Best Way to Learn JavaScript for Kids

Published by UCode Research on May 13, 2022

Computer languages can seem difficult and intimidating, but they don’t have to be!

In a technologically advancing world, kids are learning how to code at young ages. Whether your child has had introductory courses or not, JavaScript is a great place to begin.

Luckily, there are tons of resources to help your child become an expert in coding long before they will be deciding on a career path. Let’s look at why JavaScript is a great beginner language, where you should start, what to do if you get stuck, the steps to learning the language, and why enrolling in an online Javascript course for kids is the best tool you have at your disposal.

Why JavaScript is a Great Beginner Language

We have all heard the phrase, “too much too soon,” which certainly applies to learning how to code. When you first get introduced to coding, you are hit with a lot of terms and new theoretical concepts that can be really intimidating and make you want to throw in the towel.

Two key aspects when learning a new skill are low barrier entry, and instant feedback–JavaScript has both. It is easy to learn and see results with a minimum amount of code compared to other languages.

Two other key things to consider before diving in:

If your browser doesn’t support JavaScript, you’ll need to download one that does–the good news is that this is very easy to do and costs you nothing extra
You will have to learn HTML/CSS along with it, which may sound like a disadvantage, but it will ultimately help you in the long run. UCode offers both a beginner’s HTML/CSS course for kids as well as an intermediate kids’ HTML/CSS course.

Why JavaScript Was Created

After web browsers were created, they were lacking a way to make them more interactive, so web designers got to work and created a coding language that would accomplish just that. They designed a language that could do these functions:

Logic handling: JavaScript works closely with HTML/CSS by handling the data while they define the look of the webpage.
Data handling: JavaScript handles the data, whereas before, you had to send information to the server, process it inside of the server, and then send it back. This feature saves a ton of time and headaches.
HTML and CSS manipulation: JavaScript is able to access and manipulate HTML and CSS elements and styles.
Event handling: JavaScript is able to handle user and browser events, for example, when you click on something, and then an action occurs.
Communication: Before JavaScript, you could only communicate to the server through forms, but that is now a thing of the past.

Javascript Developments

Server-side developments: Thanks to NodeJS, you can now use JavaScript outside of a browser to make desktop and server applications.
Mobile development: You can make mobile apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and now React Native also allows you to write mobile apps in JavaScript.
Faster JavaScript engines: Mozilla, Apple, and Google are all racing to have the fastest JavaScript interpreters for web apps.

JavaScript is now a highly versatile scripting language that can create web apps, server backends, desktop apps, and mobile apps. Coders that know JavaScript are highly coveted, and annual earnings can start at $76,000, making it a great language to know for the term career. This may not be a concern now, but as your child is nearing the end of high school, this may start becoming a priority.

Four Steps to Learning JavaScript and What To Do If You Get Stuck

Phase 1: In this phase, you are learning the syntax and the terms objects, arrays, functions, etc.

Phase 2: In this phase, you are now comfortable with the basics and will start learning methods provided by the DOM (Document Object Model). This will teach you how to build things from scratch. Practice building simple things and feel free to copy and paste code as long as you write your component from scratch afterward to understand how it all works.

Phase 3: You are now comfortable building things from scratch and anything DOM related; it may be messy, but at least you are doing it. It is now time to perfect your skill by using resources from more experienced coders. Build and rebuild your previous creations, clean it up, and make it perfect. You will now want to incorporate OOP (Object Oriented Programming) and FP (Functional Programming) and APIs (Application Programming Interface).

Phase 4: Now you are proficient in JavaScript, your work is clean, and you can create just about anything you want. From here, you can add a frontend framework, learn Node to build the backend, or continue working on your JavaScript skills. What you decide to do will depend on what you want to create!

Now that you see the process, let’s talk about what happens if you get stuck. It’s actually a lot easier than you may think. Thankfully there are tons of courses, many with live teachers to answer your questions, online resources, youtube videos, and chat rooms. Do not be afraid to ask questions, or take a break if you get too frustrated. There’s a lot of help available to your child when they enroll in a live online program, so don’t worry, someone’s got your back if you just ask!

Practical Tips for Kids to Learn JavaScript

Tip 1: Scratch is a block-based visual program perfect for very young kids to get familiar with the coding language, terms, and the idea of using the codes to create. Kids quickly get the hang of it and can start sharing their creations with the online community.

Tip 2: It’s time to graduate from the safe world of Scratch and start writing pure coding language. Get your child plugged into a JavaScript beginner coding course to give them a structured, fun environment to learn. A book that might help in conjunction with this is JavaScript for Kids, which also covers JavaScript, HTML, and basic jQuery.

Tip 3: Help your child visualize what they are doing by relating the concepts to things they are already familiar with.

Tip 4: This is a journey with no end in sight; there will always be more to learn and more challenging concepts, so let your child work at their own pace, pick fun projects, and take breaks.

Tip 5: Pick a fun project like building a drone, robot, or creating an interactive webpage. The more engaged and excited your child is, the more motivated they will be to learn how to code properly.

Conclusion

Now that you know more about JavaScript and all the benefits of learning this language, it is time to get your child plugged in and on their way to be an expert in coding.

JavaScript is an excellent widely used language that will help your kids have a significant competitive advantage when they move into the real world. Because Java incorporates so many terms and concepts of coding and is so versatile, they will have a good grasp when they explore other languages.

We hope your child will fall in love with creating something from nothing, having a skill that can benefit them for the rest of their life, and maybe even get their friends into it as well.

Coding does not have to be boring and hard, and we hope your child will be able to grasp the concepts quickly and get to have fun with it.

Get started with UCode today and explore all the different online coding classes for kids that we have to offer!

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