Programming gives Confidence
Coding is really the best way for children to experiment and create! I mean, can you think of anything else that allows you to create and experiment with whatever you want without any repercussions, which does not include programming?
Coding also gives everyone the confidence to create. When you see the lines of code that you spent a lot of time examining and thinking about, work finally; it gives you the feel and power that you can do more. Programming languages have IDEs, or Integrated Development Environments. In these environments, you see the outcome of your coding; this is the same for a simple starter game which can pick a random number, to a bit more complicated programs that sort names. Knowing that the effort you have put in has an influence and an outcome is a great way to create confidence.
Whilst coding, you will come across many, and I repeat many obstacles. But these are just obstacles; you can overcome them. And one of the most important things programming does is that it makes kids resilient. Over time the bugs won’t be inconveniences, but just part of the project (I’m joking; the bugs are still annoying). And this confidence and self-esteem, which is made after the realisation that you can create whatever you want and overcome everything, will also translate to the real world.
At first, programming seems so difficult and far away from everything you already know; this happens to everything new and unfamiliar. And just like learning a new skill, after a time, it becomes a routine, a routine of making a game, fixing a bug, completing a task given to you or making your code concise. And you will be able to think confidently about your tasks and projects, code and non-coding related.
Children will start thinking about the details and “How should I solve it” instead of “Can I solve this?”. And all the skills you will learn while coding, like the 21st-century skills, will also be translated to other things.
