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What is Script?
The process of using a programming language to get a computer to behave how you want it to, is coding. Every line of code tells the computer to do something, and a document full of lines of code is called a script. Each script is designed to carry out a job. Whether that is to take an image and change its size, or play a YouTube video, it is written into the script.
Above is what the script of the Stimuzone home page looks like. This script tells the computer what steps it needs to do, to show page the way it needs to be displayed.
Unlike pets and people, computers do exactly what you tell them to do in the script. This can be great, but it can also cause problems. If you write the line of code telling the computer to count upwards, but don’t tell it where to stop, it will keep counting upwards. Learning how to code teaches your kids how to tell a computer what to do – a skill they will use in many aspects in life going forward. In an era of changing technological landscape, and with advancement around every corner it seems, giving your kids the chance to learn something like coding, can put them a step ahead of their peers.
What is coding for Kids? Coding Languages
While we said coding is a language, it’s actually a few languages. Some are multipurpose, but others have specific functions. Here are a few languages that have differing functions:
HTML
The above image of the source page is lines of code written in HTML. Short for Hypertext Markup Language, HTML is really the skeleton of the Internet. It tells web pages what should be displayed and where. However, HTML is not technically a language, because it doesn’t use logic-based expressions like other languages.
CSS
CSS is the stylesheet, and the primarily function is to make things look pretty. When a CSS file is opened, there will be a lot of references to font families, colours and formatting styles. When a page is loaded the HTML will have a line of coding that says this part of the page is the header. It will also have a CSS file that will say what the header should look like.
Javascript
JavaScript, while a relatively old language, exists to make web pages more functional. It is what brings interactivity to a web page. When you click a button on a website, for example, it’s JavaScript that makes the button look like you’re clicking it. Likewise, in video games and animations, the controls are often Javascript.
There are many languages, both specialised and multipurpose, but all your kid needs to get started are a few that will help them get a solid understanding of basic coding.
Introducing Coding to Kids
So, how do we introduce your kids to coding? In addition to enrolling them for online coding courses, you can slowly introduce your kids to coding by talking about what coding is and what they can learn through coding.
Stimuzone offers self-paced learning programmes that allow your kids to develop their skills and learn text languages such as scratch, Alice Programming, JavaScript and Python, HTML and more.
Not sure if coding is the right course for your child? We are offering a FREE computer trial period so that you and your child can try out our programmes. Sign up for a free demo here.