Hi everyone, my name is Amina! I am a software engineer and I make YouTube videos :)

Coding was a huge learning curve for me and there’s so much information out there. I recently put together a beginner friendly document with a breakdown of what my job looks like, what software and frameworks I use all attached with free and beginner friendly resources to get you started. The world is changing at a rapid pace and with the digital space evolving, a skill like coding is extremely useful. I put together this roadmap for parents and children to engage and interact with the fundamentals of programming in a fun, interactive way. You’ll be surprised at how much children pick up so please be patient with them and most importantly, have fun! All the resources I’ve attached are free.

Parents, I promise you coding is not as daunting as you think. I can totally understand the pressure of children a million questions when learning and given the current climate things can feel very overwhelming. I’ve created a table of resources that can help you get started with your child on their journey into programming and who knows… you might end up enjoying it more than you expected.

Parent friendly coding resources

Teaching your child how to code

https://www.superprof.co.uk/blog/tips-for-parents-teaching-your-children-how-to-code/

7 coding tips for parents

https://www.codingdojo.com/blog/7-coding-tips-for-parents

9 tips for Moms learning to code

https://www.coursereport.com/blog/8-tips-for-moms-learning-to-code

How to teach kids to code

https://www.idtech.com/blog/how-to-teach-kids-to-code

Supporting your child with their coding

https://www.parents.com/kids/education/math-and-science/how-to-get-kids-started-with-coding/

Why parents should encourage their children to learn to code

https://funtech.co.uk/latest/13-reasons-why-every-parent-should-encourage-their-child-to-learn-coding-skills

What is a computer?

A computer is a machine that is able to take information. When you do this, you are giving it an input. You can also do some work on or make changes to the information. This is called a process. When you create and return new information, it is called an output.

HTML is the skeleton of a webpage. You use it to draw where you want things to go on your page, a bit like when you have drawings in a colouring book.

CSS describes what the webpage will look like. For example, the colours you will use or which font to make the title. CSS is what makes the webpage look pretty.

JavaScript is a language to write programs that run in web pages. It controls how the page responds when a viewer clicks a button or moves the mouse. JavaScript lets you play music and create amazing visual effects.

Here is a good introduction of what you can do with coding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5bXW_gEJl8

Useful apps to install/practice coding with

Code.org - comes with a free parent guide!

https://codakid.com/code-org/

CodeAKid - Has a free trial

https://my.codakid.com/free-trial/

CodeCombat - intermediate level and is geared more towards gaming

https://my.codakid.com/free-trial/

Khan Academy - Beginner friendly & has free courses in other subjects

https://www.khanacademy.org/

Kodable - Compatible with iPad

https://www.kodable.com/

CodeSpark Academy - available on Apple and Android

https://codespark.com/

Tynker (personal favourite) - Compatible with iPad

https://codakid.com/tynker-vs-codakid/

LightBot - Beginner friendly & parent friendly

https://lightbot.com/

Scratch

https://scratch.mit.edu/

Daisy the Dinosaur

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/daisy-the-dinosaur/id490514278

Spritebox

https://spritebox.com/

Nancy Drew codes and clues

http://www.nancydrewcodesandclues.com/

Hopscotch (Amazing for kids from 3 years old - 11 years old)

https://www.gethopscotch.com/

Codemonkey

www.codemonkey.com

Child friendly textbooks and articles

JavaScript for kids

https://pepa.holla.cz/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JavaScript-for-Kids.pdf

CSS facts for kids

https://kids.kiddle.co/Cascading_Style_Sheets

What is HTML?

http://www.goodellgroup.com/tutorial/chapter1.html

Child friendly coding YT channels

123 Code

* Introduces the children to computers, coding, instructions, sequences and visual programming languages.

LearningMole

* What is coding & types of coding

Socratica Kids

* What is a computer?

SciShow Kids

* How do computers work?

RUMPUS

* BBC series on what are computers & what coding is