FIRST TIME CODERS

In this debut guide specifically aimed at parents, educator and entrepreneur Sun asserts that teaching kids how to code can set them down a highly rewarding path.

The author, who founded First Code Academy, a K-12 computer programming school, in 2013, is well aware of the prevalence and influence of technology throughout the modern world. The act of teaching children coding, she says, goes beyond merely familiarizing them with devices and software; it’s about teaching them new ways to express creativity, as well as how to approach issues via logical analysis and creative problem-solving. In this guide, she walks parents through programs and programming languages with an eye toward teaching children coding concepts without sacrificing their sense of play. Throughout, she provides suggestions for example projects that can help kids absorb ideas and put their own creative spins on them. Parents who are unfamiliar with technology will find Sun’s reassuring tone and thorough explanations helpful. Even more experienced readers will often find themselves nodding in agreement at the author’s reasoning, but they may also find the pace a little slow at points, and programmers may argue with some of her conclusions; not everyone will be as big a fan of the Python programming language as Sun is, for example. However, the author does take care to explain her thinking at every turn, and she lays out statistics and her own conclusions in a cheerful, thoughtful manner throughout. The book will appeal most to parents who share her views on coding’s role in the future of work and human endeavor, as well as those who seek to involve their children in technology other than video games.

A slim but thorough educational manual.