Programming should be introduced to children at a young age, when their minds are more flexible and open with higher learning abilities. We can think of learning programming as learning another language. Starting at a young age, as in the spoken languages, is an advantage for children and making it easier to learn. As any additional spoken languages, learning programming develop the children’s ability to communicate with other people. Programming would also allow children to create technologies that affect the people in their surroundings, to look at what's happening around them in different angles and to approach the problems in a solution-oriented manner.
Some experiences that the children gain during programming will also contribute to their character development. Taking lessons from their mistakes is one of them, correcting the mistakes made during coding repeatedly will help children to overcome fear of making mistakes. Programming requires patience and continuity, encourages teamwork and would be a driving force for children to develop themselves in these areas.
We could only imagine what kind of world the children will be facing in the future. With the rapid development and exponential growth of the information technology, it would be safe to assume that it will not be enough for the children to just establish a relationship with the technology only as a user or consumer; they should well understand the dynamics of the technology and set themselves as a producer and contributor for this great digital transformation. Introducing children with programming practices early and often will shed light on what is behind all these technological developments and helps children getting prepared for the future with full confidence.
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