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4 programming languages for children

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Programming languages are a formal computer language that, by means of a series of instructions, allows writing a set of commands, consecutive actions, data and algorithms to create programs. 

Learning this knowledge from an early age allows children to develop computational thinking that will allow them to expand their soft skills such as: critical thinking, problem solving, etc. 

In addition, based on current patterns, trends, and technological advances, coding is the future. Just as computer literacy has become a requirement for many different careers (even those outside of IT), so too will computer programming.

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Some programming languages (programs) for children to start in the world of coding are:

  • Scratch

Developed for children and teenagers between 8 and 16 years old. It provides this population with everything they need to develop in art, animations, games, interactive stories, etc.

This platform works with visual block-based programming languages, eliminating textual technicalities so that children can focus on learning (and mastering) fundamental coding concepts.

  • Blockly

Blockly is another highly recommended visual block programming language for children because, like Scratch, it eliminates the risk of technical errors and allows them to focus on the fundamentals.

You also learn to program using a combination of popular coding languages, such as JavaScript, Phyton, PHP and the like, written in the form of visual blocks.

That way of coding that Blockly offers that is highly visual and clean makes it possible for anyone to develop a working Android app. And yes it is possible; real apps can be created with Blockly. Although it was primarily intended as a coding language for children, the capabilities of the language itself make it much more than just a teaching tool for the little ones.

  • Java (Minecraft)

Java has been around for over a decade and is still widely used, most children are probably familiar with it because of Minecraft.

This popular game runs Java and players can modify basically everything about the game, from scenery to characters and much more.

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Java as a programming language is sufficient, effective and works to be a fairly popular choice in the programming community. However, it is complex to learn. Generally, Java is considered best for intermediate students or those who are at least in high school; it is not highly recommended for elementary students learning to code.

In the context of teaching coding, Minecraft can become a powerful tool for teaching logic, problem solving, visual-spatial skills and hand-eye coordination.

  • Python

Python is a programming language that reads like normal speech. It is rarely necessary to add comments to code because Python code that is written well enough reads as if the comments are already included in the code. 

With Python, children will have very few obstacles to learning to program; they can learn to build programming ideas inside their heads and then concentrate on transferring these ideas into instructions that the machine can interpret.

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