Helping Kids with Coding For Dummies

Helping Kids with Coding For Dummies

by Camille McCue Ph.D, Guthals
Released May 2018
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119380672

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Book description

Help for grown-ups new to coding

Getting a jump on learning how coding makes technology work is essential to prepare kids for the future. Unfortunately, many parents, teachers, and mentors didn't learn the unique logic and language of coding in school. Helping Kids with Coding For Dummies comes to the rescue. It breaks beginning coding into easy-to-understand language so you can help a child with coding homework, supplement an existing coding curriculum, or have fun learning with your favorite kid.

The demand to have younger students learn coding has increased in recent years as the demand for trained coders has far exceeded the supply of coders. Luckily, this fun and accessible book makes it a snap to learn the skills necessary to help youngsters develop into proud, capable coders!

  • Help with coding homework or enhance a coding curriculum
  • Get familiar with coding logic and how to de-bug programs
  • Complete small projects as you learn coding language
  • Apply math skills to coding

If you’re a parent, teacher, or mentor eager to help 8 to 14 year olds learn to speak a coding language like a mini pro, this book makes it possible!  

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Where to Go from Here
  3. Part 1: Getting Started with Coding
    1. Chapter 1: Welcome To (Or Back To) Coding
      1. Why Kids Are Coding
      2. Why You Need to Know Coding
      3. Where Do You Come In?
      4. Working with Young Coders
    2. Chapter 2: Understanding the Big Ideas
      1. Seeing the Big Picture in Coding
      2. Acting Out the Big Picture, Unplugged
      3. Creating an Algorithm
      4. Representing Algorithms
      5. Organizing with Sequence, Selection, and Repetition
      6. Including Randomness in Your Coding
    3. Chapter 3: Figuring Out Programming Languages
      1. What You Want in a Language
      2. Free Languages for Tots and Kids
      3. Free Languages for Youth and Tweens
      4. Languages for Teens and Older
      5. Other Awesome (Not-So-Free) Languages
  4. Part 2: Getting Your Hands on Code
    1. Chapter 4: Working with Words
      1. Communicating with Text
      2. Showing Text Onscreen
      3. Words In, Words Out
      4. Combining Text Onscreen
      5. Formatting Text Onscreen
      6. A Mad Libs Example
    2. Chapter 5: Knowing Where You Are… and Where You’re Going
      1. Acting Out Position, Unplugged
      2. Setting and Finding Position
      3. Positioning Objects Randomly
      4. Setting and Finding Direction
      5. Setting Object Direction Randomly
      6. Turning
      7. Acting Out Motion, Unplugged
      8. Making an Object Move
      9. Asteroid Blaster
    3. Chapter 6: Getting Fancy with Graphics and Sound
      1. Sizes of Images and Sounds, Unplugged
      2. Using Graphics in Your Programs
      3. Adding Sound to Your Programs
      4. Creating a Sound Board
  5. Part 3: There IS Math on This Test!
    1. Chapter 7: Tackling These Ever-Changing Variables
      1. Acting Out Variables, Unplugged
      2. I Do Declare (And Initialize)
      3. Checking on Variable Values
      4. Incrementing and Decrementing Variables
      5. Creating a Stock Ticker
    2. Chapter 8: Computing Using Math
      1. Acting Out Math, Unplugged
      2. Doing Simple Math
      3. Doing Advanced Math Operations
      4. Oh So Mod — Using the Mod Operation
      5. Ordering Those Operations (PEMDAS)
      6. Rounding
      7. Generating and Using Random Numbers
      8. Coding a Crypto Code Maker
    3. Chapter 9: Helping with Logic Operations
      1. Simple Logic, Unplugged
      2. Programming Simple Conditionals
      3. Advanced Logic, Unplugged
      4. Coding Compound Conditionals (aka, AND, NOT, and OR Will Get You Pretty Far!)
      5. Rock, Paper, Scissors
    4. Chapter 10: Getting Loopy
      1. Loops, Unplugged
      2. Loop Types and Structures
      3. Nesting Loops
      4. Coding the Classic Fibonacci Sequence
    5. Chapter 11: Adding Lists
      1. Lists, Unplugged
      2. Introducing Lists
      3. Sorting Lists
      4. Searching Lists
    6. Chapter 12: Coding Subprograms
      1. Subprograms, Unplugged
      2. Starting with Pseudocode
      3. Creating a Spirograph with Subprograms
      4. Coding Subprograms with Parameters
  6. Part 4: Applying What You Know
    1. Chapter 13: Fixing Problems by Debugging
      1. Debugging, Unplugged
      2. Finding Common Syntax Errors
      3. Finding Common Semantic Errors
      4. Strategies for Debugging
      5. Walking Away
    2. Chapter 14: Creating a Webpage
      1. Getting Set Up
      2. Creating a Basic Webpage Layout
      3. Getting Fancy with Color and Graphics
      4. Adding Hyperlinks
      5. Going Interactive with JavaScript
      6. Combining HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
    3. Chapter 15: Building a Mobile Game
      1. Getting Started with MIT App Inventor
      2. Using an Emulator versus a Real Device
      3. Designing Mobile Apps
      4. Adding the Components in Design View
      5. Coding Your Mobile App
      6. Distributing Your Apps
    4. Chapter 16: Programming Simple Electronics
      1. Gathering Your Hardware
      2. Accessing the Software
      3. Don’t Wake Baby Gadget
      4. Trying Wacky and Fun Variations
  7. Part 5: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 17: Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Selecting a Kids Coding Curriculum
      1. DO Find the Right Entry Level
      2. DON’T Assume Cost Equals Quality
      3. DO Balance Lessons with Free Exploration
      4. DON’T Instantly Dismiss Teaching Languages
      5. DO Consult CSTA for Guidance
      6. DON’T Buy “Coding” Toys for Babies
      7. DO Emphasize the Soft Skills
      8. DON’T Let Kids Get Stuck in a Loop
      9. DO Present the Bigger Picture
      10. DON’T Stereotype Coders
    2. Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Keep the Coding Learning Going
      1. Unplugged
      2. Research Pioneers of Computing
      3. Go Lateral from Code
      4. Language Tracking
      5. Smart Home Projects
      6. Include Outside Passions
      7. Open-Source Projects
      8. Group Projects
      9. Community Support
      10. Portfolios
  8. About the Authors
  9. Connect with Dummies
  10. Index
  11. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Helping Kids with Coding For Dummies
  • Author(s): Camille McCue Ph.D, Guthals
  • Release date: May 2018
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119380672