Should kids be taught coding?

WhiteHat Jr., which operates in India and the United States, mounted an advertising blitzkrieg in India telling parents that our children need to learn coding from the age of 4, 5 or 6 — or they will fall behind in life. Indian celebrities promoted the brand and spread the fear of losing out among families.

Source: Opinion | Do Kids Really Need to Learn to Code? – The New York Times

Wow, the whole article is a sad read. Do I think kids be taught coding? That’s a loaded question. What do you mean by coding? What ages?

I believe students can be taught the basics of coding, using it as a basis for what they do later in life. Just like learning to read and write, coding concepts help build ones self.

Programming a computer is the ability to take a task and break it down to a series of steps. These steps consist of storing information, doing loops, and comparing results. Ideas that people already need to know how to do. Kindergartners are already learning about sequencing, cause and effect, etc., which just happens to be on the same road as programming.

There are some that view learning to code as a pathway to becoming a professional programmer. I disagree. Students write, but no one believes a majority of them are going to become novelists. Kids also create art, music, and play sports. None of this is expected to drive them down a professional path, but to help them become the best version of themselves.

For most jobs, a person who knows a little coding is going to be at an advantage over those that don’t.