepare for the kids to head back to school, you may be reviewing extracurricular options and looking for after-school clubs that can enrich your child’s education, including those focused on computer science.
Access to computer science isn’t universal and whilst many parents agree that Computer Science is more important than, or just as important as Math, Science, History and English, it’s not consistently embedded into school curriculums and generally children aren’t exposed to technology early enough to help them thrive in the technological future.
If you have a child between age 6 and 12, this is absolutely the best time for getting them interested in technology, helping them achieve long term success in the education system and eventually their career. We’ve taught over 10,000 kids in the US, UK and all over the world in our fun after school, online classes (more than 60% of our students have joined us before age 10) and our award-winning curriculum teaches kids to code, but also develops core skills such as creativity, communication and collaboration.
Coding lessons are one of the best extracurricular activities for children as they offer a great way to encourage problem-solving skills, improving a child’s ability to think logically and systematically. Coding also helps children develop a strong sense of focus and unleashes creativity, empowering them to bring their ideas to life and be more self-assured in their abilities. All skills that will not only benefit them in their technological future, but also in their school education and day-to-day life.
How we teach coding - Confidence, Creativity, Communication
Our group coding classes are taught online, in small classes (children are grouped with other children of a similar age and experience), so that our fantastic teachers can give personal attention to every child, making sure everyone gets what they need from each lesson. If you prefer, you can also book your child in for private one-to-one lessons each week with a dedicated Coco teacher.
We make it fun! Our lessons are really fun and engaging and our students look forward to them every week. Children make their own games and animations, coming up with creative ideas and making friends with kids from all over the world.
We wrap our lessons up in creative themes, such as magic, space, art or animals, making coding appealing to every child, not just those who are already enthusiastic about technology. Every 4 weeks they’ll build a different game or animation in a new theme.
Children learn to code through repeated exposure and regular practice. We cover the coding fundamentals such as loops, variables and functions, again and again in lots of different ways, which helps them master core concepts and build their confidence. Typically, younger children will learn block-based coding with Scratch, while older kids ages 10-12 will move into Python and Javascript, learning real coding languages in fun, approachable ways. Kids age 12+ will graduate to Web Development, using their JavaScript knowledge to create real websites.
We keep you up-to-date with your child’s progress and give you regular feedback, plus our students can earn digital badges for different achievements through their learning journey. The badges will help to give you more insight into how your child is progressing and give them confidence as they see that they have earned a new milestone.
We’re passionate about getting the next generation ready, helping kids adapt, communicate and solve problems in multiple ways.
Every new Coco student spends their first two weeks in a coding bootcamp before moving on to our regular weekly lessons. Now is the perfect time to sign your child up, so they’re ready to start their coding lessons with us in the new school year.