- Jan 3, 2023
Have you heard of Python coding or ever wondered what language is most useful for your child or teen to learn? Either at school or even to set them up for their future, be it at university or later on in their career – or even as a hobby? Python is one of the most popular languages in both industry, research, and many other creative fields and is an incredibly fantastic and easy language to get started with! In addition to this, Python is taught at the University, so learning Python early on will give you a head start academically and in your projects! Read on to find out why and how learning Python today can help your child!
WHAT IS PYTHON PROGRAMMING?
Python is a software language, which means developers use it to make programs! A program is a set of instructions given to a computer to complete a task. Python is very special, as it is what we call an ‘interpreted’, ‘object-oriented’, ‘high level’ programming language. Don’t worry – read on to find out just how cool python is!
So Python is the language that we (humans) write to tell the computer what to do. But computers don’t actually ‘speak’ Python. Computers only read in 0s and 1s, literally meaning on and off. On and Off commands are made by something called a transistor, the thing that physically turns a switch on and off. So if computers only speak in 0s and 1s, how do we communicate with them?
Binary code is what we use call combinations of 1s and 0s, where each digit represents one transistor. Binary code is grouped into ‘bytes’, made up of 8 ‘bits’, which reflect 8 transistors in the computer. We can make human words with binary code, for example, “hello” in binary code is: 0110100001100101011011000110110001101111. Modern computers contain billions of transistors to process this information! But imagine the number of 0s and 1s we would have to type in if we just wanted to have a simple conversation!
WHY SHOULD MY CHILD LEARN PYTHON?
Imagine trying to understand this!
That would be a very very long and boring job!
This is where programming languages like Python become very useful!
What we do is we have ‘human-friendly’ languages, which we code in, like Python! This is then translated into binary code for our computer to understand and execute.
The code inside a Python program is called the source code. But, how does the computer translate our source code into the 0s and 1s that it understands?
There are 3 steps!
The source code is translated into assembly language.
The assembly code is translated into machine language.
The machine language is directly executed as binary code.
Assembly language is a very low-level language, which uses predefined words and numbers to represent binary patterns (our 0s and 1s). This looks much more like computer language and is really hard for us humans to understand!
Low or High-level languages just refers to how ‘far away’ the language is from binary code (0s and 1s). For example, a low-level language would look very much like binary code, but is more difficult for us humans to read and interpret! High-level languages, like Python, are designed to be much nicer for us humans to understand, and they make talking to the computer much easier.
So, our Python code must first be translated from its source code into assembly language. It does this using an ‘interpreter’. Python is an interpreted language, meaning the interpreter translates the source code, reading and executing the code line by line. The other way to do this is to ‘compile’ the whole program in one go, which happens in a compiled language like C++. The assembly code is then sent to be converted into the machine language, which the computer can understand and execute directly as binary code.
LEARN PYTHON CODING AT THE STEAM GENERATION
Whether you’re a beginner or wanting to dive deeper into your Python knowledge and skills, we have courses to build your child skills.
There is one skill that can transform your child from a passive user of digital media to a creator of it. That skill is coding, and that is not all it can do. Getting your children to code has multiple advantages; improves their career prospects, makes them more creative, improves their math skills, and makes them better students overall.
Coding Kids Learn a New Language
You might have heard that exposing children to different languages while they are young gives them better cognitive abilities, including memory, focus, and brain function.
Coding has an entire language of its own where every letter is represented by its unique combination of 1’s and 0’s. Children who code have all the advantages of bilingual children.
The language of programming is called software and children can learn programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, and C#. C++ and Python are most commonly used in Robotics.
Coding Kids become Better Thinkers
Children who code are better at thinking because they learn logical thinking as they acquire and apply the skill of coding. They learn how to solve problems by practically applying decomposition which is part of computational thinking.
Computational thinking means taking care of a bigger problem by breaking it into smaller problems that are easier to handle.
Logical thinking is a life skill that children will find applicable in school and later on in life.
They use their creativity to not only think of ideas but also turn them into real solutions. These are in-demand skills that help to future-proof your child’s career prospects.
Coding Kids get Better at Math
Kids who code learn the language of math. They improve their ability to calculate and apply logic to situations. This makes math much easier for them. They organize and analyze data in a better way. The best thing about it is that they don’t even realize that they are practicing math.
Coding is a Vital Skill for Kids
STEM jobs are growing at a faster rate than ever before, and most STEAM jobs are in computing. Even with all this opportunity, only 8% of STEAM graduates have studied Computer Science.
What this means for your child is that if they learn to code, they are learning a vital, in-demand skill that helps set them up for a better future.
Your child has a much higher chance of getting into a rewarding STEAM career when they have some coding skills.
Besides jobs and careers, coding skills put your child ahead of their peers when it comes to getting internships and college admissions. College recruiters favor students who possess extra skills, and coding is one of them.
Coding Kids Nurture their Creativity
Programming helps children apply their creativity as well as logic. This is because programming is a creative endeavor.
They enjoy the challenge and reward of building real things.
Children learn to express themselves by making video games, creating the kind of apps and websites they want to see, and turning their imagination into reality.
Interested in enrolling your child in a STEAM program?
Check out The STEAM Generation – a STEAM enrichment program that provides hands-on classes, camps, and workshops for children 4-14.
