The Many Reasons Why Children Should Learn to Code

There is no question that the world is fast forwarding to a digital age. Snapchat. Instagram. Netflix. Uber. WhatsApp. Bitcoin. Nowadays, with Instacart and other similar apps, you can even order fresh groceries from any mobile device and have them delivered to your doorstep in one hour. Our reliance on technology is only expected to increase from here. And if we are to play an active role in this digital revolution, at the very least we need to understand the logic behind these technologies — ergo the unprecedented need to learn to code.

In recent years, the importance of learning to code from a young age has become the laser focus of international conversations. Just like learning a foreign language, it’s been discovered that coding empowers children with the problem-solving, analytical and creative mindset they’ll need to succeed in tomorrow’s increasingly competitive marketplace. By encouraging children to start early, we are providing them with the pivotal tools to leapfrog from being passive users to being proactive thinkers, catalysts and innovators. In Latin America in particular, incorporating computer science into the core curriculum will be key to closing the digital divide — the gap between developing and developed countries that will only open up as high technology continues to transform the world.

Here are but a few reasons why coding is essential, especially for younger and younger generations.

1. Coding is the literacy of the 21st century

Just like knowing how to interact with a computer became indispensable in our interconnected universe, knowing basic computer programming skills is crucial and applicable to all career paths.

Everything from how we shop and how we communicate to how we deal with natural disasters and how we search for cures is being transformed by computer science. So being able to play in this modern-day sandbox will be determined by the ability to read and write code.

2. Coding can change the world

Coders are the builders, architects and engineers of today’s digital landscape. They are the producers of technologies that make our daily lives easier and that ultimately boost a country’s national competitiveness and economic growth.

Because of this, every student should have the opportunity to become fluent in the language of the future. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, says, “learning to write programs stretches your mind, and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains.”

It is no accident that teaching children to code has become a forceful, worldwide movement.In 2013, Code.org launched the Hour of Code initiative with the goal of introducing students to the basics of computer science. To date, over 100 million students in 180+ countries have tried an Hour of Code.

3. Coding is on the rise

If you’re still not convinced that learning to code is a critical skill to hone for future career success, then maybe this will help put things into perspective.

• Computer programming jobs are growing at twice the national average rate.
• A computer science major can earn 40% more than the college average.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2020 there will be 1 million more computer science-related jobs than graduating students qualified to fill them.