How coding and computing teach skills for life

Children who have been taught coding and other computer science skills are more likely to be better at mathematics, problem solving, creative thinking, time management and teamwork, than youngsters who haven’t had these lessons, a study has found.

The ‘Broader Benefits of Leading to Code’ report by OKdo , the global technology company, analysed surveys with nearly 7,000 UK parents with children aged 5–16, as well as primary and secondary school teachers.

The report identified that 96% of teachers had seen first-hand evidence that educating children in computer science helped to develop other hard and soft skills, alongside IT abilities.

More than eight in ten — 82% — of teachers said that computer science education helps enhance a child’s ability to problem-solve, two thirds said it developed maths skills, and six in ten felt it improves a child’s ability to think creatively because it encouraged the development of their own ideas.

Over a third — 35% — also said that coding lessons helped develop organisational and time management skills, while 34% believe they could make children better at teamwork because projects, ideas and problems often need collective solutions. Coding language, meanwhile, often needs to be understood and broken down into simple terms, which enhances communication skills generally.

Just under one in five teachers said that learning computer science skills helped to improve their students’ overall academic performance.

Parents of children who have learnt coding or been taught computer science at school ranked their child’s maths, writing, creative thinking, communication and teamwork abilities as ‘above average for their age’, compared with parents whose children hadn’t experienced computer science lessons.