4 Ways to Help Your Kids Develop Computational Thinking Skills
Computational thinking is a prior skill that covers most of the technological branches. It is a thought process of solving problems and formulating solutions like a computer scientist. Most of the programming-related performances are highly related to computational thinking making it a requirement for tech learning. So, it is an extreme advantage if young minds are moulded to acquire this skill.
Through this, parents like you should make a way of establishing your kid’s computational thinking skills. With that, you will expect your child to excel in all technological devices and activities.
Why should you teach computational thinking to your child?
Your child will improve their intellectual skill and mental health as they start learning computational thinking. It also helps them enhance problem understanding, analysation, and solution. Through this, your child can apply all these strong competences in life and projects associated with technology.
Other than that, computer scientists, software engineers, developers, and programmers use computational thinking skills to achieve their goals. It guides them to plan, build, fix, and maintain the platforms they created.
So, if you want your kid to pursue careers related to STEM and computer sciences, you should start teaching computational thinking whilst they are young.
How to simply introduce computational thinking?
Due to the importance of computational thinking to complexities of technology, many believe that it is very complicated to teach children. However, through simple but fun ways, you will be able to easily start teaching them “how to think” like programmers.
For you initiate the learning of computational thinking skills, here are some of the ways you may use.
#1 Teaching Decomposition
Introducing decomposition is one of the first steps for your child to understand computational thinking. In decomposition, they will learn how to break down big problems into a less complicated way. It allows them to solve problems one step at a time making it easier for these young minds.
One key way to teach decomposition to your kid is through a framework of strategy. It refers to developing a plan of technique to solve the issue smoothly without any hassles.
Through this, your child could handle several problems, either simple or serious issues. They would solve it with proper planning after breaking down each part of the problem. Then, it will make the problem lighter for everyone else.
But, how are you going to teach decomposition to youngsters? You may use simple party preparations. Allow them to see the party as the big problem and help them break down the main problem by branching out the requirements needed in the party. List down the smaller tasks featuring the to-do activities.
Through this, you are teaching them to solve an issue with decomposition technique causing the plan to be more organised, systematic, and easy to approach. So, if your child faces other problems at school or whilst coding for kids classes, then they can apply all these practices and resiliently fix the issue right away.
#2 Familiarising Pattern Recognition
Another computational thinking approach is through pattern recognition. In this step, you need to help them understand how a pattern works. It enables them to analyse the connection between similar experiences and problems. Then, they could make similar approaches to solve the issue immediately.
One of the basic pattern recognition introduced to children is the ABAB pattern. Afterwards, students will then begin understanding more complex patterns and develop predictions. In this case, your child could strengthen their computational thinking on pattern recognition. As a result, they will handle different problems and prepare their solutions through concrete predictions.
Parents and teachers use pattern recognition activities to teach children. It allows kids and teens to see some patterns in nature. For example, they are analysing the similarities and differences of trees or flowers. It gives a child a chance to identify all the patterns according to the organisms they are observing. Afterwards, these kids will be capable of providing their predictions after the analysis and observations.
If your child masters pattern recognition, they could handle different problems and solve it with a plausible solution. They will become aware of anything in the world and even of society’s technological advancement. Through this, they will think like computer scientists to bring out innovations that could help the world!
#3 Introducing Abstraction
Computer scientists, software engineers, and other coders have mutual skills of abstractions. They are experts in logical, data interpretation, and rational thinking of information. Moreover, these professionals prefer to look at the vital details rather than irrelevant information.
So, you should teach your kids how to embody abstraction skills in every task assigned to them. It will help them work less and easier without worrying about other aspects. Other than that, your child would be able to focus on more important variables instead of burying their minds on pointless things on the project.
You can train your child to acquire abstraction skills through literature or books. It will allow them to find the main idea and key information. Then, they could also see some details, treasures, clues, and hints to grasp the overall lesson of the book.
Other than that, parents like you could also conduct an activity that will let your child choose from a box of objects. Ask them to find the items needed for school among the pool of other materials. Through this, they will be able to identify the relevant things for school and invest less time checking for non-school related stuff.
In this case, you are already helping your child learn abstraction. Then, they could apply it with any kids coding activities or programming classes for kids. Your child could also use this with various tasks at school.
#4 Mastering Algorithm
To complete the computational skills of your child, you should finalise it by teaching them about the algorithm. The algorithm helps your child follow rules and instructions to accomplish a project or task. If they missed one step or added extra procedure, it will both cause an inappropriate result. However, if your child fully understands the process of the algorithm, they will work accurately according to the proper ways of accomplishing the task.
For you to teach an algorithm to your child, you could use simple at-home activities like baking cookies, cooking pancakes, or making a sandwich. Allow your child to make their pattern of instructions. Then, ask another child to perform the instructions. If one step was miswritten, then there is something wrong with the instruction. So, the child who wrote the steps should fix this matter.
Once your child masters the use of an algorithm, they will understand how it is necessary for different activities and performances. As a result, they will be more cautious about giving instructions similar to how careful coders in writing programming languages are for the computer.
How would your child strengthen their computational thinking?
Skill Samurai is an after school care program that offers computational thinking skills activities. It caters to boys and girls ages 7 to 18 to excel in decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. Skill Samurai also prepares students for careers like computer engineering, computer scientist, software developers, and programmers.
Through this, you can help your child enhance their computational thinking skills.
Sign up today for your child to begin and continue their journey to master computational thinking.
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