Coding for students is actually much simpler than you think! Kids as young as five can already understand some of the basic coding concepts, even if they don’t know what they are specifically.

So what exactly does coding for beginners look like? As it turns out, we all use coding concepts on a regular basis without even thinking about it! You would be surprised how almost anything you do in your daily life can be used as an example when explaining the concepts of computer programming to kids. Getting ready for school, morning classroom routines, making a sandwich. All of these are examples of real-life algorithms we use daily.

5 Basic Coding Concepts Beginners Can Understand.

Coding Concept 1: Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of instructions given in order to complete a certain task and receive the desired result. A computer programmer will write an algorithm to tell the computer how to perform a certain task to produce that result.

You can write out this algorithm in steps. Students will need to put the steps in order to design the correct algorithm that will accomplish a task in the proper order. Computer programmers need to break down complex steps and order them correctly. This process is called decomposition and is one of the four cornerstones of computational thinking.

Coding Concept 2: Sequence

Teaching kids about the concept of a sequence is a fairly easy task. Sequence is basically completing a task in a certain order. So, if we refer to algorithms above, it means putting those instructions in order. A great introduction to coding for students is to learn about sequencing, as this is a core skill that is foundational to many concepts across the curriculum.

You can easily teach a lesson on sequencing by reading a children’s book or nursery rhyme. Break the story into pictures that explain the sequence of events in your book. For example, if you are using a popular story such as Little Red Riding Hood, you can ask students to identify the correct order of events when little red goes to grandma’s house.

Coding Concept 3: Loop

In coding, loops allow you to repeat something again and again. Loops will repeat until you give instructions for the computer to stop. In some cases, you might tell your computer to stop after it has repeated the loop a certain number of times. In other cases, you may tell your computer to stop once a certain condition is met.

When explaining coding to beginners, it’s useful if we start with an example of something that they already do every day. For loops, an example could be how they arrive at school every day. If every day the child takes the same directions either by foot or by car, this can be considered a loop.

Wouldn’t it be a lot simpler if we didn’t have to write out all these steps every time we went to school? We already do this naturally, by labeling this algorithm as our ‘getting to school’ routine. Since every day we repeat the same steps, this is a considered a loop. We may tell our computer to repeat this loop every day for 100 days. Or we may tell our computer to repeat this loop on weekdays but not weekends. These instructions help our computer know when to stop performing the loop.

Computer programmers use loops to make their programs more efficient. When kindergartener students learn loops, they also become faster and more efficient. For example, learning how to get dressed for outdoor playtime goes faster when the teacher only has to say ‘get dressed’ and does not have to tell each child to put on each item of clothing separately.

Coding Concept 4: Decomposition

Decomposition means breaking down problems into smaller more manageable steps. We can teach students about decomposition by asking them to break down their everyday routines into smaller steps.

Ask your students to teach you how to brush your teeth. They may quickly jump to picking up the brush and telling you to brush. Get them to think smaller! First, you need to turn on the water, then you need to pick up your brush, then you need to put toothpaste on the brush, then you add a little water, then you take the brush and rub it back and forth across your teeth. You repeat this action until your teeth are clean. There are many steps needed to brush your teeth!

Decomposition is being able to break these tasks into small chunks that a computer can understand.

Coding Concept 5: Conditional Statements

If then statements can be a difficult concept for young children to understand. To help them comprehend the logic, compare it to situations in their daily life. For instance, you may go home from school but only if it is the end of the day – then you can leave. Or you may get a treat, but only if you eat your dinner – then you can have a cookie.