Many of us are taught music lessons early in life but only some become musicians. The main goal of these lessons is not really for us to become professional musicians in future, but to know that music is composed of notes, who the classical musicians were, what instrument are there, and so forth. The same thing applies to arts and painting classes. The basic goal is for us to get an idea about basic techniques and gifted people.
The main thing to learn is the fact that both music and painting are forms of expression and that we will continually encounter them in life. Also, with the help of these early lessons many uncover their inner genius and that helps them go in the known direction from that point on.
Since coding is an activity that trains one's computational thinking - a skill that is so relevant today - it better be introduced early in life too. It is also a form of expression, and knowing that it exists and how it can be applied is just as relevant as knowing about arithmetic, letters, music, art, etc.
I don't suggest that the format of the current classes is the right one (in fact, I believe that it is not), but it is essential to have a child-friendly methodology and teach coding, or rather "programming", as a skill early in life.
Many of us are taught music lessons early in life but only some become musicians. The main goal of these lessons is not really for us to become professional musicians in future, but to know that music is composed of notes, who the classical musicians were, what instrument are there, and so forth. The same thing applies to arts and painting classes. The basic goal is for us to get an idea about basic techniques and gifted people.
The main thing to learn is the fact that both music and painting are forms of expression and that we will continually encounter them in life. Also, with the help of these early lessons many uncover their inner genius and that helps them go in the known direction from that point on.
Since coding is an activity that trains one's computational thinking - a skill that is so relevant today - it better be introduced early in life too. It is also a form of expression, and knowing that it exists and how it can be applied is just as relevant as knowing about arithmetic, letters, music, art, etc.
I don't suggest that the format of the current classes is the right one (in fact, I believe that it is not), but it is essential to have a child-friendly methodology and teach coding, or rather "programming", as a skill early in life.