What do you know about coding? Tell The Sunday Times for a chance to win a £250 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

The Sunday Times have asked us to let Mumsnetters know that they’re running a Learn to Code series this weekend to coincide with the inclusion of coding in the national curriculum.

They told us: “With coding hitting the national curriculum this week, and our readers becoming more tech-savvy than ever, we will be demystifing computer programming in this weekend's edition of the paper. In partnership with Decoded, a company that specialises in digital training, the Learn to Code in a Day guide out this Sunday will take readers step-by-step through app-making.”.

“Editorial Director Eleanor Mills, who did Decoded's Code in a Day course herself, said: 'This is an exciting moment for us as we are the first British newspaper to offer a course like this. With five year-olds now learning computer programming in school, it is essential that adults keep up too.”

“If you’re nodding whilst reading the above then why not give it a go yourself? The easy guide will empower and equip you with the knowledge needed to tackle those potential conversations with your children over homework after school."

“Simply sign up to The Sunday Times for a £1 for 30-day trial and start learning now: thetim.es/1uD6qml”

So, what do you think about the addition of coding to the curriculum? Do you think it’s beneficial for children to learn this from a young age? Is this something you think you could get your head around when you were younger? Are there any other additions to the curriculum you feel are necessary for children to cope with today’s technologies?

Everyone who adds their thoughts to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

Think it's a great idea. I used to be good with technology... But then things moved on!

Anyone who thinks coding is totally beyond them... if they can follow a knitting pattern, then it isn't.

One of my DCs used to do coding in a Lego robotics class about ten years ago so it's not that new a thing to teach kids.

One of them - it's pretty much always been available to those who were interested (though back in my day at the end of the '80s, you had to be doing A-level maths to be allowed to use the one BBC Micro the school had.) The point of this is that everyone should get the basics.

To be honest when it comes to education I really feel that we have to move with the times. Technology is certainly key to our world today and consequently we need education to encompass this in order for our children to survive. So, in short I am certainly supportive of coding BUT the key question is when is it right and furthermore will it be to the detriment of basic key language and mathematical skills!

I wouldn't have a clue myself, but I can say that my 14 year old son knows 100 times more about IT than I do!! I am not sure that it's entirely necessary to teach stuff this technical in the infants but perhaps year 5-6 would be a decent time to start.

I think it is great, I started learning code by myself @ around the age of 7/8, self taught, and its played a part of pretty much my entire life, I left code, but started designing computer games, and as I could understand code, it made it a lot easier when talking to the coders. I then went on to start my own IT support company. so I for one am all for it.

I know that anyone can learn a programming language but to be any good at it you need to have a good grasp of maths and I would much prefer they focused on teaching the maths. But then that's all very boring sounding and less gimmicky. And I say that as a Comp.Sci graduate. And the word "coding" grates on me too but that's my own personal gripe.

It seems an obvious progression that coding would be part of the NC.

Teaching it to little ones of 5 is typical of the wrong headedness of our education system which is in such a rush to stuff things into children's heads way before they are ready.

Leave it a good few years and it'll go in more readily.

Coding is a type of prgramming language that is simpler than ones that were around before like C+. I think it is used to write apps.

My DS (8) has recently learnt some 'code' off the website 'Scratch' and wrote a rudimentry racing game. It looks like a set of instructions to control what he told me were 'sprites' on the small screes where his 'game' was.

He came across this as he had been on the website to do some animation at school (year 3).

I think it's a good idea - like other have said it teaches useful transferable skills like logic and being very precise in your thinking, thinking about how you respond when the unexpected happens etc.

I also find that a basic understanding of how computers work helps me manage my laptop etc even though my technical skills are 12 years out of date and not at all in that area.

I'm not sure what precisely is on the NC or what they are planning to teach 5 year olds but I know my dcs have programmed instructions into simple robots at school since reception. At 7 ds2 absolutely loved playing around with Scratch. I am assuming they aren't going straight into writing 100 pages of C++?! shows age

It's also funny how trends in education come back round if you wait long enough - I remember my primary school getting its first Commodore 64 - must be over 30 years ago now and there being a lot of emphasis on coding then - which in those days involved typing pages and pages of code in to make a bird that looked like this /\ / flap up and down Then that all went out of fashion and it was all about Powerpoint.

I know nothing about coding really. Would love to know more though so will investigate further.
I think the fact that children are going to be taught it at school is fantastic, as long as it is not at the expense of other core studies.

I code as part of my career and have studied HTML coding for fun as an evening class. I will therefore be encouraging my daughters to learn coding. Aside from career opportunities and skills, it helps with logical thinking and reasoning.

I think its great that what is taught is adapted to what is relevant. I think it would be great if kids were taught alot more about money and budgeting, and how to deal with mortgages, taxes, pensions etc!

I think it is a good idea but I know that there's such a limited time in school for teachers to teach the basics, I worry how it would all fit in.

I did coding within maths (I think), on yr 7 and this was in the 90s, it's nothing new in forward thinking schools but I don't know how much added value it would give a child.

At least I know what it is now...

My husband is an analyst programmer and is really pleased that they are starting to teach coding in schools. My 13 year old goddaughter loves it ad we will make sure our daughter learns when she is older.

I think it's a brilliant idea and should have been done a long time ago! Will be buying the Sunday Times this week for the handy guide as I'm not sure I will be able to help my daughter with her coding homework!

Learning to code is like as to learning a new language. Kids are pre programmed to learn new languages easily. Younger more benefit.

I am not against the idea of teaching children coding, however, I do not agree with introducing it at such a young age.

I would much rather see my 6 year old develop his logic and lateral thinking through imaginative play or physical activity than be sat infront of a computer screen!

both me and my son are excited to see this on the curriculum, and are hoping that they may have found someone capable to deliver it at his school.
He did the hour of code last year and won a raspberry pi, and he has slowly been working through Code.org so Im also hoping that the head start will give him some well needed confidence.
DS is 8

I think the new curriculum changes are fab and I'm glad my kids will code at school. Ds1 (8) already codes quite happily in scratch and he's learning a bit of python for fun at home. I'll teach him C when he's got to grips with that, and then he can pretty much pick up anything.

Ds2 (7) does a bit of scratch but I haven't started dd (3) on it yet. I think coding is good for thinking skills. And debugging is even better. My main worry is that my children's teachers aren't competent enough at coding to bring on the kids' skills. Even if there's some ready to use set of lesson plans, it really helps if you've gone through the mental hurdles of coding yourself because otherwise you won't be any use helping kids make their algorithms more efficient or helping debug.

There's nothing like an afternoon of core dumps to teach you not to attempt to stick fractions in ints.

I think it is great. The earlier they can lean the better they will get at it. I'm still trying to catch up with my kids I wish I was tech savvy

I think it's a good idea in theory. If it's taught well and at a low level I think children will benefit from it. I think it will put extra pressure on teachers as it's yet another thing they have to do and learn themselves.

Done rightly I think its fantastic. My 5 yr old would love it. He already likes problem solving and critical thinking games, mazes and the little workbooks you can buy from letts. He's highly curious about how things work.
Whether I still think its good when dd starts to learn it remains to be seen. She's completely different to my ds (fiery against his calm, imaginative against his logic) which emphasises that it needs to be taught properly.

So, what do you think about the addition of coding to the curriculum? I think its good and will help our kids understand the technologies they are using and what it all means.
Do you think it’s beneficial for children to learn this from a young age? Yes its much easier to learn something when you are younger as you remember it.
Is this something you think you could get your head around when you were younger? When I was at school the only computer we had was a green screen and you did used to ahve to program it to move the mouse. I didn't really understand at the time but it has been useful later in life despite having moved on a huge amount. People seem to forget we did have access to it too.
Are there any other additions to the curriculum you feel are necessary for children to cope with today’s technologies? Just more access to the best equipment, its always updating and I want my kids to learn with the best provision.